Beware the Travellers’ Health Book! Tropical disease diary
Beware the Travellers’ Health Book! Tropical disease diary – Uganda travel health advice from the muzungu
Or … “How not to do it”
This month I have been bitten by Mango Flies and a spider. I have had Malaria and Scabies, a fungal infection and an allergic reaction… what have you been doing, you may ask?
The silly Muzungu thought she would try and save money by consulting her Travellers Health book for Uganda travel health advice. I’d been itching like crazy, two evenings in a row and it felt like the surface of my skin was crawling alive. “Itching, particularly bad at night” was found in the Scabies section of the book. The next morning, I walked down to the local pharmacist and then to the local clinic for a diagnosis.
I was trying to go local. I like supporting local businesses and, after all, isn’t a Ugandan more likely to know what afflicts somebody who lives in Uganda? So went the thinking…
Three diagnoses later, plus a concoction of antihistamines, fungicide treatment, and other treatments – and I was still itching like crazy.
It wasn’t Scabies.
Nor had I been suffering from Mango Fly bites.
I thought it highly unlikely that I could possibly have Malaria a third time in six months. After all, Dr Stockley tells us “you can’t get Malaria in Kampala.”
When I told him that I thought I’d caught Malaria in Ggaba, he said: “Yes, well that’s Ggaba, that’s not Kampala!”
I always err on the side of caution, so when I got sick I decided I better have one more Malaria test. At the local clinic, I was surprised to hear I had the third positive result in four months, although I hear positive results are not that easy to get. (Even if you do have Malaria, it often hides in your organs and doesn’t show up in the test).
I’d been a bit suspicious of said clinic. They first tried to sell me a cream that was almost out of date. Obviously disappointed that I didn’t want to buy that, the clinic then tried to sell me something else for a condition that never even got a mention during the consultation!
I won’t be going there again, especially when I later had a conclusive result from Nakasero Hospital that proved I could not possibly have had Malaria when I had my test two days previously at the local pharmacy. In fact, a tropical medicine doctor friend says the antigen test for malaria shows I can’t have had it in the last six months…
And what was it that I had in the end?
Nothing tropical, only a case of Shingles, finally diagnosed by the Surgery. A British nurse friend had suggested I might have Shingles, but the two local clinics refuted that suggestion. Shingles is brought on by stress. It’s not contagious, but if you have had chickenpox as a child, you risk developing it later in life.
In my effort to save money, I’d actually wasted money by taking medications for something that I didn’t even have. I had prolonged my illness too.
Learn from the muzungu’s experience. When you feel ill, go to the best doctor you can afford – straightaway (and ditch the Travellers Health Book!)
Are you new to Uganda? You might find this blog useful: How to avoid Malaria.
Do you have any other Uganda travel tips or expat travel advice you’d like to share?
Please leave a comment here or check out the Diary of a Muzungu Guest Post page for more information, I’d love to hear from you!
The Muzungu stays home – while #UgandaDecides
#UgandaDecides is the hashtag dedicated to Uganda’s forthcoming election on 18th February 2016.
One thing is for sure, Ugandans have a fantastic sense of humour.
I’ve just been rereading a few of my posts written before and during Uganda’s Presidential elections of 2010 in which I wrote that apparently “it is illegal to create an effigy in the image of a candidate.”
Someone needs to tell this one!
Effigy of Dr Kizza Besigye waving the traffic on at Mulungu, Kampala, last week. Opposition presidential candidate Besigye heads the FDC. Will he finally get to beat President Museveni this election?
Someone needs to tell this one too!
Effigy of President Yowei Museveni, giving his trademark thumbs-up to passers-by in Kasese. Can anyone beat President Museveni? (and can anyone explain the buses drawn on his jacket lapels?)
If “it’s illegal to cover your number plate with a candidate’s election poster” it would be pretty safe to assume that covering up a road sign and risking road traffic accidents might also be illegal!
Man cycles towards Kasese. The whole area was plastered in the NRM party’s trademark yellow for the impending visit of their leader
Some people are concerned about Uganda’s security in the lead up to the elections, during the elections or even after the elections, but so far it’s all pretty much passed me by. Foreign travel advisories are notoriously cautious. (They’re hardly talking about the Uganda I know). Conversations with journalists, a candidate and business contacts suggest Uganda will be business as usual, bar the odd scuffle.
Our trip upcountry a few weeks ago was quite interesting however, as we drove through Fort Portal the day before the President was due to arrive there. Bright yellow National Resistance Movement T-shirts and placards were much in evidence.
Thanks to blog reader Josef for telling me the significance of the NRM’s yellow bus! Uganda elections 2016 #UgandaDecides
“If truth is the first casualty of war,” then what might be the truth behind these pictures doing the rounds on social media?
#UgandaDecides counting Uganda shillings. 50,000 UGX notes – currently worth about $15 or £10
#UgandaDecides young girl counting Uganda shillings. The brown 50,000 UGX notes are currently worth about $15 or £10
Although people say that votes exchange hands for Uganda shillings, washing powder or even soap, I find these photographs just a little bit too stage managed…
Also trying to stir things up a bit… ? Our friends in Kenya shared some pictures of brand-new military hardware fresh off the cargo ships in Mombasa.
NTV Kenya broadcast photos of some rather big Uganda Police vehicles being offloaded at Mombasa Port for onward delivery to Uganda #UgandaDecides
There was considerable extra security on the streets before during and after the last elections. Their presence was highly obvious, yet relaxed.
Makindye Mayor Dr Ian Clarke – known as ‘Busuulwa’ – canvasing local-style during elections to become MP for the Bukasa area of Makindye Division, Kampala
Dr Ian Clarke ‘Busuulwa’ first came to Uganda as a missionary almost 30 years ago. He is popular with the local electorate for his good service delivery record. The boda boda drivers of Makindye love him! I enjoyed following Ian’s progress as he was voted Mayor at the last election. See blog post below from 2010
There’s a lot of talk about the elections.
Let’s hope things go smoothly.
For an interesting assessment, read the East African newspaper’s ’10 key issues where Uganda election will be won or lost going by recent trends.’
I’ll be around. I have no plans to travel anywhere.
I quite enjoyed being in Kampala at Christmas after everyone else had gone to the village!
See you on the other side of the elections, folks!
On The Ball – inspiring Ugandan kids through football
Karol chats football with one of the On The Ball kids
Welcome to Diary of a Muzungu! This week’s guest post is by Irish football coach Karol Gallagher, who I first met at the Kabaka’s Birthday Hash Run at Bulange in 2013. Since then I have watched with interest as Karol has followed his passion to develop young players’ confidence through playing football. Hats off to you Karol for On The Ball – what a brilliant project! I know how much you’ve put into this.
Karol (pronounced Karl) Gallagher is a football youth coach, certified by the Irish Football Association and is Director of On The Ball Limited, a non-profit organisation incorporated in Uganda. On The Ball’s objectives are to equip coaches, inspire kids and assist in the development of sports (football). (The Muzungu: How cool is that?)
On The Ball Uganda, logo
Karol writes:
In 2009, I launched a grassroots community football initiative in Uganda, titled On The Ball (OTB). The objective of On The Ball is to serve as a peace-building integration project, promoting social change and community cohesion by bringing together typically segregated ethnic groups through the positive experience of a sporting team tournament. The project grew rapidly, and On The Ball received a Social Entrepreneurship Award from UnLtd, an English-based organisation that provides funding for individuals seeking to develop projects that benefit their community. On The Ball has also received the RESPECT Campaign endorsement from UEFA and is compliant with the Irish Football Association’s Football For All mandate.
Things really kicked off in December 2012 when I travelled to Uganda to visit family. After two weeks I had met with local coaches and formed a team. A week later, we organised a one day youth tournament, bringing 240 orphans/street kids from five neighbouring deprived / slum areas. The success of the event, and its positive impact, made me realise there was more work to be done.
Football practice with On The Ball
In January 2013 OTB organised another successful gala football competition event in Mulago community, bringing together over 500 youths from neighbouring disadvantaged areas of Kampala.
Thanks to grant funding from Irish Aid, On The Ball is growing, making a social impact within deprived areas of Kampala.
Since living in Uganda I have formed new friendships, set up a team of coaches, supported orphanages, coached kids, organised gala events and football workshops, created links with teams to Ireland, presented gifts – the list goes on.
