Low days


Bomb blasts went off at a very popular hangout last night. It’s one of those things where you get the news and you just don’t want to believe it. I honestly have little faith in our popos but for all that’s at stake, I hope that this time round they surprise us and actually get to the bottom of this.

To give this a little perspective, I’ll point out that up-til now, Kampala has been one of those places where at 03:00 AM, one can walk from one end of the city to the other. And that we are the kind of people to complain about rising fuel prices, high Pay As You Earn taxes, impossible airtime charges…basically a very high cost of living. But in all this, we’ll still go to that new hangout place and pay UGX 5,000 for a beer. And we fill the place to the point that you literally have to fight your way to the bar to get a drink. And that’s the average hangout.

And then you hear about bomb blasts…

But where are we getting news from? Twitter, Facebook, BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera…where is our local media when we NEED it? Why are they still presenting ‘normal’ stuff in the face of this? Isn’t this a stop-the-press kind of thing, do detailed research, give us names of the affected, talk to their relatives and whatnot…yes, we love the Sean Kingston music(maybe not), but give us relevant stuff at least this one time. Reminds me of how Sanyu FM, in the midst of the Riots in September last year, amidst all the mayhem and us running scared, Sanyu FM, the only station I listen to; they didn’t have zilch on what was going on.

Bloggers, Facebook die-hards, Tweeple, we are the new media. Let’s show ‘the pros’ how it’s done, and maybe, just maybe they’ll start giving us relevant info.

   July 12th, 2010    true stuff

21 Responses to “Low days”

  1. Ug girl says:
    July 12, 2010 at 12:13 pm

    last nite i got a text and then another, and then a phone call and i realised that if i was in Kampala last night , i would have been at Kyadondo Rugby club and most probably i would not have lived to see another day. By the time BBC talks about it – not even monitor had it this morning when i check on line. Not even a word from HE Y.K. M7..where is he when his pple need him.

  2. Global Voices in English » Uganda: Bloggers react to bomb blasts says:
    July 12, 2010 at 4:50 pm

    [...] Sleek writes: To give this a little perspective, I’ll point out that up-til now, Kampala has been one of those places where at 03:00 AM, one can walk from one end of the city to the other. And that we are the kind of people to complain about rising fuel prices, high Pay As You Earn taxes, impossible airtime charges…basically a very high cost of living. But in all this, we’ll still go to that new hangout place and pay UGX 5,000 for a beer. And we fill the place to the point that you literally have to fight your way to the bar to get a drink. And that’s the average hangout. [...]

  3. Vkta says:
    July 12, 2010 at 5:02 pm

    ug Popos; beta come clean on this one or else our tempers are flaring. as for the media, they might want to employ facebook chaps bcse they are definitely giving them a run for their money.

  4. Sleek says:
    July 12, 2010 at 5:33 pm

    I guess we better get used to the slow-moving A’can machine…Obama had a word in before anyone here

  5. lulu says:
    July 12, 2010 at 6:11 pm

    last night the news was broken on NTV and UBC . museveni is giving his speech ug girl, we may not be the best at what we do yet but we have tried

  6. Uganda: Bloggers react to bomb blasts :: Elites TV says:
    July 12, 2010 at 6:17 pm

    [...] Sleek writes: To give this a little perspective, I’ll point out that up-til now, Kampala has been one of those places where at 03:00 AM, one can walk from one end of the city to the other. And that we are the kind of people to complain about rising fuel prices, high Pay As You Earn taxes, impossible airtime charges…basically a very high cost of living. But in all this, we’ll still go to that new hangout place and pay UGX 5,000 for a beer. And we fill the place to the point that you literally have to fight your way to the bar to get a drink. And that’s the average hangout. [...]

  7. lulu says:
    July 12, 2010 at 7:18 pm

    it is also honourable and sad to note that the major media houses sponsoring the events at the rugby club had journalists there that lost their lives. lets try not to be too judgemental

  8. Global Voices in Italiano » Uganda: la reazione dei blogger ai recenti attentati nel cuore della capitale says:
    July 13, 2010 at 1:04 am

    [...] Sleek scrive: Per dare un'idea vorrei far presente che finora Kampala è stato uno di quei luoghi dove alle 3 del mattino si poteva camminare a piedi da una parte all'altra della città. E che siamo quel tipo di persone che si lamentano dell'aumento del prezzo della benzina, delle tasse troppo alte, dei costi impossibili degli spazi radiofonici… fondamentalmente dell'alto costo della vita. Ma nonostante ciò continueremo a ritrovarci in questi posti e pagare 5.000 scellini per una birra. E li riempiremo al punto che si deve letteralmente lottare per arrivare al bar a prendere da bere. Questo è il nostro modo di andare in giro. [...]

  9. Global Voices in het Nederlands » Uganda: Bloggers reageren op explosies says:
    July 13, 2010 at 2:23 am

    [...] Sleek schrijft: Om het een beetje in perspectief te krijgen, wil ik naar voren brengen dat, tot nu toe, Kampala één van die plekken was waar je om 03:00 's nachts van de ene kant van de stad naar de andere kon lopen. En dat we het soort mensen zijn die klagen over de stijgende brandstofprijzen, hoge loonbelasting, onmogelijke gesprekskosten voor de mobiele telefoon…gewoon de zeer hoge kosten van het levensonderhoud. Maar buiten dat alles, gaan we nog steeds naar die nieuwe tent en betalen we UGX 5,000 (ongeveer €2,20) voor een biertje. En we zijn met zovelen dat je je een weg naar de bar moet worstelen om wat te drinken te bestellen. En dat is de gemiddelde uitgaansgelegenheid. [...]

