{UAH} People say they can't comment publicly but can't help letting their true feelings known privately.

by Nicholas Sengoba

I once visited a government office in Kampala. As I was being attended to, an infuriated lady in her late 20s or early 30s burst into the area where we were and without introduction lambasted the officer serving us.

She reminded him that he could be replaced at short notice if he thought he was very important, then she turned round and disappeared.
I did not know what rubbed her the wrong way but next the officer in his mid 50s stood up, excused himself and hurriedly followed her like she had gone with one of his kidneys all the time he was apologizing profusely.
He returned 10 or so minutes later, did some stuff on his computer, went out again, returned to his computer, out again. He did this about five times before he finally sad down and signed with relief.
He apologized for the delay and went on from where he had left. To be honest this fellow was quite annoying and arrogant too. He had lied to me on several occasions, given me useless appointments only to find his office locked. He never returned calls or answered them in the first place. I left his office feeling that he had received his comeuppance.
Well a few weeks later I met him in one of Kampala's popular supermarkets with a plus sized lady who I assumed was his wife. Anyway he stopped me and greeted me. I asked him how he was getting along in his busy office. He then went on about how difficult it was to work in that office.
He told me that that ka girl who blasted him was only holding that office because of where she came from. He told me that on that day she had asked him to help her edit an essay she was supposed to hand in as part of her postgraduate studies. He made a mistake of thinking that since it was private he would do it in his free time. The trips to and from his computer where to edit, remove this and put that as the deadline to hand in the work was fast approaching.
Besides emphasizing that she was not qualified to hold the office, he went native and said some of the worst things I have heard about the ethnicity of the ka girl and her ilk. He prayed that they leave the stage sooner than later and predicted that their downfall will be bloody and disastrous.
Imagine how confused I was when I read him on social media saying Ugandans are one and should avoid ethnic and tribal talk!
The trouble with the elite is that they are not the same in private and in public. As long as their daily bread is threatened, they will posture, store their anger and tell a lie in public to please and stay safe.
In private where their opinion is inconsequential they will tell the truth about what they think and how they feel. This is dangerous because one day the pent up anger will explode and we may not be ready for that.

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Allaah gives the best to those who leave the choice to Him."And if Allah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He, and if He touches you with good, then He is Able to do all things." (6:17)

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