On The Ball
Spending a lot of time on the ground with the people of Uganda and the On The Ball team, I gathered a lot of evidence and identified where the needs are. We see how organised, well-managed sporting activities can be a positive step forward in pathway to employment, education and empowerment of youths. Sport can be used as a vehicle to sustain peace and lower crime, through healthy competition and educational achievement.
Football practice with On The Ball. Karol talks strategy with the new players
At On The Ball – inspiring Ugandan kids through football, we believe that:
- – the link between community development and social development is activated through the engagement of sports.
- – academic performance is improved through sporting activity.
- – an active student environment enhances learning ability.
- – the benefits of an integrated sports programme within schools and community, linked to existing clubs.
- – fostering good working relationships within educational environments that are academically strong but lack in the area of physical health and wellness.
Karol hands a pair of football boots to one of the On The Ball players
On The Ball Uganda supports the existing development structures and framework within Uganda but can also identify areas that are lacking and will act as a link between community development and social development. Having gained support from Irish Aid, Uganda Olympic Federation and the Irish Football Association, On The Ball will continue to build its partner database at a district, regional, national and international level.
It has been an honour to share with you a summary of my work and my journey, and I warmly welcome your reply. Karol Gallagher.
For anyone wishing to donate to On The Ball please click here.
The Muzungu: thanks Karol for sharing your story. Your project rocks! I wish you all the success in the future. You can connect with Karol on the On The Ball Facebook page
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Please read my Guests Posts page for guidelines on the kinds of stories I feature on Diary of a Muzungu.
On the right track: my first Ugandan train ride
Rift Valley Railways relaunches Kampala passenger train service after 20 year break
UPDATE 2021: are you looking for information about the Kampala commuter train? Then scroll down. This blog is all about my experience when the train relaunched in 2015. The latest timetables are further down this post.
Another first this week: my first Ugandan train journey on the Rift Valley Railways Kampala train! My first African train journey, in fact!
I was very excited to hear that Rift Valley Railways, Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) and KCCA (Kampala City Council Authority) relaunched the Kampala passenger train service this week. We frequently hear the rumble of the train in the distance, but the service is confined to shunting freight from the dock at Port Bell on Lake Victoria up to Kampala’s industrial area. The train goes backwards and forwards across this short section of track a few times a week, delivering containers of imported goods via Mombasa and ‘outside countries’ beyond East Africa. The relaunch of the Rift Valley Railways Kampala train service for passenger travel marks a new beginning for the railway in Uganda. I couldn’t wait to experience it for myself.
And so 7 o’clock Tuesday morning – day 2 of the train service – I jumped on a boda boda and headed down to Kampala Railway Station, a neat colonial-type construction below Kampala Road.
Awesome Aussie journo and friend Amy Fallon was on the station platform, taking photos and looking for passengers to interview. 100 passengers had taken the 6.30 am train from Namanve to Kampala that morning but on our train (7.30 am Kampala to Namanve, heading out of the city) there were just two Bazungu writers / bloggers and a group of Uganda Railways Corporation staff. I guess we were traveling against the commuter tide, so to speak…
The staff were happy to see us and explained that each of the five carriages can take up to 200 passengers and that they expect 50% capacity by the end of this week. (Not sure whether they achieved it? But I can imagine the Rift Valley Railways Kampala train service will quickly become popular). The train staff helped us get on the train (it’s a steep climb up some vertical metal steps), and told us not to lean out of the window, for fear of hitting an overhanging branch (or something!) Either way, catching the train has to be safer than getting a boda boda or matatu taxi. The train trundled along quite slowly.
I love trains, I always have, I can’t help but get excited when I hear the whistle and the train slowly leaves the station.
Rift Valley Railways train pulling out of Kampala Railway Station – day 2 of the new passenger service from @CharlieBeau Diary of a Muzungu.
Rift Valley Railways train Kampala from @CharlieBeau Diary of a Muzungu.
Living next to the railway was a big part of the enjoyment of living in Namuwongo. As the train advanced down the track, the train would let out a long whistle, scattering folk who were selling their wares along the track! The ground would shudder as the passed just two metres from our compound wall.
“I saw the face of the train!” Our housegirl Eva shouted excitedly one day. (I guess that means it nearly ran her over!) The train had approached her front (face) on.
I was lucky enough to get the inside view of Kampala railway station last year, when it was open to the public (briefly) for the first time since 1984, thanks to some lobbying by Umeme and KCCA.
This was for the launch of the KLA ART Festival, boda boda recycled art display and gallery show. I miss European architecture, so it was a treat to access this building. Kampala Railway Station really is a treasure of a building, and I hope the original features continue to be maintained (and preserved) to the same standard. All credit to Rift Valley Railways for not letting this building fall apart through neglect, as so easily can happen. It’s an interesting snapshot of another era.
Our live updates from the Rift Valley Railways Kampala train went down a storm on social media; everyone seemed to have lots of questions about the train price, journey times, number of stops, age of the train, nationality of the train driver! Of course some people expect something for nothing, and one man was shocked at the ‘high price of’ the 1,500 UGX (Uganda shillings) for a ticket. Frankly that’s a total bargain if you can avoid sitting in a traffic jam… Amy and I asked around and it’s pretty impossible to get into central Kampala for less than that by any other means. (1500 UGX is around 50 US cents at the time of writing this in 2015).
For our virgin Ugandan train ride, Amy brought a bottle of champagne. “Orient Express” – eat your heart out! Our excitement, the great photo opportunities and waving at passers-by, meant our journey quickly passed before we even had time to think about breakfast or Champers…!
It shows how long it is since the train service ran: one Diary of a Muzungu Facebook fan, keen to try the service for himself, asked me where the station is. “Er…. in Station Road!” I replied. (The guy is probably in his 20s. The station has rarely been open to passengers during his lifetime, so how would he know anything about the railway station?) Apparently the passenger train last ran 20 years ago.
Older Kampala residents passed on illuminating comments about the railway’s history. Vali told me how he used to catch the train to boarding school in Nairobi from Kampala railway station, back in the day. Eric told me that he used to go to school along Old Port Bell Road. “The train was always punctual. When it departed Kampala railway station, it let out a whistle. We always knew that the whistle signalled school break time!” You may imagine yourself back in Kampala of the 1950s if you visit Malcolm McCrow’s East African railway photos and anecdotes.
CHOO-CHOO! Train coming through!
I’m sure the passenger train service will be a big hit with a lot of people, although capacity of 4,000 UGX is not a lot. Several of my Facebook Fans plan to take the trip, and I highly recommend it, simply to see another side of Kampala. Have you ever seen the workings of one of Kampala’s abattoirs? It’s a different world out there!
UPDATE 2021: The Kampala commuter train service is now run by Uganda Railways Corporation. The passenger train takes four trips every weekday between Namanve and central Kampala. The 45-minute journey stops at Nakawa (MUBS), Spedag (zone 4), Kireka, Namboole and Namanve. The first train of the day leaves Namanve at 7 am. It arrives at Kampala main station at 7.45 am. In the evening, trains depart from Kampala main station at 5.30 pm and 7.50 pm. I could not see pricing information on the URC website but I don’t think it has changed significantly from the 1,500 UGX (one way) price we paid in 2015.
So what’s next for the railways in Uganda and East Africa?
The Rift Valley Railways Kampala train passenger service from Kampala to Namanve was a one-year pilot project. UPDATE 2021: The service is a success and is still running.
More interestingly, work has started on the development of the Standard Gauge Railway across East Africa. This article looks at the differences between the original railway line and the planned new one. Substantial investment is being made into Uganda’s infrastructure, from the Kenyan border to the border with Rwanda; up to South Sudan in the north and down south to Tanzania. The rationale for the project is to make it quicker and cheaper to move goods from Mombasa inland through the East African community. Apparently, rail will quarter the costs of transport, half the time it takes to move the goods, and make the roads safer for the rest of us. Many of Uganda’s roads have been developed over the last few years but the daily transit of thundering heavy goods vehicles quickly destroys them again.
Uganda Railways Corporation is also rehabilitating railway track between Kampala and Port Bell, and Tororo and Gulu.
On a personal level, the Muzungu’s next African train journey simply had to be the Nairobi to Mombasa overnight train with complimentary safari en route through Tsavo National Park. The history of the East African railway and the so-called ‘Lunatic Express’ is captivating (yet terrible in parts).
