Why Hate on Us?

There is something about racism or xenophobia that really makes me very angry. Two articles in The New Vision newspaper [one a letter to the Editor and the other an article from a reader]. They are both about how Ugandan students [and I guess other African or black students] are treated or mistreated or sometimes killed in Ukraine. They go there for university education which is relatively cheaper but end up with more than they bargained for.

And every year, in Uganda, there is presentations about Ukrainian universities and the favourable conditions there...blah blah with representatives from these places and from our own country. Below are the said articles to reflect on. Does being black mean we have to undergo all kinds of mistreatment and be subjected to dehumanising acts? Is because of the skin colour that they hate on us? I have not heard of any incident where a Ukrainian was stabbed in Uganda and even his body not traced in more than a decade!!!!

Listen to Ugandan students in Ukraine

Benjamin Egesa says he was mistreated

EDITOR — I was disappointed by the response of Eng Davis Matovu in The New Vision of August 20 to a special report, which was published in the Saturday Vision of August 15, 2008. In the report, a Ugandan student, Benjamin Egesa, claimed harassment and racist treatment.

But it was quite disheartening for Matovu to justify Ukrainian police harassment of Egesa. In a press release, Matovu wrote: “So, as Benjamin claims the police harassed him, we, as an association, say it is better because the police had to keep checking on him since he was a suspect.”

What Matovu forgets is that ill treatment does not only entail physical beating. Harassment leads to depression and poor health. Many people commit suicide and murders as a result of severe depression. Does Matovu want us to believe this is good?

To justify harassing Egesa because he was a suspect is wrong. Even in Uganda, the Police and other security agencies are under a lot of criticism for some of the officers who harass suspects. While it is true Ukraine enjoys cordial relations with Uganda at various levels, it is wrong for Matovu to sit in Kampala and simply defend acts of individual Ukrainians. In any society, there are criminal elements, who may not reflect the official policy. What is pertinent is how the matter is handled.

The Universities in Ukraine often advertise seminars where they market themselves to students in Kampala. But who really cross checks what they claim to own? My friend in Namungoona was duped into the same scenario by claims of lower tuition by Ukrainian professors. But when she got there, the fees were more than triple what she was told in Kampala during the presentations.

The poor girl could not complete her course or pay the hostel fee and her passport was withheld by the university till she coughed the money. This was a shortcoming on the Ukrainian side because the girl’s budget and money for upkeep were endorsed by the university’s office in Kampala. We had to raise the money and, after a year of agony, my friend is now in Makerere University.

Mr. Matovu, you should encourage Ugandans who have problems with Ukrainian Universities to report them. Let the Kampala office raise it with the Ukrainians and find a sensible solution.

Kikonyogo Kivumbi
kikonyogo.k@gmail.com

This article can be found on-line at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/21/645643


Yes, it is not safe to study in Ukraine

By Patrick Oyulu

I wish to respond to Benjamin Egesa’s article in Saturday Vision of August 16 titled, “Racial violence: How safe is it to study in Ukraine?” in which he gives an account of the alarming rise in the number of racially-motivated attacks in Ukraine.

My family became a victim in 1996 when my brother, Alex Onencan Oyulu, was murdered in the Kiev, Ukraine, by goons. To make matters worse, we failed to bring his body that was allegedly cremated due to bureaucracies in the Ministry of Education.

Alex went to Ukraine in 1984 on government sponsorship. He completed his Bachelors degree and commenced a Masters programme. In 1996, and having just joined my first job posting, I received a call from the Ministry of Education informing me that Alex was stabbed in Kiev, a traumatising experience up to today.

We immediately sought the help of the ministry in transporting the body to Uganda. In light of the transport costs we could not afford then, we opted for cremation and transportation of his ashes to Uganda. A contact was provided to help us in this venture. This was Alex’s fellow student who claimed to know where his body was but refused to reveal the exact location of the hospital.

So we kept wiring money to this man who turned out to be a conman because he kept asking for more money for this and that. The climax was when he asked for money for ‘refrigeration’ for an already cremated body (according to him) without providing the much sought after pictures of my brother in whatever mortuary he was in. Refrigeration for ash? We smelt a rat.

