Public transport in Uganda will make you get a car on credit!
For two months, i had taken a break from hitting the road, until duty called and i couldn’t resist anymore.
I had never travelled to Kabale using public means muchless to Kisoro district, where the heart of Africa borders the pearl of Africa.
The main route to Western Uganda had been blocked by river Katonga overflowing, and the alternative route went through Ssembabule to Masaka and later proceeded to the west.
“Madam, bus yiino egenderawo” said the bus conductor aggressively grabbing my bag to take me to the supposed bus.
I barely had a chance to object and my only choice was to chase after him, through the commotion.
A few meters from where he had picked me, this man introduced me to the bus fare collector of a one Bismarkan coach.
Relieved not to have been mugged, i paid my bus fare and booked my self a seat by the windowside at 8:00am in the morning.
I bared with the constant hawkers dangling their merchandise infront of me for an hour until all the seats were taken.
Relieved. I thought we were finally hitting the road when the driver started the engine as if to tease us and then disappeared.
I watched as the conductor took abord yet another number of passengers almost half of what was already onboard until the atmosphere became constipated with a mixture of sweaty ordours, and yet the driver didot return until midday.
When the bus finally hit the road, the radio begun to speak, loudly about the worthlessness of life and what happens to your body when you die. This went on until timely when the message stopped and music praising different gods of the shrines started!
The woman behind my seat, excited, she sang along while hitting me with her side of the window no matter how many times i asked her to talk before she moved the window!
Now, normally i love kids, but i cannot narrate the ordeal i had to endure when six of her kids kept kicking my seat!
Not forgetting my neighbor who kept finding excuses to rub his elbow over my boobs, occasionally throwing litter outside the window.
I definitely had to stand up to this one!
However the driver seemed relentless abought playing the sheikh who talked about death regardless of how many trucks we passed fallen off the road!
The bus kept adding random people while the conductor picked kids whose parents am not sure still knew where they were and throwing them in the backseats in their sleep!
After navigating the sharp corners leading us to Kisoro, we arrived at 2:00am in the morning.
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