My short journey from Kampala railway station started my research into the history of East Africa’s development. I confess, I have become a total train geek! It’s incredible to think that Nairobi and modern Kenya all started through the development of the railway. The whole Lunatic Express journey was fascinating from start to finish: the old-fashioned train compartments, the impromptu safari, the history of East Africa, and so much more. The Nairobi to Mombasa train is notorious for breaking down in the middle of nowhere… (but then the Muzungu was marooned in the middle of Lake Victoria on the ill-fated MV Templar for a whole night this week…) so anything is possible when she travels! In fact you may recall this cross-border travel misadventure.
Have you travelled by train in East Africa? Share your experiences here (and don’t forget to sign up for Diary of a Muzungu’s free newsletter!)
Kampala City Festival – Tips for enjoying the Festival
Are you going to Kampala City Festival this October 8th?
This is the Muzungu’s story from a previous year. I had a blast! Scroll down to the bottom of this page for the Muzungu’s tips on how to enjoy the Kampala City Festival 2017!
Scroll down to the bottom of this page for the Muzungu’s tips on how to enjoy the Kampala City Festival 2017!
PHOTO Kampala Capital City Authority (@kccaug) on Instagram
The Kampala City Festival takes place at the beginning of October every year. Dozens – hundreds? – of Uganda’s favourite musicians and entertainers will be performing live for FREE. Expect the streets of Kampala to be absolutely jam-packed!
Kampala City Festival Kampala Road crowd. PHOTO Ndijjo
Click here to visit KCCA’s Festival web site for October 2017! This year the Festival will be on Sunday 8th October.
2016’s theme was #blackyellowred
Uganda is without doubt one of the friendliest places in the world. I don’t think most Ugandans realise how truly charming and hospitable you are. I had some lovely greetings from random strangers when I attended last year’s Kampala City Festival:
“Uganda is a very safe place!”
“This is the dance of the Imbalu – from Mbale! Ka-la-loo!”
They were really chuffed that the Muzungu was at the Kampala City Festival, and very proud of their country. Rightly so.
At 3 o’clock in the afternoon, there’s a lovely vibe, no aggravation and no drunkenness (although I can’t guarantee how pumped up everyone is by the end of the night).
Tips on how to enjoy the Kampala City Festival – the 2015 logo
What a treat to reclaim the normally congested streets of Kampala streets for DANCING!
As I walk-dance down the road, wiggling my kabina, 20 teenage girls break into screams of ecstasy laughing at the Muzungu dancing. Dancing does not discriminate, everyone dances together: thousands of Ugandan boys and girls, mothers and young children, boda boda drivers, teenagers on roller skates and vacant-looking teenagers who are expecting-to-see-something-but-not-sure-quite-what.
dancers sponsored by Bell beer, Kampala City Festival PHOTO www.thelead.co.ug
I wonder what the average Kampala resident makes of the festival cum carnival? The spirit of carnival, with its masks and fancy costumes, has its roots in Africa, via a torturous journey that includes slavery, translocation from West Africa to the West Indies and then onto Brazil. The Rio de Janeiro Carnival, the most famous in the world, has its roots in the carnivals and masquerade balls invented by the freed slaves of Trinidad in the Caribbean. In Europe, our biggest street festival is the Notting Hill Carnival, London, pioneered by the black community that settled from the West Indies.
The carnival has come full circle: from Africa and back to Africa – to Kampala!
Here in Kampala, we don bright yellow Afro wigs, red Mohican wigs, facepaints and masks. Kids wear multicoloured sunglasses.
The Muzungu gets Uganda fever too! Uganda flag hat – the must-have accessory of Kampala City Festival 2014
On street corners, young men set up photo printing machines. Vendors sell samosas, groundnuts, icecream and ice lollies. Ladies carry plastic buckets of fried cassava on their head. Children line up to have their faces painted. The lady painting the child’s face cleans the paint from the brush in a recycled Waragi bottle.
Vendor on a street corner in Kampala. Note the security checks going on behind him
By 4 o’clock, the sun now blazing, the Uganda Wildlife Authority Mountain gorilla looks tired. He looks like he could do with a nap and some bamboo. He’s running his own personal marathon today in the full glare of the scorching sun: wearing a heavy plastic suit that is half a centimetre thick and covered with thick fur. The throng of onlookers walking alongside UWA’s float stop to gawp and take photos of him. It’s the closest they have ever come to a gorilla, and they’re so excited. “Big ups” to the UWA gorilla.
“Ka – loo – loo!”
“Big ups” to the UWA gorilla (hiding behind the bamboo). He was a real hit with Kampalans, all wanting a photo
The busiest intersection is on Kampala Road above the railway, a heaving body of humans, corporate floats and banners and Kampalans pushing towards the stages looking for their favourite musicians. Onstage next to Station House, I watch Eddie Kenzo – my hero! I can’t get enough of Sitya Loss.
“Dansez, dansez….”
Always eager to experience something new, I try my first Kasese tonto brew. Have you tried it? (It looks a bit like someone has done a short call in the cup – but tastes a lot nicer!) So much so, I return for a second cup…
The 2016 theme of Kampala City Festival is #BlackYellowRed PHOTO www.monitor.co.ug
Right at the point where I can move neither forwards nor backwards through the heaving crowd, two men force their way through with a huge sack of ice. Wafts of smoke drift through the crowd, from barbecues laden with goat (and some dubious-looking sausages).
Bell Lager bikers along Kampala Road. Kampala City Festival 2014
Tins of Bell Lager are on sale here and there but I see few empty tins on the streets. It seems most Festival goers are taking sodas (I have never seen so much ‘pop’ available) and bujeera and local brew stored in cavernous plastic bins and served in empty Coke and Sprite bottles.
I’m loving the Kampala City Festival. Ugandans are such beautiful people. (Is the Kasese tonto going to my head a little bit?)
What is the route for the Kampala City Festival 2017 procession?
The 2017 Kampala City Festival – now in its sixth year – brings together everyone who lives in Kampala. It’s gonna be mega!
Note the major traffic flow changes in the Central Business District ahead of #KampalaCityFestival 2017
Take a note of the major traffic flow changes in the Central Business District ahead of #KampalaCityFestival 2017 weekend of 8th October. All feed-in routes into Kampala-Jinja Road will be closed off to vehicular traffic on Saturday evening. (This is the main festival route). Affected routes include: Buganda Road, Bombo Road, Kampala Road, Luwum Street, Wilson Road, William Street, Dustur Street, part of Entebbe Road (interception of Nasser and Nkrumah Roads), part of Jinja Road (at Kitgum House), Colville Street, Kimathi Avenue, Parliament Avenue, King George VI, Speke Road, Dewinton Rise, Sir Appollo Kaggwa, and Siad Barre.
Tips on how to enjoy the Kampala City Festival
- Leave the car at home.
- If you can, park far away from Kampala city centre and Central Business District and walk.
- Why not get an Uber? Install the Uber app and get UGX 10k off your first trip by using the promo code VISITKAMPALA. In terms of price, from Ntinda to town costs about 8k and Makindye to town costs about 8k. TIP: install the Uber app BEFORE Sunday! And note: your Uber cab will have to drop you away from the main stages because of road closures (and huge crowds!)
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How to enter the promo code VISITKAMPALA and get 10k UGX off your first Uber ride!
- Even boda bodas are refused entry to the area cordoned off for Kampala City Festival.
- There are lines of security checks to enter the procession route. No-one gets past without being frisked. There will be lots of security, both uniformed and plainclothed.
- DRESS TO IMPRESS!
- Wear comfortable shoes, and ladies, don’t take a huge handbag. With the crowds thick in places, you will be glad you left it at home.
- Do you really need to take your fancy phone? Pickpockets love these type of crowded events, wherever you go in the world.
- Arrange to meet friends before you leave home. Either meet up first and travel together, or agree a time and place to meet. Stick to it! Although you may want to call someone during the festival, it is far safer to leave all your valuables at home.
- Taking the kids? They will love the KIDS’ ZONE in Constitutional Square, Kampala. There is plenty for them to do there but the square, and access to it, will be packed.
- Don’t drink too much. I’m not sure how many toilets you are going to find along the route. Secondly, I’m not sure what kind of state they will be in. Lastly, if you are boozing, don’t forget you have to get home once the Kampala City Festival is over – as do another one or two million people. If you’re a bit drunk, it could become a bit of a nightmare for you.
