Back to the peaceful Kampala we know

My room mate Frank decided to take the over-night bus from Nairobi to Kampala on Friday night, despite my strong warnings that riots would likely increase into Saturday.  I sent him worried text messages through the night as I was reading accounts of Friday’s violence on Twitter.  I read countless blog post about the unrest between Museveni’s government and the Baganda kingdom, and I finally fell asleep feeling very unsettled by the uncertainty of Frank’s travel.

I woke up at 7:30am to Frank knocking on the door.  When I opened it, I saw him gloating that he had made record time on the road.  The riot police had removed all of the taxi-vans and boda-bodas (taxi-motorcycles) from the roads, and most people decided to stay indoors.  This meant the road into town was free of a traffic jam – truly unprecedented for Kampala.

Rain on Saturday, which accompanied the return to
a peaceful Kampala. (view from my balcony)

Frank’s safe arrival was followed by more signs that the violence had quelled.  By the time it started raining in the afternoon, there had been no reports of riots.  I even heard the familiar thump of neighboring dance clubs that night, signaling a return to the fun-loving Kampala that is so normal.

Monday, I was back at Makerere University and received the letter I was trying to get last Thursday.  On campus, I also bumped into the Fulbright Scholar (a professor from the U.S.) who is teaching Chemistry in Uganda this year.  We had a good lunch and discussed the relevance of Natural Products Chemistry in East Africa.  He was originally set to be teaching in Gulu (Northwestern Uganda), but for various reasons, he will now be at Makerere University, Kampala.  This is good news for me, as it means more tight connections for my Green Chemistry research project here, which will be more of a focus now that the semester has begun.

It was also interesting to reflect on the difference between the experience of being a Fulbright Scholar as a student and as a professor.  I was surprised that I was introducing the professor to matoke (the most popular staple food in Kampala), although he’s had been in Uganda for more than one month.  I learned that he mostly ate his meals at the Sheraton or University Guest House.  Even if his cuisine has been a bit sheltered, I still have to admire the fortitude of a professor in his 60’s deciding to spend a year in Uganda.  As he said, “As an old man, I need to be comfortable after a hard day’s work.”  And this makes me appreciate all the more how my youthful energy only amplifies as I expose myself to more and more aspects of student life in Uganda.

Kampala riots continue this morning

I woke up early to get ready for my 9:00am Sales Call today.  I called the organization at 8:00am, asking if the staff was in the office today.  The secretary said some employees weren’t there, but that most had come in.  She assured me, “we’re waiting for you.”

I was just heading up the road at 8:45am when I heard the first gunshots this morning.  The riot police commonly fire into the air to disperse crowds.  These gunshots were coming from Kasubi, the next hill after my neighborhood.  Kasubi is an important neighborhood to the Baganda tribe, since it’s the site of their royal tombs and cultural museum.

I quickly went back to the hostel and called the secretary, explaining that I had to reschedule the meeting.  I saw Nash coming back to the hostel, too.  He tried to go into town this morning, and he said that none of the taxis were going because the military have blocked all roads into town.

A car burning at Kasubi market, and a crowd being
dispersed by riot police.

From a roof in Kikoni, I was able to get a clear view of Kasubi market, where a riot was taking place.  In my view, I saw one car burning.  There were other smoke plumes, either from other cars or heaps of burning tires.  Faintly visible were riot police moving into the main intersection of the market.  I could clearly hear gunshots – I hope they were rubber bullets, but I know yesterday police were using live ammunition.  I also could see white teargas spreading from the intersection, and people fleeing for shelter indoors.

I’ve texted or called everyone I know who could be going out today to stay safe.  The AIESEC interns are all okay, although one of them had to walk a long distance home because the taxis weren’t running yesterday.  Everyone has access to food and water, since small neighborhood shops and restaurants are still open.  We will be able to wait this situation out.

Everyone in my neighborhood is calm, looking to Kasubi hill will curiosity and mild chides that the government is losing control.  There are no main gathering points in my neighborhood, making a riot here nearly impossible.  I feel very safe for the time being, staying inside.  And I venture to the roof every now and then to get a glimpse of the situation unfold in surrounding neighborhoods.

riots in Kampala today

Today I had planned to go to a coffee shop in City Center to check email and catch up on my backlog since Malaysia.  I needed to print a letter of recommendation that I wrote for an AIESEC member, draft a proposal to partner with the Faculty of Computing & IT, and submit a grant proposal to USAID on behalf of API.  Then this evening I was going to meet AIESEC members at Mateos Club, the weekly informal gathering where I would hear the status of recruitment and discuss plans for projects.

