By Joel Besekezi
Ugandans living in Kampala woke up to amazement this morning when they got into the city. Traffic was being directed by wardens clad entirely in white. Their shirts, trousers, caps, gloves, even shoes were all white. One motorist was overheard explaining this was in readiness for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
A pedestrian I spoke to told me: it’s one way Uganda is getting ready to welcome the ‘whites’ a term commonly used to refer to Europeans. Reactions, however were mixed: some people thought the wardens did not look very smart, others were not impressed by the colour contrast since they felt the wardens looked too dark for the attire.
Besides the ‘white’ wardens, the city looked gridlocked since the traffic jam was unbearable. This could have been as a result of the closure of some roads for security purposes, no doubt because HM Queen Elizabeth II jets into Uganda this evening.
However, much as the long-awaited arrival of the Queen is anticipated, many people around Kampala are still not aware of what CHOGM is. A shop owner on Kampala road told me that CHOGM is the Queen’s third name, another thought it is the Queen’s husband. Some others know about CHOGM, but claimed they are not interested because poverty is still eating away at them. Most Ugandans, though, are optimistic that CHOGM is going to do the people good in the long run. A Taxi driver told me that he does not mind the event even though he won’t gain individually - but at least he will not drive through potholes any more.
