Jobseeker’s Diary

I’m impressed by the recent changes in Kampala, my hometown. If you’ve been to or lived in Kampala, you must be impressed as well. With hawkers and vendors off the streets and boda bodas or motors as they’re known here directed to operate outside the city centre, Kampala just might be on it’s a way to becoming a decent city as it indeed should be. Hopefully, the absence of scores of hawkers will bring theft to an end. Not that the vendors themselves were doing the pick pocketing but their presence on the streets provided cover for petty thieves and conmen to snatch people’s wallets and phones or dupe unsuspecting buyers with fake products. That wasn’t the only problem with street vendors though. Apart from the noise they made as they called out to potential buyers, empty boxes, polythene bags and other packaging used to wrap shoes, clothes, bedsheets, toys or whatever else it was they were selling were strewn about without a care in the world, resulting in littered streets. Plus, they disrupted traffic because they were occupying sidewalks meant for pedestrians while others boldly took over parking slots (which aren’t that many) to display their merchandise. So in a way, I’m glad they’re gone. But there’s a downside to this too. For all the mayhem they caused, I will miss the convenience of being able to get almost anything at anytime. The hawkers brought the market to streets so whether you wanted fresh vegetables, apples or rat poison, you would get those easily. And if the skies suddenly opened up, you wouldn’t have to look far for an umbrella. Its things like those that I will miss. Overall though, we need an organized capital so it’s adios to street vendors. Speaking of organization, I have voiced my appreciation for the ‘organization’ in Kigali before. However, there are times I wish we would take a few shortcuts Kampala style and bend the rules a little. If you’ve been to town recently, you must know about the new designated taxi and bus stops. While most used to park near Rubangura before, you now must alight further down the road. Assuming Nakumatt is your destination, you have to walk a considerable distance after you get off the bus. If you don’t have time and don’t want or can’t afford to take a motor, it can be inconveniencing. These days, I dread going to town because a journey that took a few minutes before takes much longer now and I can’t dash there to pick a few things the way I used to. My boss is the kind who wants to see you at your desk all the time or else… The other thing I’ve noticed is that the ticketed buses charge slightly more than those that don’t issue tickets. No prizes for guessing which ones I prefer and before you call me stingy, I’ll have you know that my choice has enabled me to save some money. And in any case, it’s not like paying more has perks. All the buses use the same routes, play lousy music and stop unnecessarily so why should I pay more for the same service? I do like the new buses though, the ones painted green, so a couple of times, I’ve paid more to ride on them. To be continued...nsophie77@yahoo.com