MY CLOSER LOOK ON BUSIA BOTH IN KENYA AND UGANDA.

I and KK went through Ugandan Immigrations. KK carried a Ugandan National passport and I carried the East African Passport both issued by the Ugandan Government. The law states that when a citizen of any these countries namely Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda  and Burundi carrying an East African passport, he/she should let her/his document be stamped at the entry point once in six month unlike the National Passports that requires you to line up in long queue waiting to go through Immigrations. 

Nonetheless, the requirement for the East African passport discriminates against most people--particularly those who are below a certain middle-class level.  For example, if a poor person (as most Africans are) wanted to visit relatives in Kenya for an annual get-together (to place flowers on a relative's grave, celebrate a child's birthday), if the law was followed, they'd have to purchase a new passport five years.  Why can't the law read "stamped every fifteen months"?  If we really had democracy in East Africa--or anywhere in Africa--we the people would probably have the law changed so that our East African passports need to be stamped once every four years.

I have used the East African passport several times and I see no reason or benefit in carrying it since this law that puts it in place is dormant and authorities don’t follow it. I have gone through Immigrations and lined up almost to two hours with nationals that carry National Passport. My last visit to Kenya was in December 2009 and I again used this passport. They stamped it at the Ugandan side and the stamp was not clear, but I didn’t notice it by that time.  Why on earth we are still stuck using mid-19th century technology?

Now I was in Immigrations of Uganda and moments after I handed my document to an official, he forced it to the reading machine and from my observation, the machine proved that my passport was genuine. The official, nonetheless, was with doubt.  I asked what the problem was and instead of answering me, he chose to pass my passport to his senior official which caught the attention of KK, but later he approved me and waved me on.  After he finally stamped it, it felt good to be leaving the immigrations.

I took a closer look at my passport to find out what the problem was. I noticed that the stamp that I got during my previous crossing was watery and almost run out.  This is what attracted the attention of the Immigration officer.  Surely, if East African countries are sincere about fighting forgeries, then much greater care and the use of modern technology should be in order.  With the high rampant fraud and forgery taking place in Government and private entities, the official thought that may be I also forged the stamp. I didn’t feel threatened because my path had been always clean. Am a good global citizen who respects the law almost to a fault.

I wanted to take a picture of both the No man’s land and the border fence on the Uganda side. I had borrowed a camera from a friend back in Kampala. I was so disturbed when the switch failed the camera with no clear reasons why it turned up so. Immediately as I pulled the camera again to see what the problem is, the lady sitting on a small chair called us to present our passport for her to prove that we have gone through the immigrations correctly. I was busy fixing the camera and KK was also eagerly looking on to see what’s happening with it, then when I looked up, I saw this lady on the chair trying to wave to us to make it known to us that she wanted to see the passport but she didn’t utter any word.  KK had both passports in his hands, so I pointed out to her, he walked and presented the two passports and she waved us ahead to Kenya.

There was an overbearingly arrogant guy that was standing next to the lady. He was too full of himself just like the NRM (National Resistance Movement led by President Museveni and been in power for now 25 years) officials you see in Kampala. They are too proud yet they have no performing capacity to transform Uganda.

He wanted to let me know that he was around, so he shouted to me “You are NOT allowed to take pictures”. I asked why? “I am a security officer and if I say you are not allowed to take pictures, that’s it” he barked like a jumping dog. I calmly told him that “ If I had taken pics at Entebbe Airport and on board, what about this rotten, dusty, full-of-trash Ugandan border?. KK looked calmly as usual and being a peaceful person, he initiated the walking with hope that I will ignore the man and move on. I did exactly as he hoped.  

We walked to the Kenyan Immigrations. We had no trouble. It felt good to be in Kenya. We were so hungry and didn’t really know what to do next. There were thousands of people transacting all sorts of business. The Busia side of Kenya looked livelier. It was dirty just like its opposite in Uganda, but the sound of business on the Kenyan side proved that if there was anyone benefiting from the East African free trade agreements, it was Kenya. It’s offering more business than any other East African region and that’s why its currency beats all the other four currencies. Each East African nation has its own currency.

Standing at the pavements of the rotten and dirty roads while watching Uganda pass by to the other side and observing the tricks of the working ladies (call them Prostitutes) proved that there’s so much more to enjoy life than simply staying in Kampala. I have passed through Busia thousands of times, but all at night. Now, I was getting the bigger picture of what it meant to have your lunch in Uganda and have your next bottle of water from Kenya. Both sides of Busia are full of street kids busy begging from passengers crossing from both sides. I used to be sympathetic to them but now, I'm not. I hate the growing populations that are making life harder. 

The failure to embrace safer contraceptives in Africa have resulted into youth who are not productive to any country in Africa. The church and all other religions are busy telling people NOT to use condoms or other kinds of contraceptives. All the contraception process we have is from other countries. 

African governments are not doing enough to fund its own research on population control. Thanks to the Kenyan politicians that are now suggesting making abortion legal under the supreme law.  I am for abortion on demand, because I support the right of the woman to make a decision on whether to have an abortion.  Abortion is not murder. The African governments must put in place safe places where women like those in Busia can go for abortion legally instead of allowing them to create humans that will end up being a menace to the whole world.

The men of overpopulated societies end up being a serious menace simply because they can be easily lured into terrorism activities because they have less money.  Yes, we know that young men of the middle-class can be lured into terrorism as well, but I've been taking note of young men in Central and Latin American countries who, out of poverty, join the armed forces of tyrants.

Even in America, young blacks give as their reason for joining the Armed Forces is because of poverty and the promise of education after their service is completed.  In other words, kill other people first, then the American government will grant you some money for education.  Americans now know that they were killing Vietnamese in the 60s and 70s for no good reason. 

Former Department of Defense Robert McNamara admitted that he lied to the American people.   For more details given by Gareth Porter, in his article "Exclusive: Robert McNamara deceived LBJ on Gulf of Tonkin, documents show," go here.

Poor citizens of any country have nothing to lose. No one cares for them. They are not educated, they have no hope. They struggle to put food on table and worst of all, they have grown to manhood and now busy making babies supported by the Church/mosques and other religions, but at the same time, they are not willing to see their offspring take the same route and suffer just as their parents did and this is where trouble will begin. More articles on the definition, description and consequences of overpopulation will appear on this blog. Keep on checking.

You are fee to comment on this post. Until then,do wait my next edition of the trip.