This gentleman, who today owns one of the numerous ‘Study in Kiev’ agencies, went further and requested me to contact another family who had lost their own, saying he would help. Was he dealing in other people's misfortunes? We ignored him and became resigned to the fact that we would not bring Alex’s body home, God bless his soul. Three years ago, we received another message from another fellow, who said he knew the late Alex, claiming that his body was still lying in some mortuary in Kiev.

Asked to reveal the hospital, he was evasive. It appears there are many people dealing in people’s misfortunes to earn a living in the Ukraine. Why go there in the first place? Egessa did, and learned the hard way; at least he completed his mission.

My brother earned a scholarship, and ended up stabbed and murdered. As a family, we live with the guilt that we failed to bring Alex back for a decent burial in Uganda. To the Ugandan who got all our money saying he was helping in his cremation and never sent us pictures of his body, God bless his soul.

Egessa’s story has again brought sadness to our lives. Even Amnesty International, in a report, recognised the alarming rise of racism. The Ukraine government fails to recognise the gravity of the problem, the report states. The government of Ukraine only frequently registers the attacks as acts of hooliganism.

The Ministry of Education did not help us to return Alex’s body home. They only relayed the messages that my brother was stabbed. I always pray that the story of Alex’s death is a hoax. But going by the trend in Ukraine, it might be true. Those folks are dangerous. Alex, may your soul rest in eternal peace.

The writer is the Production Manager of QG Saatchi & Saatchi

This article can be found on-line at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/459/645644

First Little Steps End in Tragedy

Riding in a taxi, this morning, from Kla central to the serene environment of Makerere University where I work, my train of thought was interrupted by a ringing of a cellphone. It was the driver's.

Since I was seated just behind him, I overheard the conversation. It was sad news that the caller delivered. His child has been knocked dead by a vehicle. This completely disoriented the fellow who, only moments before, had been in such a good mood. How fast things change during the course of one day, or for that matter, within one morning.

I noticed that he started to drive a bit faster, cutting through the clutter that is on our roads, throwing caution to the wind [are taxi-drivers cautious, anyway?]. I kind of drifted into "autopilot" mode, hoping that nothing goes wrong and we end up as statistics in the Traffic Police files.

Seeming to regain his composure, the driver narrated what had happened. This child had been taken to the village by his aunt, just three days ago. The intention was to get the child out of the rumble and tumble, hustle and bustle of the city to the calm atmosphere of a rural setting. Now, a one-year old child who had just learned to walk was mowed down by a truck carrying sand to a construction site nearby.

It was not clear whether it was neglect by someone who was supposed to mind the child or it was the child, who, upon finding his or her first steps, walked himself or herself to his or her death in one of those freak accidents.

Yet Another Death....Fuck that TBA

When I got home last night, I was told about an incident that happened in the eastern town of Mbale. It is about death, this time, a senseless one that could have been avoided. The sad thing, it is a woman who died of complications from childbirth, a traditional birth attendant that insisted she could go on with it yet it was clear that the woman needed qualified medical attention.

It makes me angry at how some of these things happen and the cost is greater in terms of human lives lost. A young woman gone in her prime, leaving behind her partner and a young child who expected a brother or sister [I didn't kow the sex] to play with .

Though I didn't want to highlight another death story. I will briefly recount it.

This young woman was an older sister to my housemaid. She had been pregnant and was due over the weekend. She goes to a traditional birth attendant (TBA), while there it is discovered that the child is in a breech position. The TBA reassures her and the people who had come with her that all will be well since she (TBA) had handled such cases before. However, things didn't go as planned; the legs and the rest of body come out but the head remains stuck [Yes, the child was positioned to come out feet first]. As we know, under normal circumstances, the head paves the way for the rest of the body.

The TBA tries to extract the head from the womb [or is it vagina] using various methods but these fail and she gives up. The young woman is rushed to hospital with her baby's legs and body partially hanging out. On arrival at the hospital, the baby didn't survive that journey. An operation is made on the young woman and she gones in a comma because of the loss of blood [there were definitely infections picked from the fiddling by the TBA].