  10. Global Voices اردو میں » یوگنڈا : بلاگرز کا دھماکوں پر ردعمل says:
    July 13, 2010 at 11:21 pm

    [...] سلیک لکھتے ہیں اسے تھوڑا سا نقطہ نظر دیتے ہوئے۔ میں بات کروں گا کہ اب تک، کمپالا ان جگہوں میں سے ایک رہ چکی ہے جہاں صبح تین بجے تک، کوئی بھی شہر کے ایک سرے سے دوسرے سرے تک چھل قدمی کر سکتا ہے۔ اور ہم اس قسم کے لوگ ہیں جو کہ ایندھن کی قیمتوں کے بارے میں ، اعلی تنخواہ کے طور پر جب ہم ٹیکس کماتے ہیں، ناممکن ایر ٹائم چارجس… زندگی کی بنیادی طور پر ایک بہت بڑی سرمایہ کاری کی شکایت کر سکتے ہیں۔ مگر ان سب میں، ہم پھر بھی نئی جگہوں پر گھومنے جاتے ہیں اور شیراب کے لیے 5000 یو۔جی۔ایس اد کرتے ہیں۔ اور ہم اس قدر جگہ کو پر کر دیتے ہیں کہ ہمیں اپنی ڈرنک حاصل کرنے کے لیے جھگڑنا پڑتا ہے۔اور وہ ایک عام سا اڈا ہے۔ [...]

  11. char says:
    July 14, 2010 at 10:28 am

    I have to say, NTV has since done not too badly in reporting news of the blasts and aftermath.
    But I must agree, when events actually happened, info was getting out only via facebook and phonecalls and BBC, Al jazeera beat us to it.

  12. lulu says:
    July 14, 2010 at 5:26 pm

    journalists reported at midnight. it takes a while to get the pics and transport them back and forth from the scene to the studio what with not being able to have live feeds due to the limitations in technology and time that would be wasted getting an OB van to the scene for a live screening….however it was done

  13. Apr9 says:
    July 14, 2010 at 8:38 pm

    It was a real shame…….the news was all over but for few seconds….ABC had it too. I sure hope the get the bombers.

  14. Global Voices em Português » Uganda: Blogueiros reagem às explosões says:
    July 14, 2010 at 10:25 pm

    [...] Sleek escreve: To give this a little perspective, I’ll point out that up-til now, Kampala has been one of those places where at 03:00 AM, one can walk from one end of the city to the other. And that we are the kind of people to complain about rising fuel prices, high Pay As You Earn taxes, impossible airtime charges…basically a very high cost of living. But in all this, we’ll still go to that new hangout place and pay UGX 5,000 for a beer. And we fill the place to the point that you literally have to fight your way to the bar to get a drink. And that’s the average hangout. [...]

  15. Global Voices in Swahili » Uganda: Wanablogu Washtushwa na Milipuko ya Mabomu says:
    July 15, 2010 at 8:06 am

    [...] Sleek anaandika: Kutoa picha kamili kwa tukio hili zima, nitasema kwamba mpaka sasa, Kampala imekuwa moja ya sehemu zile ambazo mtu anaweza kutembea mpaka hata saa 9 usiku kutoka upande mmoja wa mji hadi mwingine. Na kwamba sisi ni aina ile ya watu ambao hulalamikia kuongezeka kwa bei za mafuta, kodi zilizo juu za Lipa Kadiri Unavyopata, gharama za juu ya upigaji simu … kwa ujumla ni gharama zilizo juu ya maisha. Lakini pamoja na hayo bado mtu anamudu kwenda sehemu ya burudani na kulipa walau Shilingi za Uganda 5,000 ili kujipatia bia. Na huwa tunajazana kwenye sehemu hizo mpaka mtu unapata shida kupita ili kujinunulia kinywaji. Na hapo tunazungumzia nyakati zile ambazo watu hujazana wa kiwango cha wastani. [...]

  16. Basiks says:
    July 15, 2010 at 10:15 am

    Sleekness…
    I feel you issues
    Glad you is kawa and shyte!

  17. Kellie says:
    July 15, 2010 at 10:54 am

    My thoughts and prayers are with you guys at this time

  18. normzo says:
    July 15, 2010 at 9:35 pm

    Good your fine….

    I totally agree with you, we should show these other guys how its done… with the new Media.

  19. Global Voices teny Malagasy » Oganda: Maneho hevitra momba ireo baomba nipoaka ny mpitoraka blaogy says:
    July 16, 2010 at 10:58 am

    [...] i Sleek : Mba hanomezana vinavina kely an'zany, asehoko fa hatreto, anisan'ireo toerana izay [...]

  20. Sybella says:
    July 16, 2010 at 6:27 pm

    so sad… and yes we need a fast media for accurate information ‘distribution’

  21. shikomsa says:
    July 22, 2010 at 10:38 am

    Ditto Kellie.

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