Riots in Kampala

Fortunately, we don't have pictures to post with this blog entry. There were riots in the city Thur. and Fri. over the visit of a tribal king. As we understand it, the King of Buganda, head of the largest tribal group in Uganda, was slated to visit a youth rally this week. Kings are allowed to exist in the country but only as cultural leaders, not as political figures. There is simmering tension about their role, however, and the King's planned visit brought this to the surface. Violence broke out between tribes and also between police forces and people the police thought were rioters. The military was brought in as well. As is often the case, it appeared looters took advantage of the situation and added to the violence.

This all happened far from us and so we were only indirectly affected. Roads were closed in town and people were advised to stay close to home. However, one of EMI's Ugandan workers had a bad time of it trying to get home Thur. evening. She lives across the city from our office. She had trouble finding a taxi (14-passenger vans running established routes) to take. She ended up in a park, running low and taking cover under vegetable stands. A boy nearby that they'd been talking to at one point was injured when he was hit by police with a gun butt. After some time she was able to jump in a taxi. Everyone had their heads down and there was gunfire. Eventually she made it home - and there she was back at work the next day!

On a cultural note, as she was telling me her story, she was smiling the whole time. I remarked on this to another Westerner later, and she told me that smiling and laughter is a frequent response to difficulty or stress. I suppose the nearest thing we Americans have to it is nervous laughter when we are confronted with an unfamiliar situation.

Meanwhile, the city appears to be back to normal, and hopefully will stay that way. What was merely an inconvenience for us was a tragedy for some, and if you think to pray for Kampala today, we would appreciate it.