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Tips on how to enjoy the Kampala City Festival
- There will be lots of stalls selling different types of food, from full plates of Ugandan food, to fried chicken, and more. Snacks and drinks include carrot, pineapple and passionfruit juice; popcorn, candy floss and beer, samosas, G nuts (groundnuts), ice cream and ice lollies. If you want to eat healthily, or drink water, bring your own.
- The Kampala City Festival fireworks display starts just after 11 o’clock at night.
- If you absolutely have to take your phone or your camera with you, share your photos on Instagram, KCCA on Twitter or Facebook
Are you going to the Kampala City Festival?
What are your tips and recommendations for having a good time at the Kampala City Festival? Which performers are you looking forward to seeing ?
“Eating fish” on Lake Victoria – the Muzungu’s guide
“Eating fish” on Lake Victoria – the Muzungu’s guide
Regular readers of Diary of a Muzungu will know how much I enjoy venturing off the beaten track and sharing my favourite Uganda travel experiences. Here is my Guide to eating fish on Lake Victoria, Kampala – a few day out ideas you won’t find on any tourist itinerary.
“Eating fish” on the shores of Lake Victoria is very much a “hands-on,” communal experience, great for a weekend outing. Where shall we go this week-end?
Where to eat fish on Lake Victoria. Ggaba, KSL Kabaka’s Landing Site, Kampala
Let’s start with Ggaba
The fishing village of Ggaba derives its name from the Luganda word for ‘serve.’ The small landing site on the edge of Lake Victoria became known for its free and bountiful fish, giving the generous ‘serving’ spirit of the place its name. Ggaba and nearby Munyonyo are reached by driving south (approximately 12 km) from Kampala city centre, through Kabalagala and Kansanga. Ggaba is deliciously close to the Muzungu’s home.
There are different venues for different tastes. Here are my personal favourites.
Ggaba Beach Resort on Ggaba’s waterfront is probably the best-known place to eat fish on the Ugandan shores of Lake Victoria
The Ggaba Beach compound is a mixture of painted white buildings, symmetrical grass lawns and tarmac. There’s no actual beach but it is on the waterfront. It’s safe for kids to run around, but to me the place lacks personality: too much concrete and too many straight lines. That said, the fish is excellent and the service is good.
Where to eat fish on Lake Victoria. Part of the huge Ggaba Beach compound at Ggaba, Kampala, Uganda
Ggaba Beach is a good place to watch activity on Lake Victoria: wooden ferries moving people and firewood across the waterfront.
Diary of a Muzungu’s day out tips
- Secure parking costs 1,000 shillings.
- Fried whole Tilapia costs 25 / 30 / 35,000 Uganda shillings; 5,000 UGX for chips.
- Ggaba Beach is a popular venue for big pop concerts, thus occasionally closed to fish-eating visitors at weekends.
- The music can be LOUD!
- Er… there is no actual ‘beach’ at Ggaba Beach!
Where to eat fish on Lake Victoria. View from Ggaba Beach compound across to Bole and Mukono. Ggaba, Kampala, Uganda
BEST FOR: families, secure parking, watching life on Lake Victoria
DIRECTIONS: drive to the end of Ggaba Road, through the trading centre and down a short steep hill. Ggaba Beach is the modern white compound in front of you. (Brits: think Butlins!)
Kabaka’s Landing Site (KLS) at Mulungu, Munyonyo
It was from here, in the 1870s, that Kabaka Mutesa embarked on hippo hunting expeditions to Lake Bulingugwe and beyond. The hippos are gone, and so is the Kabaka’s fleet of canoes, but Mulungu is still known as the Royal Port.
Where to eat fish on Lake Victoria. Brightly coloured umbrellas at Kabaka’s Landing Site – also known as KLS – Mulungu, next to Munyonyo, Kampala
Down at the shorefront restaurants of KLS, there are no frills, just fried whole Tilapia, Nile Perch and reasonably priced drinks beers, sodas and Uganda Waragi gin. Yum!
It doesn’t get fresher than this! A customer choosing his piece of Nile Perch at KLS Kabaka’s Landing Site. Where to eat fish on Lake Victoria
Diary of a Muzungu’s day out tips
- Entering the Kabaka’s Landing Site costs 1,000 Uganda shillings per person. Money goes to the Buganda Kingdom.
- Whole fried Tilapia are priced at between 15 / 25,000 Uganda shillings; 3,000 UGX for chips.
- The guys and girls who serve you fish will bring you water to wash your hands with. They usually, but not always, have soap.
- If you don’t want to eat with your hands, take your own knife and fork, and serviettes.
- There is a very basic selection of drinks available, e.g. beers, some sodas and Uganda Waragi. If you like tonic water, you can bring your own.
- Take a pen and paper for working out the bill and keeping a note of the number of drinks!
- A word about lake flies. When we went in March, we were blitzed. Lake flies don’t bite but they can be incredibly annoying.
- KLS is a nice spot for bird watching and watching the sun go down over Lake Victoria.
- You can also buy fresh fish, gutted and descaled, to cook at home.
- While you’re sitting on the waterfront, you may be asked if you want to take a boat out into Murchison Bay. I’ve seen a couple of lifejackets, but I’ve also seen people boarding holding bottles of Nile Special. Not entirely sure how safe said boats are…
- Despite outward appearances of KLS, there are decent toilet facilities. Just ask.
Entry to the Kabaka’s Landing Site is managed by the Buganda Kingdom. Where to eat fish on Lake Victoria. Ggaba, Kampala
I love being surrounded by nature – but don’t fear the huge Marabou Storks, they are all part of the experience. Where to eat fish on Lake Victoria. Ggaba, KLS Kabaka’s Landing Site
BEST FOR: groups of friends, bird watching, Buganda history
DIRECTIONS: from Ggaba Road, pass Speke Resort Munyonyo and the turning to KSL is a few hundred metres further on the left. The road has recently been tarmacked.
The waterfront market at Ggaba Landing Site
For the more adventurous – and the best prices – head right down to the waterfront itself, where you may even watch your fish being landed and descaled. Men play pool under the tin roofs of the quayside. On the waterfront, the fish is frying and the market is in full swing. It’s a great place to sit and watch the world go by if you enjoy a bit of a crowd.
Diary of a Muzungu at Ggaba landing site on Lake Victoria. PHOTO Isabel Romano, Diario de Abordo
Diary of a Muzungu’s day out tips
- Ggaba can be congested. If possible, leave your car and walk the last few hundred metres. Alternatively, someone will help you find a place to park, in exchange for a small tip.
- Monday is market day, however, every day you can buy fresh fish, smoked fish, the best value dried mukenne (silver fish), all your fruit and vegetables, tripe and offal, everyday household goods and vibrant Tanzanian fabrics, imported via Mwanza, a day’s ferry ride away.
BEST FOR: people watching, shopping
DIRECTIONS: drive to the end of Ggaba Road, through the trading centre and down a short steep hill, on through the market.
Beach House, Event Gardens, Ggaba
Undoubtedly the most laidback place to eat fish, Beach House is a favourite with couples, students from Kampala University accommodation and groups of friends. On Sunday afternoons it’s a popular hang-out for a small group of bikers.
Beautifully wrapped packets of g nuts (ground nuts) arrived just in time to go with my beer, courtesy of this friendly young man with very cool shades. Beach House Event Gardens, Ggaba.
I love the lake view and the flocks of Marabou Storks with their background of Papyrus swamp. Kick off your shoes and enjoy the feel of grass under your feet.
Quiet gardens on the edge of Lake Victoria at Beach House Event Gardens, Ggaba – can get busy at week-ends, especially with students from the next door Kampala University accommodation. Where to eat fish.
Once you see this view, turn left and head down to Beach house Event Gardens. Students from Kampala University walking to Ggaba market
Diary of a Muzungu’s day out tips
- As well as whole fried Tilapia, Beach House also sells roasted meat (muchomo) in the evenings.
- A whole Tilapia and chips costs 30k UGX.
- There is a small car park, for which there is no charge.
- Here you can catch a boat across Murchison Bay to Bole and Mukono District. Ask someone to call the boat over while you have a beer. It should cost you just 8,000 UGX to hire a boat to take you across. This is the cheapest way to cross to Lakeside Adventure Park or Lagoon Resort, both brilliant places for a day out or a weekend away. Just say Diary of a Muzungu sent you! (From Bole landing site, you will need to catch a boda for a very scenic 10 minute ride through the Bush).
