Some Bonds Are Never Broken.

By Arthur Katabalwa.

Some of the KCB S1 Class of '86

Since I returned to Uganda nearly six months ago, I have been on a rediscovery mission. While I was away, so many things changed. Kids that I left just about to start their primary school are now married with children. My school friends have also grown up a lot working in powerful jobs in Kampala with grown up families and large homes. It has been almost surreal joining this world that left behind two decades ago all changed. I have returned every now and then but being here on holiday is so much different to actually stopping and spending sometime; join the commuters in the morning and such like.

It has been great catching up with family. The best thing about this is that whereas my family has grown larger, they have all essentially remained the same with a great sense of humor. I have enjoyed the countless parties and gatherings we have had. Recently we all joined up in a field in Kololo for a Christening and we spontaneously broke into dance. Elders, cousins, in laws everyone! It was amazing. I stood back and took stock of what was happening that evening and realized just how much I had missed living abroad.

The highlight so far has been the annual reunion party with all my high school friends. This is a tradition that we started over 15 years ago. This reunion has been celebrated every year on all continents. Once it was held on Anglesey in a large cottage by the Irish sea. Although many were not able to make it, the photo above shows what the mood was like. There was a feeling that one can't describe when one is with a crowd of people who are so similar to what one is like in all aspects. Of course I have friends that I have made in my travels that I know will for ever remain life long friends. But to join up with these lot, many of whom I have known for 35 years was truly incredible.

From this, BJS P1 class of '79

A lot of my generation spent their school years at boarding school. I may have joined full time boarding school two years after but we "suffered" together. I looked round this group and I realized that for the majority of my childhood, these were the people that I spent ever hour with.

There is something that boarding school does to someone. We have all formed a bond so strong that at times we have to explain ourselves to our partners where someone from the opposite sex is involved. Bonds are so strong that these people are as good as my brothers and sisters. Men like Paul Yawe who is now a renown engineer in Kampala I have known all my life. Ssuubi Mulwaanyi Kiwanuka, Joyce Apio, Sarah Nantege Baguma and Omar Mayanja are  also in that group.

Kings College Budo with its unique experiences added onto my wealth of friends who are also as close. John Kigozi, Edirisa Matovu and Richard Okello all in the top photograph spring to mind. All are people I have known for over 25 years (ages betrayed now).

As the world moves ever so fast that we loose contact with our friends and families, it is always of great satisfaction to always catch up. All barriers are broken down. Suddenly one is among people with whom you don't need to pretend or impress. They are you and you are them. They know you so well that they can accommodate ones imperfections. We may not be of the same wealth, influence or success but at times like this I have found that Budonians especially, such issues don't matter. We are Budonians! And that's what matters.

Ignorant Attitudes To mental Disabilities.

By Arthur Katabalwa

Over the last few days I have been involved in a conversation with several close friends of mine about personal conceptions of the world around us. The conversation got quite heated up with me sort of caught up in the middle. The main issue at hand was that many of us, I included, do not really understand the complexities of mental health problems.

Personally, I must say that having lived abroad for a considerable length of time made me more aware of mental health issues. A long time ago, a friend of mine, Joseph Atukunda started suffering from mental problems. And even though our lives parted for a while, he was the first person that I was in close proximity to who we unfairly referred to as “mad”.

The experience with Joseph at high school partially prepared me for other encounters in my travels and work. Eventually, I received extensive training in disability awareness. I learnt that one needs to be very patient with such disabilities. Indeed I also realized that I am numerically dyslexic which adversely affected my formal education. As it was then, dyslexia wasn't understood and anyone who could not phantom a long figure like 7189309466 without mixing the numbers up was thought of as stupid.

But what I saw this past week was a collective failure by many of us to understand such disabilities. We have people who have disorders like bipolar disorders. When other people are confronted with such a disorder,they can’t understand. In many times, people with such a disorder are incapable of actually knowing of the impact of their actions. They can be forcefully offensive yet not recognize that their actions are pretty vile. Yet we who are close to them also fail to recognize that our contemporaries have swung into a different world.

It is that general attitude that is failing us. Not because we are prejudiced in a negative way but because we don’t know that we don’t know. The famed actor Robin Williams allegedly took his own life due to depression and addiction to alcohol. And yesterday, my maternal aunt, who is one of his greatest fans summarized her ignorance of depression with a crass remark; “A man that rich, famous and funny? Why would he kill himself?” I attempted to educate her in the complexities of depression but she was not having it. Her summation? “Ogwo Muzimu” (that’s an evil spirit). I couldn't blame her. In her world only the down and out people from my village in Kalamba should commit suicide.

We have a long way to go in educating ourselves in these areas. Society here in Uganda is so disconcerting that we at times refer to the mentally retarded as “bakasiru”. (The stupid ones). My day long conversation (with others) in the face of someone with a mental issue, which by the way many of us were aware of, but failed to accommodate in our conversation, was a collective failure of all of us. On a national level, it is a scandal that we let some of our brothers and sisters roam out hot dusty streets, sometimes in various stages of undress, in violet grips of madness. We don’t do anything too help.  We have also left swathes of the population completely unaware of how to deal with disabilities like mental health.

