{UAH} Fw: UNAALIST Arriving in Uganda at night at Entebbe be careful - Musese

‎Fyi

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From: Timothy Gaburungyi <timothy.gaburungyi@gmail.com> Sent: Saturday, April 19, 2014 12:15 To: musanap@yahoo.com Reply To: unaalist@unaa.memberclicks.net Subject: UNAALIST Arriving in Uganda at night at Entebbe be careful - Musese

Hi Frank,

Sorry about your experience. It is possible it was that bad (and I do not make excuses for it) because of the late hour but I am purely guessing.

I have typically arrived at night at about 9pm and it has not been that bad. There was less lighting than I am used to but not so bad. That said I must commend you on trying to keep your travels plans private. I think it enhances ones security.

I too HATE that walk to that far off parking lot. It is even worse when you come back to depart. There is no elevator or escalator and you need someone to carry the bags up the stairs, or you can put in a nice workout pushing the cart up the ramp!.

Anyway on arrival night last July 2013, while heading into Kampala at some point just after Kisubi, a vehicle with wailing sirens approached from the Kampala direction. My driver pulled over to the side of the road, stopped the car and even switched off the engine. The vehicles in front of us and behind us did the same thing. Now here I was getting thunderously impressed - these folks let the ambulances and police cars pass by. I was thinking of writing to then Mayor Bloomberg advising that New York Taxi drivers should come to Uganda for a lesson in road courtesy.

And then we remained parked for a minute after the 'ambulance' had passed by. Remember it is about 10:30pm, I am parked on a poorly light Entebbe road side with a driver I just met an hour ago. "Eh Pilot, why don't you Koleeza the engine, tuvewo wano?" I started with all the diplomatic confidence I could muster to show this guy I was a home boy too. He was a little amused by my attempt and out of respect politely responded, "Tulinde ko katono Boss". A few moments passed, then a dark colored SUV with sirens sped by, then another, then an open landrover with soldiers all over, then I got the point…. The Museveni of 2013 was  different from the one of 1986 who used to share the roads with us.

Gaburungyi

Sent from Windows Mail

From: Frank Musisi
Sent: ‎Saturday‎, ‎April‎ ‎19‎, ‎2014 ‎10‎:‎11‎ ‎AM
To: Timothy Gaburungyi

Arriving in Uganda at night at Entebbe be careful:

Dear friends,

Greetings from Kampala. Goodness you pray that you don't come to Uganda at night this place is very scarely. My flight started very well from Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday, night and I was scheduled to depart London Heathrow on Thursday after a day break and time difference in London. However, our plane developed mechanical problems and therefore our flight was delayed for another 5 hours from the time of departure. The pilot announced our arrival 30 minutes before, I checked on map and I could see Soroti . 30 minutes later we touched ground and the pilot announce our arrival time about 3:45am Uganda. "Ladies and gentlemen welcome to Entebbe, Uganda". I must admit that between the plane and immigration,  I could recognize two improvements since I was last here two years ago, April 2012; a) Two covered jet ways, one does not have to suffer the pouring rain anymore from the terminal to the plane), and b) the other one was and an  Escalator), things that are normal to anyone coming from the Western world but I guess a luxury to Ugandans.

I intentionally wanted to surprise family members and friends and I didn't want them to know that I was coming, but I had my cousin and a security friend notified just in case I need their help. My intent was to really see the "developed" Uganda I had missed in the last two years. I must say that I have been coming to Uganda since 1998 and this is the first time that I arrived at Entebbe at night and I was not psychologically prepared for what I saw next.

I cleared immigration $50.00 cash and got my bags with a help of Ugandan. What followed me is something I cannot explain and don't even understand. At Entebbe "International" Airport the place is so dark that you can't imagine that Uganda produces electricity! Security is so lax and you could hardly see any security officers or even police. The only parking lot where people park vehicles has one working light and this light does not even light up anything. Something can happen to anyone and no one will even know! Vehicles are not visible at night in the parking lot people use flash lights. The parking lot itself is made of loose gravel and I felt sorry for the Ugandans who have to deal with this on daily basis. In fact the airport public parking lot looked more like an Army training (Shooting range) parking lot like the ones in the woods at Camp Shelby, Mississippi!  Very disgusting. I felt sorry for the Ambulance that had to deliver a patient because they have to use the same entrance as the people going to the parking lot at the covered area. Very sad!

Looking around and with my experience, I estimated like with a simple investment of about $50,000 – $70,000 one could drastically transform that parking lot and make it safe and user friendly. All you need is to put cement/hard ball on the ground, install about 20 lights (Solar lights).  That parking lot will be easy for everyone. The way it is now, I would not recommend you ladies and even Americans to come use it at night. God is just taking care of it for now but it is not safe to come at night and utilize that parking lot unless you have good security.  

Driving from Entebbe to the hotel Kampala along the road, it looked more like going to the cattle ranching areas in Madera in Northern California or some agricultural place deep down Louisiana or Mississippi. You would not imagine that you really going to the Capital City.

Point of advice; if you have friends you want to bring to Uganda please bring them during day time. They will be very disappointed if they came at night. Day time yes, you will have traffic but they enjoy the chaos and confusion.

Enjoy your Easter and have fun. I am headed to Kalangala the Ugandan Paradise and Howaii of East Africa!

Musese-Musisi

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