How Rwanda and Uganda gave me a reason to smile

In my kind of work, sickness is only a by the way. Somehow you have to get up and work the key board before the editor calls you demanding what ‘belongs’ to him/her. I am currently battling a terrible sore throat that decided to come along with its cousin called flu and my diet now includes all tribes of medicines until all is well. Much as I am not feeling that well, there are places I look at and things are much worse for the people there. I have seen pictures from what some Burundians call an election and my heart is broken. Even after thousands have fled, those who stayed can be casually shot at. The country seems to have been left to its own means and those holding the monopoly of violence are enjoying it. Every now and then I read about emergency meetings to address the Burundi situation. It seems they are just meetings where people enjoy good coffee and sign for allowances as they wait for the next meeting. You would think that with the EAC in place some clout would be used to send stronger messages to Bujumbura. In Kenya, the consumption of lethal alcohol is now at epidemic levels. People are dying while others are going blind (often just assuming that the bar owner has switched off the lights) and men are getting wasted by these spirits. In places like Nyeri that have become known for having women battering men, the main reason behind such violence is often alcohol, especially when the men take all the money made by their wives, to the bar. Since the problem is mainly in Central Kenya, President Uhuru Kenyatta has decided to launch a crack down on those who brew the spirits. Unfortunately his orders took on a mob justice tone and even legitimate brewers have seen goons attacking their factories and destroying property. Personally I think all strategies to combat this evil should also look at how to raise people’s standards of living so they can afford more decent alcohol. On the other hand, there are some amazing things happening in the region that keep me smiling even when ill and weak. On Friday evening I dragged myself out of bed to attend a concert organised by a group of young Ugandans who go by the name 40 - 40. These young boys and girls regularly organise events where all proceeds go to charity. Right now they are trying to build a dormitory for some orphans. If you ever want to know a group of young people who are not simply complaining about their situation or waiting to tag along the tails of older politicians for trinkets, Esther Kalenzi and her friends are nothing but inspiring. The fact that their events are attended mainly by the youth is proof that all is not lost when it comes to future generations. I was also very happy to learn that Rwanda’s Akagera National Park finally got a donation of seven lions from some very nice people in South Africa. The park once had very many of the big cats but they were all poisoned by the pastoralists who settled on the park land after the Rwanda Patriotic Front stopped the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. A lot has changed since, including the installation of an electric wire fence to keep the animals from the communities that settled outside the park. Also, a boma was built to accommodate the lions from where they will be monitored before being let out into the wild. Right now I only have sympathies for the grass eating animals that will not know what hit them once they realise they have carnivorous company. Well at the end of the day, the park’s ecosystem has to balance. I also foresee the park guides suffering with tourists who will insist they cannot leave the park unless they see the lions. Almost everyone including yours truly, would now love to catch a glimpse of the kings and queens of the jungle. The move to reintroduce the lions is a testament to the conservation efforts undertaken by the government of Rwanda and the management of the game park. Lastly, Happy Kwibohora Day to all Rwandans and friends of Rwanda. The liberation struggle 21 years ago was not easy but was necessary and the fruits are there for all to see. Rwanda’s transformation is undeniable.

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How Rwanda and Uganda gave me a reason to smile