For many people, the festive season is null and void if they don’t leave their urban comforts and head to the countryside or ancestral homes. This annual exodus also includes those who travel from Kigali to Kampala and other parts of Uganda. Others travel from parts of Uganda to come and enjoy the big days here in Rwanda. 

On this journey, scores who cannot afford an air ticket rely on the numerous buses that ply the Kigali - Kampala route.

One person who for a long time has ensured that such a ride goes well is none other than 45-year-old Michael Tumwijukye. He has been driving buses on this route since 2003.

When I set out to find him, I did not even know who he was. I started by asking around for the bus driver who has been behind the wheel longest on the Kigali – Kampala route. All the people I asked had no doubts; it was Tumwijukye. Any other name that dared to come up drew a quick retort of, "all those other people came much later.”

After getting the name, I embarked on tracking down this person named Michael Tumwijukye. His bosses told me he was in Kampala and that he drove the 9am Trinity Express bus. This meant that I had to wait for him to show up the next day at around 6:30pm. The following day by 6:30pm I was already at Nyabugogo Bus Park with my notebook and recorder in tow.

When the bus finally made its way into the park at 7:05pm, I focused my eyes on this gentleman who was peering at the huge side mirror as the bus came to a halt for the passengers to disembark.

I followed the bus like the young men who often rush to make a buck from helping passengers with their luggage. Only this time my interest was the guy behind the wheel of this left-hand-drive Yutong bus with Rwanda registration plates.

He descended from the bus and I quickly introduced myself and my intentions. He asked for some time to pass on a message to someone before attending to me.

In the meantime, I looked around for any signs of fatigue that the long journey may have etched on his face, but he wore none at all and even his shirt was still tucked in smartly.

How he joined the trade

When we finally got down for the interview, he started with a light-hearted remark: "I was born just here” in reference to Uganda’s south western district of Kabale that borders Rwanda, while pointing towards Gatsata, as if Kabale was that close.

Right from his early school days, Tumwijukye was always fascinated by motor vehicle mechanics. "I started off working as a mechanic in 1991 until 1993. I then moved to driving pick-up trucks and by 1995 I had upgraded to driving lorries,” he said.

In 1999 his life as a bus driver began. "I started by driving buses from Kampala to Rukungiri then later I drove Kampala to Kabale with Horizon Bus Company in Uganda. From 2003 up to 2013 I was driving Jaguar Executive buses on the Kampala – Kigali route. And since December last year I have been with Trinity Express buses,” he explained while occasionally counting the years on his fingers to get the sums right.

In total, he has been behind the steering wheel of a bus for 15 years with 11 of those years exclusively on the Kigali – Kampala route.

Tumwijukye is not shy to say that what he loves most about his job is the good money that comes with it. "We get daily allowances and the salary is good too. Sometimes we also get monetary appreciation from kind people we transport. For example my bus is the executive one so I get to transport very important people like diplomats, expatriates and rich business people,” he said as a subtle smile emerged on his formerly serious face.

Challenges

Tumwijukye does not have kind words for the traffic officers, especially on the Ugandan side, who always stop buses for the flimsiest of reasons. "There is a general bias against buses, so traffic officers always stop us claiming we are speeding and yet a whole year can pass without there being an accident involving two buses or two trucks. It is always the saloon cars and motorcycles that are more problematic,” he said.

He also pointed out that some passengers are problematic and unappreciative. "It is impossible to please all the over 45 passengers on board. Some assume it is a private vehicle and want you to stop so they can shop for things like bananas by the roadside yet other passengers also need to get to their destination on time. So if you refuse to stop such a passenger will report you to your boss and even exaggerate,” he added.

Why it is important to be extra careful during the festive season?

The festive season is often characterised by accidents on highways claiming lots of lives too. According to Tumwijukye, "Bus drivers should be very careful because during this season we find many people who have just learnt how to drive or bought a new car and are only used to the city roads now on the highway and speeding. Others are drunk after all the merry making so one has to be very careful,” he said.

"Bus drivers need to remember that they do not own the road. There are always other road users and some can make you drive badly, so caution is important. Secondly, drivers should avoid using any kind of drugs. Instead they should eat healthy so that they can do their job well and drive within the speed limit,” he cautioned.

Tumwijukye had lots of praises for the immigration authorities of both Uganda and Rwanda who ensure that the border is now open 24 hours, something he said led to a reduction of accidents that used to arise from situations where drivers rushed to get to the border before it was closed.

Good and bad days on the road

He insists he does not have any bad day he can point to because, "God has been so kind to me that for all my years behind the wheel, I have not been unfortunate to be involved in any fatal accident. No one has ever died while in my bus and neither have I ever crashed a bus. For that I am very grateful to God.”

"Of course sometimes we have to deal with rude passengers; for example, when we stop on the Ugandan side to sign with traffic officers. A passenger unfamiliar with this practice may get angry but you have to remain calm because that is what customer care dictates. Those passengers are our bosses because it is their money that sustains us,” he added.

Tumwijukye is grateful to many passengers who appreciate his work and these make his job fulfilling. "Almost every day I get about three passengers who approach me when we get to our destination and thank me for a job well done. Some even give me some little money as a token of appreciation,” he said.

Retirement plans

Tumwijukye’s face lights up when asked what he has gained out of this job and is quick to enumerate the benefits: "I have got so much from this job. I bought land, built a decent house, got married and I have taken my children to very good private schools as well,” he said. He is married with five children. Three of them are students at Makerere University in Kampala while the other two have just sat A-level examinations.

When asked about his retirement plans he had this to say, "When I clock about 53 years I hope to retire and go into private business. I want to retire early enough, when I still have energy to do some work for myself. I am already working on some plans by the way.”

Last words

Tumwijukye implored passengers to be forgiving because as a driver one is bound to make a mistake once in a while. He had an almost similar message for the bus owners/bosses. "Our bosses should have a listening ear and always call us to talk in case something has gone wrong,” he said. To the bus drivers he reminded them to respect their job and do it the best way they can.

The next morning I met Tumwijukye ready for his journey to Kampala. He was smartly dressed and effortlessly posed for photos before climbing to his seat and steering the bus out of the parking and onto the main road the same way he has done for the last 15 years.