BEST FOR: nature, watching the sun set over Lake Victoria, romance
DIRECTIONS: There are two ways to reach Beach House: through Ggaba trading centre and then left at the main boda stage, or, passing through Bunga, turn left at the Oryx petrol station (formerly Engen). Look for the Kampala University accommodation signpost.
Thanks for reading The Muzungu’s Guide to eating fish, Lake Victoria, Kampala. I’ve visited all these places and – at the time of visiting – all information was correct, but I can’t guarantee it will remain so. Do check these places out for yourself, and tell me what you think?
Have you visited any of these popular lakeside destinations? Where do you recommend going to eat fish in Kampala? I’d love to read your comments 🙂
High wire hijinks – are you up for a Lakeside Adventure?
High wire fun at Lakeside Adventure Park
Lakeside Adventure Park is unique: there is nowhere quite like it in Uganda. The park offers state-of-the-art adventure and climbing activities, with a highly professional support team in a peaceful setting next to the lake. It’s brilliant fun too – as Kampala House Harriers were to discover …
Flying Hashers! High wire fun at Lakeside Adventure Park, a great day out from Kampala
Activities available at Lakeside Adventure Park include an assault course, crate-building exercise for team building fun, high wire – rope course – activities on two different levels, volleyball on the beach and Uganda’s highest climbing wall. It’s perfect for a day out from Kampala. It caters very well for groups.
Recently, twenty of us took the Lakeside Adventure Park boat across from Ggaba. The boat can take you directly from Ggaba’s KK Beach to Lakeside (45 minute boat journey). We opted to take the shorter boat crossing to Bole, from Beach House Event Gardens (a nice little local bar behind Ggaba).
Twenty Hash House Harriers jumped on the boat from Ggaba.’Nagawa’s Birthday Hash’ was sponsored by Diary of a Muzungu
We then jumped on boda bodas for a ten minute journey through the Bush to Lakeside. Either way, it’s a very easy journey to Lakeside. (You can even drive there via Mukono)). Once you’re over on the other side, you feel like you’re on an island – you can hardly imagine Kampala is so close.
On a boda boda from Bole to Lakeside Adventure Park – just one of the ways to get there
After a quick look around Lakeside’s facilities, it was time for our reason for being there: the Hash run! What a beautiful part of the world. Ahhhh… I feel so relaxed just remembering the place. I don’t remember passing even one car on our hour-long run. Even boda bodas are few and far between.
There was one very important boda boda on our run, of course: the one carrying the beer for the three beer stops! My favourite beer stop: guess who was waiting for Nagawa? Up in the trees were three Nkima! (Red-tailed Monkeys – the totem for the Nkima clan that Nagawa belongs to).
The Muzungu Nagawa and Nkima, the Red Tailed Monkey. Me and my totem, as painted by the artist Taga www.mytotem.co.ug
I enjoyed my moments watching the monkeys while I waited for the (FRBs) Front Running Bastards to appear from the bushes…
I was quite happy when Kenyan Hasher ‘Golddigga’ took my place on the beer-stop boda – it wasn’t the comfiest of rides!
Boda driver + de Muzungu + beer crate on one boda boda driving over bumpy marram tracks isn’t the most comfortable ride. I was quite happy when Kenyan Hasher ‘Golddigga’ decided that her injured leg needed a rest and she took my place on the beer-stop boda.
Back at Lakeside Adventure Park, the ‘high wire’ ropes course activity operates on two levels.
Our instructor was JB. Feet still firmly on the ground, JB instructed everyone on how to use the safety equipment. No time for fooling around; everyone had to listen in carefully. The health and safety briefing is very important. Used properly, everyone was safe using the equipment. Spectators aren’t allowed to stand underneath any of the high wire activities, either. It was very tempting to stand right underneath someone to take a photo, but I resisted. I didn’t want JB to shout at me!
Unusually attentive Hashers! JB gave everyone a a good safety briefing
The high wire activities combine ropes and pulleys, climbing walls, sections that you sit on and navigate using your upper body. It requires coordination, balance and concentration.
Taking a break between sections of the high wire ropes course at Lakeside Adventure Park
Some of the Hashers opted to continue to the second higher level. The whole activity is quite intense. After a few initial giggles, everyone quietened down. I could sense how people were concentrating.
Machinery hauls himself across a section of the ropes course
Only a couple of people managed the last section; to concentrate hard and maintain that muscle control for a whole hour has to be very demanding. (Note: de Muzungu was too busy taking photos – and recovering from the night before’s birthday celebrations – to participate!)
Imagine organising your colleagues into two teams and racing each other over an assault course? This is what we did on Sunday morning.
We cheered each other on as we scrambled over wooden poles, jumped, climbed, run, swung and raced on our hands and knees over, under and around various wooden obstacles. Brilliant!
Check out more photos of the Lakeside Adventure Park week-end on the Diary of a Muzungu Facebook page.
Assault course at Lakeside Adventure Park. Note de Muzungu‘s full concentration!
As a last bit of fun to end the day, JB split us up into teams and gave us a scenario in which we had to build a temporary shelter from the rain. He gave us 15 minutes.
Fourteen minutes later, feeling proud of our tipi tent of branches and leaves, our team of five sat inside it.
“But will it be rainproof?” He asked us. “Yeah, yeah”” we all shouted, confidently.
“Are you sure?”
A bucket of water appeared from nowhere, permeating the branches and soaking everyone in our shelter.
“Okay, JB, you win!” We laughed, jumping up from the ground.
Clare and I outside our hastily built tipi – before we had the bucket of water chucked at us!
A lot of fun and just one of the teambuilding exercises put together for corporates, schools or just a private party like ours.
We had a brilliant time at Lakeside Adventure Park, from start to finish. The booking process was easy and the team made sure we had everything we wanted. Twenty is quite a small group number; Lakeside can accommodate 55 people (or a few more, with tents) and is a popular venue for corporate and teambuilding events. The whole facility is very well organized. A new kitchen and conference room are being constructed as I write. The dormitory accommodation is excellent. There are two big modern dormitories, one male and one female, each with their own hot showers and toilets. Everyone in our group said what a fantastic time they had.
You don’t actually have to be fit for a lot of these activities, you just have to be up for an adventure! Don’t be too concerned if people laugh at your expense. You will soon be laughing at them too!
For more information, visit Lakeside Adventure Park’s website or contact the Muzungu. We can’t wait to revisit next year. So many Hashers are complaining that they missed out on this unique weekend – let’s hope Lakeside will have us again!
My journey to Uganda: First Impressions
Welcome to Diary of a Muzungu! This week’s guest post is by Angela Dempsey, who was so captivated by her first impressions of Uganda that she contacted me to ask if she could share her experience. Here it is.
I felt a tension, a feeling of foreboding, when I saw a hundred-or-so young Ugandan soldiers lining up in the airport to board a bus in the night. I couldn’t help but wonder where the bus would take these young men next and if they would ever return. Perhaps it was just a routine training expedition but in this part of Africa it was hard for me not to jump to the conclusion that it was war.
Clothes drying on the line
Ugandans and their neighboring countries have wrestled against war for decades. Since the 1980s, Ugandans have endured tragic losses caused by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). In the Acholi region of northern Uganda, where most of the ladies of Aggie’s Arts were born, more than a million people were forced to flee their homes. A large number of those refugees found their way to the south and ended up living in the slums of the capital city of Kampala.
One person I know has likened Kampala to a post-apocalyptic city—like some scene from a sci-fi movie. The roads are paved but there are potholes everywhere. There exists what I term “half-buildings”, abandoned mid-construction, everywhere you turn. The dust of the stripped land of red clay permeates the air and mixes with the pollution of cars and motorcycles to create a hovering cloud over the city. Many of the restaurants, hotels, private residences, schools and churches are surrounded by a 10-foot cement block wall with barbed wire along the top perimeter and have one single-gated entry point with armed guards to ensure no weapons are brought inside. All of this contributes to this surreal sense that you have entered a place that intuitively knows that safety is only a mirage and peace is still a dream.
Woman eating a traditional Ugandan lunch. Aggie’s Arts Uganda
“There is an air of quiet perseverance, kindness and timidity in the Ugandan people that one can only attribute to those who have suffered and survived. This attitude makes you want to help them all the more.”