Unfortunately, that is how she left this world. My question is why is it that we try to cut corners even in things that concern life and death; I assume that they went to the TBA because it would be cheaper compared to hospital. But by the fact that they were able to get to hospital, it means that it is within reachable distance. Also, why don't we became more altruistic and less self-centred and less money-minded, the TBA should have "swallowed her pride" and referred the young woman to hospital when she noticed the breech position. Even the people who were with the young woman should have decided to take her to hospital at that point.

But I know how it is in Ug when you have a know-it-all medical person (qualified or quack), his or her word is it [no second opinion...so many have been duped like that even the so-called educated and more exposed elite....many needless deaths at the hands of these people]

That is how things are.....

There are other deaths also but not of this type: some of my colleagues lost people dear to them (one, a mother and another, a husband). Rest in eternal peace all those who have passed on and sympathy to the bereaved.

Never Be the Same Again (A Tribute to Andrew Kataryeba)

It is strange that when I finally decided to begin blogging after procrastinating a lot over the last several months, the first thing I'm writing about is death. Yes, over the weekend [Saturday 8 March 2008], when I am remembering my father [George William Mwesigye Kanabahita] who passed away in 2006, this year, a friend [Andrew Kataryeba a.k.a Kats] passed away at the Donald Gordon Medical Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The difference is that my father was well into his sixties, Kats on the other hand was barely in his thirties. In essence, life was just beginning for him. The news of death is always shocking and painful, I had thought after the death of Daddy, death is something we take in stride as we walk this walk of life. How wrong I was, because of the kind of impact that this announcement had on me.

When a close person dies, or any person for that matter, it is best to celebrate his or her life rather than mourning the passing. Life has to move on like the proverbial wheel that keeps turning irrespective of who falls off. Kats has fallen off but what is it that I will always remember about him till my turn also comes.

I joined St. Mary's College Kisubi in Senior 2 together with Kats, in the same dormitory [Mugwanya House] and he was my neighbour through that year. He was a guy with great physical strength, not easily intimidated [protected me from a few bullies], big dreams [like of joining Harvard University, Massachussets Institute of Technology], vision [a vivid example which he shared with me but won't repeat here because it is not appropriate in light of the circumstances], spiritual conviction [he tried and failed to make me a Pentecostal Christian, more popularly known as savedee], very intelligent ['bookwise' and other aspects as well].

Though he may not have lived to see some of his dreams come to fruition and fail to achieve others, one thing I know he had faith in God and respected the plans that He had for him. My heart goes to his parents, his sisters, his wife and all his Old Boys (OBs) and everyone who shared those years.

The last time I saw him was a few years ago when he came over to Semawata Road in Ntinda. He found a group of his OBs [some of whom he had not seen in years like me]. At that time, he was on holiday from a stint in Nigeria. He shared several anecdotes of life over there with us, we had a good laugh, argued a bit about sustaining a business in dusty Kampala [he had had experience of starting one at the time I was thinking that the greatest thing was bar hopping].

Kats was that kind of person, thinking ahead of his time. I am glad that it is one of the things that I tried to emulate, not to be afraid to dream even if it may seem far-fetched now. I would hear of him in different places: Belgium, Nigeria, even Iraq [I don't know where else]. One thing that that I am guilty of is not staying in touch [there is no excuse since communication is easier now]. Oftentimes, we get caught up in the humdrum of our daily lives and simple hellos became distant and pushed back into the shadows of time.

Nevertheless, we should always cherish the time that we share with our friends. For me, I will remember Andrew "Kats" Kataryeba in the second verse of this song NEVER GONNA BE THE SAME ( modified a bit by me):

Fi all the friends and families that have past on

Leaving impressions and memories that will last on

We give thanks fi all the time that we know them

Reminisce them legacy that is what we owe them

Because [they] helped to make us who we are

So let us never forget and talk it near and far

Bless Up [Kats]

I can't forget you if I try