The first sign that today was different was after I walked up from my hostel to Makerere University.  I called my professor when I saw that he wasn’t in, since I needed him to sign a letter for me.  He said he was picking up his children from school because there were reports of tear gas.  It’s common here to stretch the truth to excuse one’s busy schedule, so I thought nothing of it.

I called my favorite driver to take me into town, and I was in the midst of bargaining for the price over the phone.  I couldn’t understand why he was refusing the fair price I offered.  Then I understood: “It’s not safe to go.  There are riots in the street.”

Riot police advancing from Wandegeya intersection toward
Main Gate of Makerere University

I was still incredulous, thinking it was a small demonstration in City Center.  I decided to walk to the other coffee shop, just outside Makerere University in Wandegeya neighborhood.  As I exited the university Main Gate, I was blocked by two police officers in normal brown uniform, who asked where I was going.  I said I was going to buy water from the market, and they let me pass.  I proceeded to walk toward Wandegeya intersection.

I then noticed that all shops were closed – apparently a police order.  It was now 3:30pm, and I learned that there had been massive riots at the main intersection in Wandegeya around 2pm.  I was curious to hear from bystanders what was happening, so I continued forward to speak with some shopkeepers standing outside their closed stall.  They said the police had come firing rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd, who in turn were throwing stones at police officers.  The police were still around & menacing anyone who approached.

I watched with interest, and moved back down the road when it was clear that the riot police were approaching the street I was on.  They began halting traffic leading toward Wandegeya intersection – especially taxi-vans and boda-bodas (motorbike taxis).  The few bodas who dared to approach were threatened and hit with police clubs.  I kept my distance, and tried to stay behind a stall or tree as I watched & discretely snapped photos. 

I thought things had mostly subsided.  I couldn’t smell tear gas, although I assumed that’s what was inside the blue canisters that the police were brandishing.  There were only about 15 people standing around the side of the road where I was, similarly retreating.  So it came as a surprise to see one of those blue canisters hurled by an officer toward the boda drivers, then roll to a few feet from where I was standing.

My hand after stumbling while running
away from a canister of tear gas

I had no time to think, since the tear gas canister was about to burst and release its noxious contents.  I scrambled and ran from the tear gas canister, nearly crushing my camera as I tripped on a stone.  I heard the canister BAM open as I ran, and I luckily avoided most of the tear gas – the wind must have worked in my favor.  I assume it was intended to dissuade boda-boda drives from approaching the intersection … but it seemed to be a complete indiscriminant use to me.  I blindly ran toward Makerere Main Gate along with the rest of the small crowd that had been unfortunate like me to be standing there.

I took refuge inside Makerere University.  Each person was stopped and asked for a Student ID Card to enter, and my US passport sufficed (I was carrying it today since I intended to extend my visa).  I heard the radio say that Makerere was the ONLY safe place in town.  I stayed around the Main Gate, seeing other people come in.  They said they had to walk from town, since all vehicles were stopped.  I called the four AIESEC interns in the country, cautioning them about their commute home.

View from Makerere University Guest House,
seeing smoke rise from Old Kampala

From the university, I got a view of smoke plumes rising from other neighborhoods, since people were burning tires in the street.  So far, I have gotten personal accounts from people around Makerere, many of whom belong to tribes other than Baganda.  For details on the cause of the riots, see the developing story in the Daily Monitor newspaper.  The U.S. Embassy gave this brief summary in an email to all American citizens currently in Uganda:

The U.S. Embassy in Kampala wishes to advise U.S. citizens that this weekend the leader of the Kingdom of Buganda is planning his annual visit to Kayunga District against the wishes of the central government.  The disagreement has resulted in a stand-off which appears to be fueling long-standing grievances between the Kingdom of Buganda and the central government, and between different political factions within the kingdom.

There have been tensions between President Museveni’s government and the dominant tribe (Baganda) in central Uganda, where Kampala is situated.  Museveni is from the Nyankole tribe, and he has been in power for 23 years.  The Baganda were provoked this morning when Museveni’s government halted the Baganda Prime Minister from visiting a neighboring district.  Incited by Baganda FM radio stations, huge crowds of people across Kampala poured into the streets to protest, starting around lunchtime.  Although the government police dispersed the riots quickly, a common refrain that I heard from observers was, “Museveni is losing control of the country.”