What really amazed me was the contrast between these surroundings and the people. I observed them as they walked everywhere in their nicely pressed outfits—men in buttoned down shirts and slacks and women in nice dresses with children strapped to their backs. They smile. They work hard. I found Ugandans to be friendly to outsiders when one might expect there to be distrust.
I saw this same attitude in many of our Aggie’s Arts ladies as we visited them in their homes in Banda, a slum outside Kampala.
I was fortunate to be in Banda with the ladies on a Saturday, which is laundry day. There is something about the universal chore of laundry that made me feel immediately connected with their community. They hand washed their few clothes and hung them out in the sun like my grandmother used to do. There was no denying as I walked through this area of the world that life is very, very hard here.
Ugandan kids have the best smiles!
Children are everywhere I walk.
They gaze at me with dark, curious eyes. Many of them called out “Muzungu!” (the name of anyone who has white skin) and they want to shake my hand and say “good morning.” I see a small group of children playing soccer (football) and I think of my nine-year old daughter who would love to join them. Smiling faces in the midst of such poverty is disarmingly beautiful and poignant at the same time. Sadly, for many of these impoverished children, working at the rock quarry or having a child in their early teens will soon truncate any opportunity for education or play time.
A child helping with the clothes washing
Most of the homes I observe are small, 10 foot by 12 foot dwellings about the size of my front porch at home in the U.S. That space is then divided by a thin curtain to keep the living space separated from the sleeping space. The kitchen consists of a small charcoal pit with a pan for cooking and is located just outside. There is no indoor plumbing; no toilets other than a shared hole in the ground surrounded by walls, nearby. If they are lucky, they have a spigot (water tap) nearby and can pay someone for water so that they don’t have to walk miles carrying heavy water from the main spout near the road. Unfortunately, the cost of this water is so high they end up walking anyway. Food is made up of greens, a cornmeal mixture made into “porridge” and rice or beans. The ladies said they usually eat one meal a day.
There is an undeniable desire to help that pierces your heart when you see these ladies, their families, and their hardships. As I boarded the plane to go back home, I knew that I had learned much during my interviews with the ladies and my experience in Uganda. I walked away having seen the transformation that can happen when people are given the opportunity to provide for themselves and their loved ones through the work of their own hands. I am convinced more than ever that Aggie’s Arts is working. I also realized that Aggie’s Arts, here in the U.S., is a vital part of that transformation.
People have asked me if I’d like to go back. Knowing there is still much work to be done, I give a wistful reply of “Someday.” Hopefully, it won’t be too long.
The ladies of Aggie’s Arts Uganda pose for a group photo. First impressions of Uganda
About Angela Dempsey
Angela Dempsey has been a youth mentor, a missionary, a mechanical engineer, and a leadership trainer. She has lived in the U.S. and France. She is a lover of people, travel, and family. She is also a great admirer of coffee, chocolate, and classic literature. She lives in Alabama with her husband, Robb, their two beautiful girls, and a tuxedo cat named Shadow. She is currently the President of the Board of Directors for Aggie’s Arts, Inc. Her trip to Uganda took place in March 2014. Ms. Dempsey may be contacted at adempseywork[at]gmail.com
The Muzungu: thanks Angela for sharing your story. It’s always interesting to see the world through someone else’s eyes. Here is one of my very first blogs about Uganda: Touchdown Africa – a letter home.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Please read my Guests Posts page for guidelines on the kinds of stories I feature on Diary of a Muzungu.
Why do I Blog? 10 Surprising Life Lessons from a Self-Confessed Blogaholic
Why do I blog? 10 Surprising Life Lessons from a Self-Confessed Blogaholic
Diary of a Muzungu. Ggaba landing site. PHOTO Isabel Romano, Diario de Abordo
1. Blogging is my friend.
2. Blogging is my creative outlet.
3. Blogging is my personal space when things in my life don’t work out the way I want them to.
Perception versus reality
4. Blogging = time out…
Blogging is my arena in which to:
5. … make mistakes
6. … win new clients
7. … make new friends
8. … learn new skills
9. … tell the world WHAT AN AMAZING PLACE UGANDA IS.
We all have to start somewhere…
I was a blogger before blogging was invented.
At boarding school, I wrote long letters home. When I was a teenager, I kept a secret diary (well, I thought I did, until – horror of horrors – my mum revealed some years later that she had read it!)
When I traveled, I wrote long letters home. When my relationship was going nowhere, I kept a secret diary.
When I gave up my old life in London to leave for Uganda, I started writing my blog – even before I’d started packing my suitcase.
A few of my many Uganda diaries. Diary of a Muzungu
A blog – an online Diary – of a Muzungu was the natural progression.
[I’m embarrassed at its ordinariness now but this was my first ever blog post, in 2008. And my mum was the first to comment – don’t mums rock?]
Stop making excuses Just-Do-It
10. A blogger has no time to be bored – the next story beckons. There are always ideas to research, to mull over, to discuss with friends.
11. “Are you writing about this in your Diary?” – has been an invitation to:
– go gorilla trekking in Rwanda
– meet the Omukama [traditional tribal King] at his Palace in Bunyoro, western Uganda
– attend the VIP launch of the inaugural Kampala Art Biennale
– meet my totem – the Red Tailed Monkey – in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
– experience Uganda’s solar eclipse! …
and so many other life-affirming East African experiences.
Some people spend a lifetime searching – but I Have Found My Niche and it is here in Uganda.
The five year evolution of my blog – from crappy updates on Blogger to self-hosted WordPress Wow!ness – reflects the development of my own aspirations and my professionalism as a blogger.
Diary of a Muzungu charts my progress. It shows me that if you really want something…
12. … JUST DO IT.
NEVER NEVER NEVER Give Up, said Winston Churchill. By Jove, he was spot on.
You don’t even need to put on those fake trainers 😉
Just Do It trainer heels
Do you write a blog?
What does blogging mean to you? I’d love to read your experiences!
KLA ART 014 – “Unmapped” – Kampala Contemporary Art Festival
“Unmapped” – Who are the unheard voices of our cities? KLA ART 014, Kampala Contemporary Art Festival
Now you’ve seen it all! ‘Cow on a boda boda’ on display at the launch of KLA ART 014 at Kampala Railway Station
This year Kampala residents are being treated to a wide range of original African art: August’s Kampala Art Biennale has been a highlight of 2014, and KLA ART 014, Kampala Contemporary Art Festival, this October is set to be equally enlightening.
Kampala Contemporary Art Festival KLA ART 014 official poster
Two years ago, my friend Robert announced that, rather than come drink beer with yours truly, he planned to give up his Saturday to visit some old shipping container in downtown Namuwongo. (The Muzungu has been stood up for less I suppose, but I digress…)
In fact, Robert was taking part in the inaugural KLA ART event, in which a number of old shipping containers were converted into art installations. It was their placement in and around various Kampala ‘no go areas’ that really caught my attention: here was art physically ‘going to the people’.
Inviting someone to a gallery is in a sense ‘preaching to the converted.’ A gallery visitor is someone who already ‘gets’ art, already appreciates art, who perhaps even already creates art.
A contemporary art festival, such as KLA ART 014, takes art to the next level: inviting Ugandans to think and talk about art, to express themselves through art – something they may have never done before.
Participating Ugandan artist Helen Nabukenya at press launch for KLA ART 014 Kampala Contemporary Art Festival
KLA ART 014 is Kampala’s contemporary art festival.
Throughout the month of October, the festival is unveiling new artworks from 30 artists from Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Congo and Rwanda, asking the question:
‘Who are the unheard voices of our cities?’
According to Violet Nantume, Curatorial Committee, KLA ART 014:
“The bicycle knife sharpener; the express fashion designer; the mobile nail salon: they fill every corner of the city. ‘Unmapped’ will attempt to artistically showcase how people from every stratum of society adapt creatively to survive.”
Have you ever been inside Kampala Railway Station? Now’s your chance!
Thanks to KLA ART, Rift Valley Railways, KCCA and Umeme, Kampala Railway Station is open to the public for first time since 1994.
This free-to-attend Festival Exhibition features ten artists displaying their interpretation of Kampala’s “Unmapped.” (The Muzungu admitted to being very keen to have a nose around this iconic Kampala landmark and was delighted to be invited to the VIP preview).
At Kampala Railway Station the public has a chance to meet and discuss the artworks with the artists themselves.
