As I was telling you, my friend left me his can and I decided to go to the village in style. You know, villages have so many sceptical people, they always want to see you looking bad, when you look good, they hurt deep inside. This time along, I was gona make many of them not only hurt but also bleed deep down in their hearts! They would say, “yararara, mwene Bulaziyo, yaguye mubintu” (my God, Bulaziyo’s son fell into things). Why not? People out there compare Kigali to London or New York given time “t”, it will be so, Amen. I bet, this was gone be the first “TOYOTA HARRIER” to set its “feet” in Mfashumwana, sorry, Kyererezi! I hope the villagers will talk about it for many months if not years to come! The road from Mityana to Fort portal, a stretch of about 200kms ranks as one of the best roads in East Africa, I was able to cover in two hours flat! No big deal, I was driving in a HARRIER and so, was harrying too! As I was approaching Kyenjojo town, while emerging from a sharp bend, an overzealous Traffic Policeman took it upon himself to challenge a HARRIER to a stop and that was a joke of the year, I just “beat him” the gas (as the locals would have said). Just behind me, there was an Army double cabin pickup loaded with boys armed to their teeth. When I reached kyenjojo, I stopped for a soda and no sooner had I stopped than the Army guys came racing by but decided to stop alongside “my” HARRIER. An assistant Colonel was perched on the front seat, in a very cool manner, he inquired, “Is that your vehicle, why are you driving a Rwandan registered vehicle?” With a malicious smile across my face, I answered him back in the local Rutooro dialect, “yes, it’s mine, isn’t she cool?”. He turned back to me and in the same dialect, “Bakwemeriize wayanga(they stopped you and you refused)!” We both laughed and he shook my hand and we parted. I arrived in the Village as it was getting dark. I found the old man expecting me. For sure, he did not expect to see me driving in such a “bird”, and so did all the other villagers. In the name of “amajyambere” (development), a survey has been conducted through Mfashumwana, Nsorro, Kyatamba, Kasokero etc, this is for the construction of a new Electricity power line to supply the Albertine Oil fields near Lake Albert and Hoima area. The old man showed me papers showing what part of his land would be expropriated and how much they are to pay. To my utter disgust, the Electricity burgers decided to diagonally dissect the old man’s house and for that, they would only give him a paltry ten million Uganda shillings or the equivalent of five thousand Obama Dollars! To me, that is just an insult, the amount being offered is just adequate for the construction of a mere kitchen or goat house but not a decent house for the like of my own old man. mfashumwana@fastmail.fm
