Dumped by a "Boda boda" Guy

Image Source: Sqoop Cartoon by Ogon

One of the beauties of sports is that you get to travel to different places you never thought you would ever travel to. Who would have imagined that a Senior One student would be on the bus to the glorious Namilyango College during high school? But given that I was active in sports, I somehow ended up at the "Fumblers" sports grounds. This was just the beginning of the trips as each term we would go to different schools for games and, of course, the most anticipated trips, "The National Games." We would travel to different districts for a week, which was unmatched happiness for any athlete in high school. Past high school, I have been blessed to spread the joy of basketball to other parts within and away from Kampala. I learned that in Kitgum, you cannot stand under the sun past noon till evening; otherwise, you would tan. My recent trip was to the Islamic University in Uganda in Kabojja, Nateete. I had gone to spread the happiness of basketball alongside my friends of KCCA Leopards basketball club. I have not explored Kampala that much so I found this quite interesting. It turns out I had downplayed the longevity of such a journey from Najjera. I had blatantly bargained with my "boda guy" to 12000 UGX, but after sitting for nearly fifty minutes on the ride, I painfully paid 15000 UGX. Indeed the joy among the students and the players was a testimony that we had fun as sports ought to. Finally, we had to set off back to our homes. Our teammate who rides a scooter could only offer a ride to one of us, so the rest of us had to use a "TukTuk" to Nateete Business Centre. This was a wholesome experience once again. Forget the seat belts or handles provided in cars; when you hit a hump or pothole, you will most likely hit your head on the roof of the TukTuk. You must keep your hands at work as they are gripping hard at the driver's seat at the front. Upon arriving in Nateete, I could not leave without purchasing "kigele" (cow's feet delicacy) for dinner. The street food experience is a story for another day.

In action against the basketball team of the Islamic University in Uganda

Often I have referred to "Boda boda" in my previous articles, and I have gotten several people from outside Uganda asking me what a "Boda boda" is. In the article The Runaway Bride I talked about how athletes spend hours bargaining with bodaboda men to move from the sports grounds to their homes. The Young Promising Athlete writeup highlights that bodabodas are the most commonly used means of transportation by many athletes. For formal purposes, a Boda boda is a motorized two-wheeled taxi used to ferry people or goods from one place to another. To better understand a bodaboda, it is a two-wheeled taxi ridden by fearless daredevils that cover a distance 10 minutes less than the time scheduled and can potentially leave with your property after dropping you off. Bodaboda guys are famously known for the statement, "Nesiga! Eno buzinessi nakamalamu emyaka kumi" (Trust me. I have been in this business for the last ten years). They will execute seamlessly and leave your heartbeat at 120 beats per minute. They carry the newest rumors in town, and if you want to spread the latest word in Uganda, they are the go-to people. They can navigate between two towering trucks and still remind you that you are a coward if you tell them to relax. At the Wandegeya junction, they consume all the time allocated by the traffic lights. Using a Safe Boda will probably feel like you are not getting to where you are going. These ride at one kilometer per hour to ensure they exhaust all the bill estimated by the app. Safe Boda is an app the Boda boda riders use to locate clients in real-time online. I recently got accustomed to using Uber Boda (which is more or less the same as Safe Boda) as it had a promotion. After a ride from Najjera to the YMCA, where I had gone to watch the Basketball Lower Division games, the app indicated that I had to pay only 1500 UGX. The boda guy swore upon heaven and earth that he would delete all apps. He felt cheated. Using the apps for bodaboda is one of the reasonably safe ways to use this means of transportation while in Uganda. The apps are also cheating codes for pricing the other riders. There are endless points to note about bodabodas in Uganda.

TukTuk parking at the Nateete Business Center park.

Do not be fooled by these riders; they are the most prominent hood to the criminal acts in the City. If you are unsure about getting your change back, declare to the rider so that your trip has a stopover at the fuel/gas station. I have stopped listening to the narrative, "Sista, nga silina mu ekye bitano." (Sister, I do not have 500 UGX). I lost nearly 2000 UGX weekly to different riders on that ticket for lacking coins. The theft cases that every Ugandan laments about are all nearly enabled by these riders. Last week, Brenda lost her phone to the Boda rider that dropped her off at Makerere Main Gate. He kicked profusely in the air like his ancestors had lodged in him, missing her narrowly but firmly grabbing the phone. They are a necessary evil in the City. One TikToker described driving in Uganda as playing a video game in real life. Surprisingly, the urge or the need to use Boda bodas is an everyday demand as long as you are in the City. At least you know that when on a boda, you will not be gridlocked in the annoying City jam. When you take a look at the taxis that could be the best alternative, you think of all the time wastage and discomfort. Four-seater rows in the taxi are six-seaters, according to the conductors. Some taxis look like they were picked from the metal scrap field and hammered to the shape of a car, then an engine was placed inside. They are bodas but with a body covering. I always advocate for the use of bodas to my friend Daphine who has lost her phone twice while in a taxi under similar accounts. Nearly a month ago, she boarded a taxi from Entebbe to the City only to get kicked out half away the journey. Upon checking her bag, her iPhone 12 had found a new home. Similar situation under which she lost her Samsung. Taxis are also stories for another day.

Boda bodas at the Kira Road Traffic lights. Image Source: The Christian Science Monitor

The Traffic Police in Uganda has taken it upon themselves to remind us monthly through the thrilling camera videos shared on social media. The different accidents that occur in various locations. Of course, I am not entirely blaming these Boda boda riders for the accumulative accidents Uganda registers yearly, but they contribute a large percentage. The moment you sit on that Boda boda, remember you are the co-rider. Scream if you have to. These guys sometimes ride like they have spare limbs in case of anything. In a span of three weeks, I have been abandoned by two Boda boda men by the roadside before getting to my destination because of their reckless riding. I cannot keep calm when he is overtaking a "Tondeka bus" and a large cargo truck is coming right ahead at high speed. There are no spare parts to life.