The Heat At Entebbe Airport Immigration.

By Arthur M. Katabalwa

Recently I went through immigration at Entebbe airport. It was an experience that was of no exception on the way out. In fact the lady who checked my papers on the way out was very courteous. She was actually flirtatious in a good way and she waved me on without much hustle.

Before we boarded the plane, we were yet again searched. I seem never to learn because on all occasions I tend to wear the most clumpy shoes ever with steel toe caps. I think it is my journalistic instinct that always takes over my senses. So, invariably I always tend to hold up the queue as I take off the bricks off of my feet, take my belt off and empty what seems like the entire annual copper production of Kilembe mines from my pockets!

Once I thoroughly embarrassed myself in Cairo as I was carrying a huge chunk of jack fruit (ffene) in my hand luggage which reeked to high heaven. I also thought that it was clever to carry a sun dried tilapia which showed up in comical redress on the x-ray machine!

On my way back while going through Manchester airport I was frisked in a rather intimate way in public by a heavily built ginger man while a slightly built long legged blonde with dainty hands stood by and looked on. I nearly protested! Why not the blonde? But my stories in other airports are to be saved for another day.

Last Friday, after a long journey back from the UK, I approached the immigration queues at Entebbe airport with trepidation. I had left the UK in the grip of deep dark winter so I was still wrapped up like a Christmas package. Then the heat hit me at Entebbe and I started melting. But I thought I could hold on, clear immigration then I could discard some layers. What a fool I was.

There is an honorable fight against Ebola at Entebbe. There is a queue of ladies in masks basically having a look at a form that all disembarking passengers hurriedly fill. They then check ones temperature and they wave you through. I thought how sweet? At least we are taking measures. Only that they reminded me of those ladies at a buffet at a wedding so I couldn't really stop myself laughing......then I hit the queue for passport clearance.

Now, I call upon the government to help us here. These people are so full of themselves looking through the passports like we have the whole day. It took a full 45 minutes for Ugandans to clear the immigration. I felt sorry for the others who had to apply for Visas and the like. I only had to prove that I was a returning resident. No. The lady had a perusal through my passport asking me why I had visited some countries. Is it a security threat for a Ugandan for having visited Greece 7 years ago? Incredible. But she asked anyway. And then it must have taken an eternity to stamp the passport. By now I was incandescent with rage....and melting in my arctic clothing.

I went and got my bags off the belt (I remembered what they looked like this time devoid of the bright pink ribbon I usually use) and then merrily headed for the exit. Then I saw another check point. All bags were being put through yet another of those scanners. Why I asked? I had been frisked by a ginger Manchurian  several hours earlier (wish it was the damsel), I had undressed for all to see at Doha airport (twice) and here I was trying to enter Uganda and they were checking my bags allegedly for bombs.

OK, forgive my naivety if that's what it counts down to but does anyone think that Al Shabab is going to bring bombs and all manner of carnage inducing equipment on Qatar Airways? I don't think so. So I remonstrated with the security people. I said that they were lucky we didn't have planes stuck over Mpigi in a stack waiting to land at Entebbe. In fact at that moment in time I doubt there was anything in the skies above Uganda apart from marabou storks. Entebbe was not expecting a flight in for a few hours so these people seemed to be finding something to do.

Let me ask the powers that be: Please make Entebbe airport work smart especially those security people. We dont have the traffic at the moment so let the experience be enjoyable. Learn how to check people smart not get the combined Qatar and Emirates passengers and find ways of really, really vexing us. And while you are at it trying to correct things, please improve the arrivals lounge.