Interviews; Is "K" better than "OK"?

By Arthur Mwenkanya Katabalwa

Dress appropriately

This morning, while heading to work, I was joined in the front seat of the taxi by an anxious looking lad. He looked very smart with a neatly pressed white shirt, shiny black shoes and a very sleek black tie. I thought the poor lad was grieving. That black tie. Surely he was attending a funeral. So I decided to strike up a conversation with him, just to try and calm him down a bit.

With my most somber tone I asked how he was. He told me he was absolutely fine. Confused, I decided to probe a little more. That was when he told me he was going for a job interview! I was mortified! A job interview wearing a black tie? I decided to ask him more about the job interview and maybe thought I could give him a few pointers (and that that tie was a no-no). He told me he was going to Wandegeya to one of the banks there. I decided at this point to tell him about his tie. I gently broke it to him that black ties like the one he was wearing were for funerals, where upon he fished out another maroon tie from his bag!

Which tie?

We need to understand dress codes here in Uganda. It will be frowned upon if one went to a funeral dressed to the nines. In fact, in many cases people wear drab clothing to signify the sorrow. We have some people who have started to spice things up sometimes but more often than not, it’s the drab clothing. But also most importantly we need to know what is appropriate for interviews.

I am a stickler for proper English whether one is sending a text message or email. I don't see the point in writing "K" instead of "OK", "buh" instead of "but". What is the point in that? Where is the saving in one letter? However I have heard of situations where many prospective applicants are submitting applications forms where the language used is colloquial. Some of these application forms I understand are downloaded from the internet. The need to get messages to and fro quickly is killing language.

Preparing for interviews is absolutely crucial. Have your facts right. Research about the company you are wanting to join and seriously saying that you are "enthusiastic", "a go getter (that so winds me up), "able to work without supervision" and many other "blue sky" phrases needs to be erased. But most importantly, know what you are going to wear. A black tie is usually worn for funerals. And likewise ladies, cover up.... a bit (on a serious note).

Kabaka Mutebi II walkabout in Mawogola.

By Arthur Mwenkanya Katabalwa.

The Kabaka (in baseball cup) goes for a brisk walk (Monitor Photo)

The kabaka of Buganda has spent the last few days in Mawogola celebrating 21 years as the Kabaka (King) of Buganda. The festivities have been truly amazing. The displays of joy and love for this man are incredible. People laying dusty roads with red carpets, night long parties and spontaneous dancing by the roadside is all part of a spectacle one needs to see.

I am a self-confessed monarchist. I am fascinated by monarchs all over the world especially those who rule their subjects for the good of those people. One or two I don’t personally like but his subjects occasionally regal him with naked dancing women for him to choose another bride. That’s for them to chose and it’s a personal view. Otherwise, most of the others I can ignore some of their perceived imperfections.

Yesterday morning, The Kabaka did something that I thought was really awesome. He walked out of his palace, casually dressed in jogging pants and wrapped in a fleece to wade off the early morning chill. In his ears, he had earphones which looked like they were iPod earphones. I wonder what he was listening to. He was wearing inexpensive trainers, surrounded by a pose of armed guards. Baseball cup on the head, he went for a brisk walk!

Kabaka carried by his subjects later in the day (New Vision Photo)

 

I understand that the people of Bamunanika where he has a palace are used to seeing him jog through the town. But to the people of Mawogola this was completely out of this world. The Kabaka is used to being seen surrounded by cheering crowds in carefully planned crowd settings. Other times one is going to see him surrounded by all the traditional paraphenelia one can imagine, men sat on the floor next to him, sometimes a leopard skid draped around his shoulders. And if he is walking, someone is holding what seems like a large parasol over his head to keep the sun away. He is always dressed smartly and formally.

Seeing him like that in public was a huge publicity coup. If it was a planned photo op I would want to shake the hand of the person behind his publicity machine. But I doubt it was planned because I hear that it is a normal occurance. Only that it hadn’t been caught on camera before. In so doing, the Kabaka, who waved at well wishers showed that he still has a certain connection with his subjects. His palaces dotted around Buganda have grounds that are large enough to maintain that bubble around him.

The choice of clothing as well was very telling. Here the message was very evident. The Kabaka also wants to wear that comfortable clothing that the rest of us want to wear. He may be shown in gold thread laden robes but at times he takes a relaxed take on life and relaxes. He isn’t afraid of people seeing that, which is very confident.

Other leaders around the world have been seen to try this natural touch. Obama, the President Of The United States has been seen on a walk about in Washington which has created havoc with security. He carries it off well though. David Cameron the United Kingdom Prime Minister sometimes walks to his office at Parliament and he is seen running through hide park with his body guards. George Bush also used to run every morning until The US Secret Service put it to a stop. So did Bill Clinton.

In Uganda, finding a local leader walking on the streets is very difficult. I dream of the day when I hear that HE Yoweri Museveni is having a casual walk along some random street, having a look around the shops with his grand kids. That would be such a vote winner. But I guess that’s a pipe dream. I think we should remain used to all of them, even some who are of no significance, driving around these narrow streets of Kampala each in a screaming convoy.