A Short Journey to Ghana

Back in the UK there has and there will always be a slight hatred for the planning process and more often than not, the people granting it. Well let me tell you now that the UK, including trying to build anything in an area of outstanding beauty, has nothing on Uganda! In a country where many people see the guys in charge as nothing but a "bunch of crooks," change seems to be in the air; a new Muzungu (white man) has been elected into one of the lower council positions, plenty of money has been coming in with the influx of new and old Ugandan Asians and the local councils have had a shake up with deputies taking top jobs and wanting instant results. This has led to one of the largest projects in Kampala, possibly the country as a whole, finally being given the go ahead 14 months after the planning application was issued. All this means that the construction of Kingdom Kampala including the new Intercontinental Hotel will be breaking ground as of this week and who knows, maybe even the President himself will be swapping his sunhat for a hard hat at the ground breaking ceremony?

It's safe to say that there is a lot of construction happening across the city. Everywhere you look there seems to be a crane being installed or concrete being poured - most often held up by the local gumpole timber 'scaffolding' and there is definitely a lot occurring that would rush the health and safety officer back home to hospital with heart palpitations. As I mentioned a lot of this construction is financed or led by Ugandan Asians, many of whom were sent packing by Idi Amin in the 80's and who have returned to buy up large tracks of the city and either develop large office blocks or in the case of my last site visit, even larger private houses for them and their families. Up near the summit of Kololo hill, one of the wealthiest areas of the city I found myself being given a tour of one of these...monstrosities; a 6,000 square foot (1.5 acres in old money) five bedroom (yes just five) house complete with a spa, cinema, 2 bedroom guest house and room for a 500 person banquet. One thing it did have going for it was the view though, however after taking us around the inside the prospective owner told us that we had to see it from the front before we left and so cool as anything he led us straight through the gates of the neighbouring Consulate of Ghana for just that. If I'm honest I wasn't quite sure on the whole legality of this foray and it was with some trepidation, nervous glances and general feeling of uneasiness that this could be the start of yet another African international incident that I followed. All I can report is that I'm glad I'm not from Ghana in that the view of this house will not only be imposing but also pretty God awful...where money can buy influential friends it certainly can't buy taste that's for sure.

A Fortnight of Firsts

The first few weeks in a new country are always the times where you are over awed with new sights, sounds and experiences, but I can tell that with Uganda this will certainly be longer than the first few weeks. The Ugandans up to now have been among the friendliest people I've met from any of my travels, so welcoming and good natured just wanting to get on with everything. There has been a huge increase in the development of the country and in particular Kampala, with plenty of foreign investment pouring in avoiding the historical stepping stone of Nairobi to fund construction. However with all this investment it would appear that there has been very little set aside for transport and the state of the roads or the countries power. Which is why in my first nine days I experienced no less than evening 3 power cuts and my first drive around the city, in an attempt to establish which roads led where, was up and down pot-holes the size of paddling pools and into and back out of dirt tracks and dead-end roads in the heart of town. One of which led me up one of the many hills in the city to the gates of a Military compound. Luckily for me the guard at the time was too busy chatting up three ladies of questionable morals to care and just returned my wave as I performed a rapid three point turn and pointed the car back down the hill.

However there are also the great experiences and discoveries that come out of initial settling in weeks. Suffering from my first Ugandan hangover in the 31 degree heat, I was invited to a late lunch down on the lake at a place called Ggaba point; the landing site of all the fish from Lake Victoria in Kampala. Winding through the streets and around the aforementioned potholes we parked up next to the street side fish auctioneers' wooden shacks and crossed the road to sample some of the freshest grilled fish on offer. There's certainly something to be said for eating fish amoungst the locals, that minutes before had been flapping around in the bottom of a fisherman's canoe, with your fingers and polishing off another ice cold beer beside the bustling peer side. So filled to busting with beer and fish I hopped onto a method of transport that the Ugandans have turned to and embraced to beat the developing traffic crisis affecting the city for another first; my first ride on a Boda Boda motorbike 'taxi'...helmets optional!

Arrival and local customs

It is a well-known fact that Uganda has the highest consumption of alcohol in Africa along with the highest birth rate; fifty per cent of the population is under 17! Both of these stats are clearly seen on the drive from the airport into the city, with plenty of roadside bars pumping out local music and local patrons until 7am. I think it’s safe to say Kampala is a place where people know how to enjoy themselves. It didn’t take long for me to experience this as I was collected from the airport by Nigel, a Director of the engineering company that I’ll be joining for the next two years; FBW Kampala. No sooner had we made it into the city limits than a house party had been located and so after just over an hour from touching down at the dark and relatively deserted airport at Entebbe, I was sat on the porch of a new colleague with a bottle of Nile lager in one hand, my passport in the other and my bags in the car.

Thankfully after the days travel by 1am the beer supply had run dry and I was dropped at my new home for the next three months; a fairly basic room equipped with just a, surprisingly comfortable, double bed one floor below my new office in Muyenga. Although the facilities might be basic the commute was non-existent, which in a city like Kampala with some of the worst traffic in the World makes quite a difference to the first day of work. After a few hours sleep, Nigel once again collected me from the office/flat and we headed down to the jetty at the fancy Commonwealth Hotel Resort on Lake Victoria. There we climbed aboard his speedboat with his fiancé and two dogs and sped out across Murchison Bay and the Equator towards his weekend retreat on the island of Bulago, fully equipped with the essentials – plenty of beer and wine.

The Lake itself isn’t tidal, however when the wind picks up during the middle of the day the waves follow suit, however at 9.30am on the way over the water was as flat as a pond and the boat shot across the surface past a few small fishing canoes and curved into their private bay where we were met by George the incumbent security guard who, like the other 15 or so private security guards in the other houses on Bulago, calls the island his temporary home. With plenty of alcohol we went off on an island tour aboard quad bikes visiting the islands grass airstrip, local sand spit (that was being loaded into another canoe one spade at a time to be used in the construction of a new island lodge) and ended up in the pool of another English ex-war reporters' residence on the North of the island. Once again with the alcohol depleted and wind dropping we jumped aboard the boat and headed out towards Kampala with the sun setting in the West. However with just a couple of miles to go the engine cut out; in dire need of more fuel. With the light gone the frantic waving of a small red light attracted the attention of the other boat on their Sunday evening return journey to the City, skippered by a crazy Dutch man who thankfully had enough spare fuel for us. After filling up and without further troubles we were soon skimming across the dark water through the pitch black night like two drug runners, heading home.