Eating My Rolex.

Posted on by Edris Matu Segawa

Wandegeya. Bwaise. Nakawa. (Am not a TAXI conductor calling for passengers) These city points have fed we bachelors, university students and anyone lazy enough not to cook or broke to dine out. From roasted chicken, Katogo, pilau, the famous Rolex and a cup of tea, porridge or Bushera, your preference is always taken care of.

Rolex

Street food fed me for over five years and I write this article today with pain that all these mini street restaurant chefs have not been helped to move their businesses to the next level. Mid 2015, KCCA (Kampala City council Authority for non Ugandans and those who care little about this country) started a campaign to remove street vendors pushing them towards a more organized working space, Wandegeya market. This is a good thing, but again not most can afford the rent or the loss of the ‘am in hurry’ street customers. If only we start creating new innovations rather than always depend on the old tactics and styles of solving problems.

Day by day, street Food in Kampala becomes a culture  and most city dwellers prefer to buy a Rolex from the street than enter a market or restaurant for a meal. A walk with your girlfriend, grab a Rolex and walk on home. The feeling of sitting in an open space with cars, people and the night zooming past you is a million shilling experience. New York, France, UK and so many cities have turned street food into a clean and lucrative food business. Kampala needs to join this club!

street-food-in-new-york     JS46099526

The one thing that used to throw me off street food was hygiene. ( I know..that dirty guy making you a Rolex with those hands that have been…God knows where! Touched money and other unmentionables). To be able to enjoy a meal. You have to be at peace with how it was made ( Have you ever checked that Kitchen from your favorite restaurant?). GET this, food is food and fortunately there are some folks that have really upgraded their game in hygiene, customer service and packaging. Making street food ‘corporate’ as the saying goes.

So after CNN made the ROLEX popular to the world, Uganda is embracing the so called broke fast food  and now come this August, 2016 a ROLEX FESTIVAL is coming up. (Banage Ugandans can wait for permission to embrace their things!) Don’t be left behind, get with the program ROLEX. I f you thought PIZZA HUT was big, wait for ROLEX CORNER. Now that the minister of tourism is launching rolex as a tourist attraction, things won’t be same again.

 

 

TAXI MADNESS

Posted on by Edris Matu Segawa

A large number of Kampala city dwellers (like myself) use a Taxi on a daily or regular basis. (this excludes those allergic to taxis and Bodaboda die hards) The one thing you can’t take away from city taxis are the bad habits displayed with pride. 

Am not saying don’t be your self but please always remember to behave in a public accepted manner as your mama told you to.

I think some of us have used taxis for so long that we think we are at home after boarding one. (remember that moment when a taxi conductor called you by name? Yes,  you are the  customer of the month.)

Not everyone can afford to own a personal car and that’s accepted. So for all public transport users this is my letter to you.

I know that as friends, you need to chat while in transit but dear taxi passengers stop conversing at the top of your voices with a friend seated at the back and you in the front seat. Before I forget, edit your kaboozi because some of us are under 18 or really not interested. Mbu ‘do you know Taata Simon is not interested anymore!‘ Why?  Really why?

IMG_0055You had a long day and stopped by a restaurant or kafunda on your way home and bought a Rolex or boiled maize. We understand you are extremely hungry and can’t wait to chew on that maize, but before you do STOP! Taxis are not restaurants and neither are they your living room (leave those things to buses)

Some of you have bad chewing habits and others just let out gas after.  So dear passenger,  don’t suffocate  the rest of us with bad food odors. Eat at home.

To all of you who need to sit at the front, kindly be aware that taxi seats are not reserved. When the next customer boards,  Kindly move OVER don’t hold the entire taxi because you have to move out, let the next customer… (you get the point, the sentence is tiring already)  FYI, this applies to all seats in the taxi.

Then to point out the obvious, everyone likes fresh air. If  you have a window seat, try to leave it open. Kampala taxis have no air conditioning neither does every passenger own a Chris Adams perfume. 

Okay, I have ranted enough to my fellow taxi users. I know you have some bad habits you hate too. So comment below and lets try to better our taxi experience.