GEORGEViLLE

One of the traits majority of Ugandans have persisted to carry from time immemorial is the impressive ability to ignore the serious element of any law. If anything when laws are passed in Uganda, some folks look for the trivial or comic part of  the legislation, laugh it off and then cast bets on how long this would survive. So this is the attitude we flung to the ‘Helmets are mandatory’ and the ‘Wearing seat belts is compulsory’ legislation. And for years we lived in our easy law mockery life with all these rules and laws not existing for long. Then alas Mzee Museveni our President made an appointment. I know Ugandans who laughed at this too and thought this was the same old story…same people in different clothes. This iron lady from the Revenue Authority was a no nonsense lawyer who had come to clean up the city as its new Executive Director. It is still thanks to Jeniffer Musisi that most Ugandans had learnt that when the law states something, doing the reverse has repercussion...

I happen to be one of those Ugandans who grow up in reverse mode when it comes to  things the majority tag as trendy for instance as most Ugandans are making the move from ardent radio fanfare to addictive television viewership am doing the reverse. This could be mainly because I watched way too much television as a child. From hours of priceless fun and adventure on Cartoon Network, the defunct Madvani owned Channel Television at the time, now inexistent Sanyu television/TV Africa among other things. We never had the luxury of Disney or Nickelodeon in Uganda at the time and the rich kids made go with the then KTV or Kid’s Television or something that always aired in the mornings at the then three channeled DStv that consisted of M Net, Movie Magic and SuperSport. So yes children’s entertainment has changed drastically from the time when I was a child. However it’s not that am pointing an accusatory finger to the broadcasters for the change or the consequences this has fostered,...

At dawn, smart corporates politely whoosh   past you a vibrant smile from your local news vendor car   radios filled with beautiful voices of   breakfast show   presenters security personnel everywhere comforting you and giving you confidence organised disciplined   traffic, clean fresh   ambience with beautiful structures complimenting the people At dusk, alas…when the sun   has gone down My city embraces night’s dark evil veil and the danger she brings Standing as an imposing threat to all All folks seem to have this fear in their eyes   routinely turning   to check if they are being   followed As they cling and clutch on tightly to their bags and purses Everyone you meet sends cold shivers down your spine You shriek, say a silent prayer and   hope that when you reach home, you will be alive KIWANUKA GEORGE WILLIAM

Old glares torch me on my proud   loud   love declaration for her bitter sweet Kampala and   her diametrically opposite sides She’s a bolting splash of gold and rust flung and scattered among her hills like broken ceramic on the brown earth A side of hers bears they that are fortunate luxury and abundance beyond   imagination heaven-like serenity, ambience, neat green well kempt gardens large plush mansions, palace like magnificent hotels skyscrapers carrying a glittering sparkle, clean sidewalks Streets recollect trips to the best auto showrooms Only the best commercial kind wheels are parked punctuated with trendy teenagers walking dogs, flashing gadgets and smart corporates rushing to beat the rush hour Yards away is the ‘other’ side of Kampala thuds are heard as depressed lads rush about and jump to their deaths in suicide Congested streets with filthy stench of rotting sewerage rubbing shoulders with murderers, drun...

A few years ago, you would never find any self respecting television fan confiding in anyone that one of the shows that they were ardent fans and viewers of was one that was written, conceived, acted, produced and acted in the cradle of life (read Africa)….an African Television show was another name for low quality, poor props, boring characters and predictable plots and storylines. There was no African show that would get anyone interested enough to feel the suspense that the show team intended them to feel. Even when the show’s villains were plotting on kidnapping and murdering the protagonist, it was not scary at all and even if one was to be that poor ill fated protagonist, there would be no need to worry. However in the Southern part of the continent, the members in their television industry had already decided to tread these seemingly untradeable waters and soon mastered the art. Luckily for the industry, these past months have seen many African drama series cropping up and yes,...

A DESIRE LUZINDA-FILLED WEEK A Tale of Hypocrisy, Lessons, Criticisms & Moving Forward Why All The Hate? This last week, a Ugandan diva underwent something that no matter what angle you look at it from, most female musicians in our country would like to experience, ‘being the talk of the nation’. Not a day went by last week before Desire Luzinda’s name came up in all headlines screaming with a burning desire to provide the thirsty public with the gift of knowledge about the sexy curvy woman who gave us the gift of Nina Omwami, Equation among other songs that graced our then amateur charts at the time. Radio breakfast shows and social media had a field day with each wanting to be the bearer of new updates on the Desire story…really? Before I state whether I am going to risk by sympathizing and showing support for this superstar her fans will swear that she is or I will switch off my humanity and point a hypocritical accusatory finger to this voluptuous artiste. For the...

TRIPPLE PLAY Gyobera putting an end to Fille’s career.   Since time immemorial (read since these two hit the music scene), from the time when Irene Ntale figured she would never get filthy rich and rise to the standards of Juliana, Iryn Namubiru or Whitney Houston (isn’t it every new young female artiste’s dream) by singing for some church choir so she took off some clothes into a more skimpy but not so revealing kind of attire and hit the music world to make money. So she wore less, deleted Jesus in her lyrics and got cozy with likes of Bebe Cool. Fille also decided enough with selling milk in Western Uganda, she dropped into Kampala, got into a relationship with some veteran television presenter who ironically still wins awards for upcoming presenting (MC Kats) and also got on the scene. So for some time the two were always compared. They were like the Iryn and Juliana of the upcoming king. They kept minting hits and semi hits like Cherry Boo boo or something like tha...