Selected artists work on a variety of media, from paintings to sculpture, and fabrics to music.
Unusually, many VIP guests arrived before the 6 pm opening time – so keen were we all to be the first inside Kampala Railway Station!
Thanks to KLA ART, Rift Valley Railways, KCCA and Umeme, Kampala Railway Station is open to the public for first time since 1994
Back in the heyday of the 1950s and 1960s day, regular Mail Trains ran from Kampala to Nairobi, as Malcolm McCrow’s wonderful old photos show.
Kampala Railway Station is open to the public for first time since 1994. All the original features are in place
A brilliant exhibition space! KLA ART 014 Kampala Railway Station Exhibition main hall
Rocca Gutteridge, Project Director, KLA ART 014 says “KLA ART 014 offers a platform to showcase new and emerging ideas by contemporary Ugandan artists. KLA ART is a two-year process of thought, production and experimentation resulting in a unique festival, which directly links artists, artworks and audiences.”
The Boda Boda Project
At the VIP launch, we had a chance to meet the artists behind the Boda Boda Project who have transformed 20 boda boda (motorbikes) into public artworks. The Boda Boda project is all about giving Ugandans access to contemporary art and these 20 bodas will be ‘mapping’ the streets of Kampala throughout October, driving north, south, east and west to engage with the community and chat about contemporary art.
‘Cow on a boda boda’ – a statement on the mistreatment of transporting animals – on display at the launch of KLA ART 014 at Kampala Railway Station. Creation of artist Grace Sarah (pictured) with inquisitive soldier!
How would Uganda manage without boda boda transport?
Reagan Kandole, from the Waste Management Education Project, WaMeP, watering the plants growing in the recycled boots decorating his boda boda. Every item on his boda boda had a purpose – I love it!
Kampala Railway Station is such an inspiring venue for the exhibition – here an artist discusses his work on the Boda Boda Project
The KLA ART artists and their boda boda creations are creating temporary exhibitions in a variety of locations across the capital. An interactive recording studio and a travelling cinema are just two of the innovations that will be touring the streets of Kampala on boda bodas.
I can’t wait to see how the streets of Kampala are transformed by this mobile exhibition!
I wonder too what the first-time art visitor will make of some of the ‘weird and wonderful’ boda boda creations on display?
KLA ART comes at a time when Ugandans have been discussing this year’s census: when people have been asking themselves quite a fundamental question: “if I don’t register, then do I exist?” Will the “Unmapped” recognise themselves or their situation in these pieces of contemporary art? It will be interesting to hear the feedback.
Here is the KLA ART free programme of events showing where the 20 boda bodas will travel to each day between 4th and 31st October.
What’s more, the KLA ART 014 free programme of events includes:
- The Festival Exhibition – open every day at Kampala Railway Station from 10 am – 6 pm.
- The Boda Boda Project – launching every day from the Railway Station and driving from there to a different location in Kampala
- Studio tours every Wednesday during October
- A symposium
- Film screenings and
- ‘Street art intervention’, run by Weaver Bird
KLA ART 014 is organised by 32° East | Ugandan Arts Trust, a centre for the exploration and creation of contemporary art in Uganda www.ugandanartstrust.org The full list of partners and sponsors is here.
Underscoring the theme of accessibility, press information is also available in Luganda.
For the latest information on KLA ART 014, check out:
www.klaart.org | www.facebook.com/KLAART | www.twitter.com/KLAARTfestival
So have you seen any of the 20 boda boda project bikes driving around Kampala yet? You certainly can’t miss the huge billboards in the centre of town.
Have you visited Kampala Railway Station? I’d love to know your impressions!
Kampala Art Biennale – what’s it all about?
About the Kampala Art Biennale
Kampala is a dynamic city, bursting with talent. I love this city.
Throughout August this year, Kampala Art Biennale is a showcase of contemporary art from Africa with the goal to expose, educate and create debate about the value of art in society. The Biennale consists of an exhibition of 100 artworks including paintings and photographs, showcasing 45 artists from 13 African countries working under the theme of PROGRESSIVE AFRICA and featuring panel discussions on the relation between art, culture and tourism.
The Muzungu: It’s always great to hear of new initiatives for channeling people’s creativity and giving them a stage and I’m sure the Kampala Art Biennale 2014 marks an important step in putting Kampala’s art scene on the tourist route. I’m really excited to have been asked to help promote this event.
EVERYONE IS INVITED – and that means you! Inaugural Kampala Art Biennale ” an international art event to promote Kampala and Uganda as an art tourism destination”
Kampala Art Biennale was established by the Kampala Arts Trust a collective of visual and performance art practitioners living and working in public and private spaces within Uganda’s capital.
Daudi Karungi on the newly painted zebra crossing at Aga Khan School in Kampala this week “Educating Kampala society about the value and importance of contemporary art”
Kampala Art Biennale is afro-centric in nature and seeks to promote only artists (foreign or native) working on the African continent. It was established to recognize and integrate African contemporary art that is being created on the peripherals of the mainstream.
The Kampala Art Biennale is an opportunity to see visual arts in various venues across the city. Much more than that, it is an opportunity for debate and discussion on how Africa can transform itself and how creative industries can help generate economic growth. Promoting Kampala as a destination for art lovers is just one way the tourism industry can benefit and in turn help develop Kampala and Uganda.
Paul Ndema, wings spread-38cm x 55cm-acrylics and ink on water colour paper
Kampala Art Biennale: Theme
PROGRESSIVE AFRICA is a theme derived from the current Pan African – and increasingly global – discussion of AFRICA IS NOW versus AFRICA IS THE FUTURE.
Today in Africa, there are divergent views about the status of Africa in the global village. Some say the world is moving to Africa for opportunities while others say African economies are becoming global markets. These conversations discuss which strategies are the best to accelerate Africa’s progress. All these dialogues suggest one thing; that something is happening on the African continent whether right now – or as it moves into the future.
Under the theme PROGRESSIVE AFRICA, the Kampala Art Biennale 2014 is part of this discussion. African painters, photographers, illustrators, cartoonists, writers and all 2D media artists have been invited to present their perception of the current status of Africa through visual art.
Viewers and visitors will then join in the discussion – pro or against the purported progress – with the help of the invited artists’ resulting 100 images, the aim being a questioning of African political, social and economic practices.
According to Kampala Art Biennale 2014: “The Biennale will serve as a conduit through which to start a debate that we so desperately need right now about a modern and progressive Africa starting right here in Kampala. There is a need to generate discussions centered on looking beyond aid to the financial resources Africa needs to enable transformative growth.”
Zerihun Seyoum – Adoption-oil on canvas-2013
Kampala Art Biennale: dates to remember
1st August 2014
Art, Culture and Tourism panel discussion with experts from the art, culture and tourism sectors. Uganda Museum, 16:00 hrs. On invitation, live on social media
1st August 2014
Official opening of the Kampala Art Biennale 2014 PROGRESSIVE AFRICA exhibition. Uganda Museum, 17:30 hrs.
2nd – 31st August 2014
Kampala Art Biennale 2014 PROGRESSIVE AFRICA exhibition. Open to the public at various venues across Kampala.
Georges Senga, UNE VIE APRES LA MORT, SIZE DYPTIQUES, 140Cm X 84Cm PRINT Inkjet on barité paper
The Biennale exhibition will be on throughout the month of August 2014 at various venues.
Kampala Art Biennale: Venues
The inaugural Kampala Art Biennale will take place across Kampala at traditional art venues such as Nommo, Afriart and Makerere Art Galleries and the Uganda Museum;
in community venues in heavily populated parts of Kampala, such as offices and hotels (to put art in people’s everyday lives);
and in ‘non-traditional art venues (such as factory, unoccupied buildings and Kingdom Mall building site opposite Oasis Mall).
For the full list of venues, please check the Kampala Art Biennale web site.
Eria Sane Nsubuga, The art of faking it, 2014
Kampala Art Biennale: selected artists
Uganda Ronex Ahimbisibwe, Paul Ndema, Kalungi Kabuye, Anwar Sadat Nakibinge, Eria Nsubuga Sane, Joshua Ibanda, Ronnie Tindi Chris, Ronald Kerango, Henk Jonker, Wasswa Donald, Babriye Leila, Gillian Gibbons, Shelley Van Heusen.
