{UAH} Unforgettable rumours

The unfiltered report that once permeated through Karamoja hills and savanna in my post-todler 1970 years was that Kagutastan (formerly Uganda) owned a powerful merchant ocean shipping line.

Added to this was the pinch of salt that its ships were so huge they could burst Lake Victoria banks 

Well, as mobile humans I immediately confirmed Uganda ocean ships indeed existed when an evening walk to Naguru Market displayed a convoy of seemingly exhausted Transocean Uganda Limited  trucks breathing to their last stop to somewhere I didn't know in Kampala 

Transocean. Transocean? ?

There wasn't any need asking about the ships anymore because Transocean Uganda Ltd said it all. I was proud to know and confirm my country indeed owned merchant ocean cargo ships because of the name "Transocean" Uganda Ltd

The conviction and joy/pride in my country owning mega ocean-sailing cargo ships should have stopped there but it wasnt to be.

One Saturday big brotha dropped by his pad for lunch with an army Marine officer friend (a Musoga) to the family - big brotha's wife had whispered who the dude was.

When I saw the opportunity I asked the officer just one question which devastated my ego. 

The unwritten plan was to continously verify and confirm with verbal gathering of information on my country's shipping lines - which Baboon had absolutely no nothing to do with - then back to my K'moja manyattahood mesmerize everyone with my firsthand discoveries. I would be that well-traveled local star explorer 

Question I remember was along the line of "Do your amphibian tanks which go to seaports where Transocean Uganda ships go?"

The smile on the officer's face accompanied by resetting of his butt in the dining chair was all the more assuring that I hadn't asked a dumb question.

He maintained the encouraging smile as he took a quick glance at big brotha before focusing on me. "What a smart kid..!" was a preamble i expected from him before a positive answer but then he said "No. Uganda has no ocean ships".

Not to show i was questioning the officer's knowledge i turned head looking at big brother instead while asking "What about Transocean?"

Big Bro didn't answer but officer continued to explain that Transocean Uganda Ltd was simply a Uganda company that transported goods from Mombasa by road and didn't have any ship, bot even a canoe.

I felt shattered. Even horrible was the feeling that I was obsessed with Uganda huge ocean cargo ships that DID NOT EXIST. Let alone, my only ladder to the top of K'jong academic, intellectual and travel societies had just been obliterated by a genuine Army marine officer with knowledge and experience in water vessels.

Eeeish....! I felt really bad.

I had taken onto a fake regular visit to a Buganda Road public library that holiday. To be honest, I discovered by instinct that them day secondary school girls and boys only went looking for opposite genders in libraries - not about book.

It was at the same library that I came to know the origin of a Uganda ocean sailing ship. Ironically called SS Uganda was not even a Uganda ship, hadn't been to Uganda and of all things, wasn't even an ocean sailing cargo ship but a military vessel. But I took it that this ship - the SS Uganda- was cause of my heartbreak amd subsequent depression 

Three months later I found myself sailing in what I thought would be a ship. I didn't even notice i was already aboard when I felt a dizzying movement.. its was instead a scary flatbed ferry night ride from Namasale on the Lango side of L Kyoga to Nakasongola. It took almost the entire night crossing the lake. Holds record for being worst in my travel history.1

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