The first day of the lockdown in Kampala, Uganda, 18th June 2021 was a peaceful day! The ambulances did not shout so much. With a more serious wave of COVID-19 that has hit the country, l found myself being around Kampala when the president of Uganda announced yet a second lockdown that is on right now for a presumed 42 days.
The Saturday on when the president of the nation Uganda, ordered for the start of a second Lockdown in Uganda started off a bit chilly and very quiet as very one was sleeping to the maximum given curfew hours at 5 am - 7 pm.
But l woke up early, l wanted to experienceit all, the road, the people running their big bums small, the old deathly tunes everyone seems to be throwing to each other as they dunno the degree of traumatic torture this country is bearing, the privileged car drivers and brave boda boda men driving the sickly to quick hospitals, the drums of the feeling of old, the tantamount need of free speech especially in a time where the radio stations are killing it with the music shows, but the people are mute in illusion stories, and true stories of death. It all feels like a nightmare that becomes real. Ugandans are an entirely ethnographic group of people and by this l mean Ethnicity, and by this l mean a community centered people. A people that looks out for you, a people that smiles when they see, you managed to walk during a lockdown, a people that respects one another, a people that ultimately follows the rules. This can be seen by the way the rolex’[1] guy greets his daily customers, who, even besides it being the first day of lockdown, still managed to come through to buy a rolex, he greets you with joy, with respect.
Let alone the increased number of deaths, those who have lost people are doing a great job to share what they can, to be as calm as possible, tears and red eyes but all in all, when you access the 1st day of Lockdown in Kampala, Uganda, where it currently found me, you can easily say that Uganda is the Pearl of Africa forever, we shall blast memes, music, and waragi’[2] amidst a pandemic, amidst slow transport and slow breathing, amidst a war for money and yet for life, but the great people of the land of Uganda are saying we shall not fall, yes, our friends at the battlefield are falling like flies but Uganda will not fall, it’s youth shall hold the fort while the Old do what they have always done best, protect and preserve the essence of the grand plan of life.
Through strengthening one another, Uganda is retreating but with no surrender because every death counts and every survival counts. Let’s keep up the fighting spirit, let’s keep up walking the journey for those who stood, for those who rested, for those who are unrested, for the tired, for the suicidal, for the deranged, for the pain that is eating up the county, not forgetting that Uganda is the Pearl of Africa forever. Let’s show our resilience through the Lockdown. A lovely week to all Ugandans currently living in Uganda, and those in the diaspora, actually to the whole World, as a genius may conclude, you do not need nobody, but you do, let’s hold our hands together and nothing shall break the bridge that holds those who come together in the struggle. Amen.
References
[ 1 ] - rolex - a locally street made Ugandan delicacy, made of a mixture of chapatti, tomatoes, onions, cabbage, and eggs.
[ 2 ] - a locally made Ugandan Brew