By Jo Schwartzman
I am an American from New Mexico who has for the last 19 years lived in Jinja, Uganda part time. While both countries have mass transportation systems, it is my preference to ride publicly in Uganda. Specifically, my focus here will be on the bus or taxi systems in the two countries. So, jump in, move to your selected seat and come along for a ride.
The fun begins with a selected destination. From Albuquerque, New Mexico to Santa Fe, New Mexico is a 103.2-kilometer ride. From Jinja to Kampala is 81.4 kilometers on a good day, without encountering a jam. One might hope to arrive in Kampala in approximately 2 hours. Comparatively, traveling the shorter distance to Santa Fe will only take the rider approximately 1 hour. What accounts for this major difference and why does this crazy Mzungu prefer traveling by matatu?
Road conditions would be the number one cause of the matatu’s delay. American roads are the first thing I notice when returning to the USA. They are like well mingled posho…smooth as silk. Conversely, Ugandan roads are pot-hole laden. Dodging them takes great skill and tenacity! One has the opportunity in a matatu to really get to know their seatmates.
Another component of analysis would have to be the number of human beings transported in what Americans would refer to as a “minibus”. The same Toyota van that transports 14 individuals in Uganda but actually will transport 24 of your new found friends, would only carry 12 people in the USA. Most Americans have a special “thing” about 9 degrees of separation! Meaning, most Mzungus don’t want to ever be touching another! Further, seldom will conversation be shared by these riders. This opportunity to meet new friends is a positive to travel in a snug matatu!
Additionally, the cargo being carried on these transportation systems is a vast chasm! In the USA I might travel with a suitcase and a handbag. The suitcase would be secured in the boot. When riding a Ugandan matatu among your 24 closest, new friends will be cases, food items, mattresses and animals. They will be secured in the boot which is now tied partially closed with a frayed rope or placed atop the vehicle. I have traveled in a matatu carrying a goat across my lap. As I moved my slipperd feet on a recent ride, I could feel the soft feathers of a squawking chicken. “Sorry, sorry!” I kept saying! Then there was the time just this August when we boarded the matatu only to quickly get a huge whiff of the “daily catch”. Just below our feet was the un-iced, gunny sack of tilapia! Anything that needs transported in Uganda will be! Ugandans are amazingly resourceful!
Finally, the universal consideration is monetary. While both countries require payment to ride, Americans never carry cash. Americans operate on a credit card system. Whether we are buying a cup of coffee or paying for a bus ride most payments occur with the tap of your phone or the insertion of your credit card. A ride is ordered online and prepaid. There will be no movement in America without a ticket showing all monies have been paid in advance. Conversely, riding a matatu requires a completely different set of rules most of which are unspoken to the foreign traveler. Payment allows one to become acquainted with the conductor. This man is amazing at memory, math and perching…which he does while collecting different sums from passengers with only the nod of his head after they reach their destination.
Some might prefer the luxury and space of an American bus to get to their destination. For me, the benefits of traveling in a Ugandan matatu is far superior. What one gives up in arriving quickly is offset by meeting people, embracing a totally different culture, experiencing closeness and sometimes even holding other peoples’ children. It is an adventure of traversing a short distance but encountering smells, break downs, happy, grumpy, crying, chatty people who just want to see if the mzungu will really be content crammed into their best means of public transportation while dodging the potholes that have never been repaired in 19 years. The unequivocal answer is YES! Yes, she can and yes, she does travel public in Uganda. Hakuna matata!