Kenya Samuel Githui, Justus Kyalo, Yassir Ali Mohammed, Brian Omolo, Michael Soi.
South Africa Samson Mnisi, Senzo Njabulo Shabangu, Nico Phooko, Rael Salley, Daniel Rankadi Mosako, Sylvie Phillips.
Ethiopia AlexanderTadesse, Ezra Wube, Yonas Melesa, Zerihun Seyoum
Angola Angel Ihosvanny Felicidade
Ghana Florine Demosthene, Akwele Suma GLORY
Nigeria Ufuoma Isiavwe, Olusola Otori
Togo Da Costa Kwami
Cote d Ivoire Gopal Dagnogo
Zimbabwe Tashinga Matindike, Gondo Danisile Ncube
DRC Georges Senga
Mali Harandane Dicko
Tanzania Jan van Esch
Florine Demosthene, Bitta Disappointment,72cm x 91.44cm, Ink, charcoal, graphite and oil bar on polypropylene
Kampala Art Biennale: side events
Kampala Art Biennale 2014 is partnering with other art and cultural organizations to run a series of side events. More details of these can be found on the Kampala Art Biennale website.
Launch of the Kampala Art Biennale at the Uganda Tourism Board with artists Daudi Karungi and Henry Mujunga and Simon Kaheru, Afriart Gallery. Oh yeah and some Muzungu chick 😉
What is a Biennale?
Biennale [pronounced bee-en-ar-lay] comes from the Italian word for “biennial” or “every other year.” It is most commonly used within the art world to describe large-scale international contemporary art exhibitions.
A Biennale usually has an official theme, spotlights artists of the same nationality as its host city, and is held all over the host city in a number of venues simultaneously. Additionally, Biennales are non-commercial, meaning artists are invited or selected to take part, but don’t sell their art at the Biennale.
The Venice Biennale is the originator of them all, established in 1895. Around the world, there are now over 60 art Biennales.
“Born as a vehicle for national propaganda, the art biennial today has become an outsize phenomenon mobilizing not only artists, curators and gallerists but sponsors, celebrities and politicians, commanding huge press attention and deciding the careers of artists worldwide. For a city to host a biennial today has colossal ramifications.”
Kampala Art Biennale: contacts
Elizabeth Mbabazi, Afriart Gallery, info@kampalabiennale.org +256 772 662 575
Daudi Karungi, Kampala Arts Trust, daudi@afriartgallery.org +256 712 455 555
Launch of the Kampala Art Biennale at the Uganda Tourism Board: “Using art to rebuild the creative, jubilant and celebratory spirit of Kampala”
The Kampala Art Biennale initiative is part of a strategic partnership between Kampala Arts Trust and Uganda Tourism Board. Encourage everyone you know to attend at least one of the galleries or venues in Kampala during August.
If you’re unfortunate enough not to be in Kampala (!) do check out the 100 artworks as they appear on the Kampala Art Biennale Facebook. You can also follow Kampala Art Biennale on Twitter
All roads lead to Namugongo
Commemorating the Uganda Martyrs. How did the muzungu end up in Namugongo?
It always makes me laugh: the unexpected things I end up getting involved in Uganda, so I shouldn’t have been surprised when John Ssempebwa, the Deputy Executive Director of Uganda Tourism Board sent the Muzungu a message asking if I would help him do the voice-over for a promotional DVD… all about the Namugongo Martyrs.
Muzungu in Basuti gomez dress
How the Muzungu came across on film, I’ve yet to see! – but nonetheless the filming was the perfect opportunity for me to learn all about the Martyrs, one of my “blogging resolutions” in fact.
My pre-filming homework was to read Father Simeon Lourdel, Missionary of Africa, White Father, Apostle of Uganda 1853 to 1890. Despite its incredibly dull-sounding name, this account had me hooked from start to finish. Catholic missionaries aren’t normally my cup of tea frankly, but the six month journey on foot from the Indian Ocean coast, traversing Tanzania and fighting off wild animals (lions!), sickness and numerous antagonistic tribes to the south of Lake Victoria had me captivated.
Simeon Lourdel, Missionary of Africa. The White Fathers, by Armand Duval. Beneath the dull-looking academic book cover and uninspiring name is the most fascinating historical book
The diary of a French missionary, writing in the 1870s, recalls:
“It was no joke to foresee all that would be necessary for 10 missionaries for a journey of six months across unknown land, all the food, the tools and equipment for putting up permanent settlements in an empty continent. The big headache was to go gather enough of the items to use for the bartering with the African tribes, for free and safe passage through the territories: bales and bales of calico material, boxes and boxes of glass beads, reels and reels of brass wire. The two (Catholic) fathers had also to recruit 300 porters and an escort of soldiers. They had two interpreters who spoke Kiswahili and managed to speak broken French to make sure that their orders were properly understood, and for bartering with the African chiefs on the way.”
Painting of the Catholic missionaries, known as the White Fathers, land in Entebbe, Uganda after traversing Lake Victoria. This painting can be seen at the Catholic Basilica in Namugongo
The traverse of Lake Victoria – the world’s second largest freshwater lake – in a dugout canoe must have been one hell of a journey for these weary and sick travellers. As well as recounting the subsequent tales of many of the Namugongo Martyrs, the book gives a wonderful insight into the Buganda Kingdom, describing:
“A huge palace with hundreds of courtyards, a countless number of huts and thousands of servants living in and milling around. Great dignitaries of the kingdom were the only people allowed to approach the Kabaka (King). Also admitted to the courthouse visitors were dignitaries who came from neighbouring tribes, as long as they brought presents carried by slaves.”
About the Uganda Martyrs Walk
And so, one Sunday in Kampala, I joined the Uganda Tourism Board in the inaugural 10 km “UGANDA MARTYRS WALK.” Along the route of this unique walk, professional tourist guides explained the history of numerous Namugongo Martyrs, including: Mathias Mulumba, Jean Marie Muzeeyi, Mapeera and the three Martyrs killed at Busega. These names meant nothing to me before; now I notice them every day, as I pass the churches and schools named in their honour.
I am seeing Kampala in a new light.
WHERE is the Uganda Martyrs Walk?
The walk starts at Old Kampala Secondary School and finishes at Busega Martyrs’ Church, Mityana Road. Check out the Martyrs Walk 2014 map on Google.
WHEN is the Uganda Martyrs Walk?
First Sunday in June, from 9 am
WHY is the Uganda Martyrs Walk?
This is the launch of what promises to be a big, popular annual event with people coming from all over the world. Proceeds from the Martyrs Walk will go to Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago Hospital, Kampala, to undertake life-saving cardiac operations on children and babies born with Congenital Heart Disease.
Millions of Christian pilgrims flock to Namugongo, Greater Kampala, every June. Photo courtesy of Red Pepper
In addition to the professional tour and the chance to learn more about the Namugongo Martyrs, walkers will have access to free medical check-ups.
SSENTE MEKA? How much is the Uganda Martyrs Walk?
10,000 UGX for the walk; 20,000 UGX for the special souvenir T-shirt.
HOW DO I REGISTER for the Uganda Martyrs Walk?
Registration for the walk is going on at the main Kampala Post Office and at the National Theatre. Pilgrims can also register by sending 10,000 UGX to Mobile Money tel +256 704 731 215 and +256 773 831 825. [Note these are the contacts for 2014; in subsequent years, these may change].
Uganda Martyrs Day is celebrated 3rd June every year. On this day, more than a million people congregate at Namugongo.
No-one can help but be moved by the Martyrs’ incredible stories. I’m not a religious person but I was blind-sided by these individuals’ belief, determination and the ultimate sacrifice.
A model of the fire in which many of the Namugongo Martyrs were burned to death. Namugongo Martyrs Shrine, Uganda
For me, this event celebrates human survival and endurance. Every Martyr’s story is inspiring. The reality of their unbearable agonies defies belief.
Join the pilgrims travelling to Kampala on this special occasion.
For more information about the Uganda Martyrs Walk, contact the Uganda Tourism Board. The DVD story of the Namugongo Martyrs is also available from Uganda Tourism Board – [reminder to self: upload it to YouTube!]
Namugongo stained glass window. Namugongo Basilica
As I write, pilgrims are walking to Namugongo, a few kilometres from central Kampala, from across Uganda and East Africa.
We hope to see you there!
Diary of a Muzungu, next to painting of martyr St Charles Lwanga. Inside Namugongo Basilica
