From Ugandan Corespondent Arinaitwe Rugyendo…

July 11, 2010 was indeed a gruesome day in Uganda. Gruesome in the sense that in the aftermath of the devastating twin bomb blasts that left nearly 80 people dead and scores injured, the question now on everyone’s mind is whether Uganda should retaliate. Others have been asking when, not if, Uganda will strike back?

Indeed, this mood is everywhere as seen in the many angry posts on ‘twitter’ and ‘face book’ which have been pushing the Ugandan army to do everything within its arsenal to avenge the death of the innocent Ugandans. Anybody who has been touched by this deadly attack( I myself lost two friends) expects a decisive response from Uganda. “How then should we respond to this attack?” a reader asked for my opinion.

At the height of the cold war, two mighty forces from different faces of the world-the Soviet Union and the United States- had divided Germany into two. Their forces were two kilometers apart in Berlin. The question of the day was which country would nuke the other first. Each country had manufactured nuclear bombs and the whole world knew that if these two protagonists went to war, nuclear bombs would be used. There was always a joke in Germany that all the frontier soldiers were told that in the event of a nuclear attack, the best way to avoid it was to take cover under their makeshift beds.

This is the same situation between Uganda and the terrorists. They have attacked Uganda first and ordinarily people have become pundits about the best way how to avoid the attack in the future. Some people are talking of chasing away all the Somalis from Uganda. Others have sent mails to your columnist saying most of them are very arrogant people and should be chased. Others are talking of introducing of identity cards. The opposition leaders are saying the best way to avoid such attacks is for the Minister of Security, Amama Mbabazi and the Inspector General of Police, Gen. Kale Kayihura to resign.

First of all, what is most important here is that Ugandans should know that the xenophobic sentiments against Somalis will never be a solution to deter terrorism. Somalis in Uganda fled their country because of terror at home. They never came to Uganda to export tourism. 95% of Somalis, both at home and in the Diaspora abhor terrorism, and looking at the Somali community in Uganda, they are the most law abiding and most cautious people.

The Somalis would never hide terrorists who are on a mission to wreck havoc in their adopted land. Instead, it is easier for indigenous Ugandans to harbor evil doers than these vulnerable people. I think Ugandans should not be a people who mistreat asylum seekers because since independence, we have benefited from the charity of neighboring countries to get safe haven when terror at home was the order of the day.

Secondly, the introduction of identity cards seems to be an easier way of controlling bad people from making Uganda a hiding place. But in real sense, it gives a false sense of security. An ID can never save anyone from a bomb attack. In fact, it will mandate the police powers to stop at will any person for identification and if one will have lost one or otherwise, people will be severely harassed severely. Besides, the easiest thing for a terrorist to make is an Identity Card. In Uganda, you do not need an Identity Card for people to tell whether you are a Ugandan or not. All along, Ugandans have distinguished themselves from foreigners without asking them identity cards.

Thirdly, there have been suggestions especially by the opposition that the best way to fight terrorism, is to make security chiefs who got wind of this attack to resign. To me, this is a fallacy! There is no country on earth that is safe from terrorists. Even in heaven, when Satan waged war before he was dumped on earth where he continues to wreck havoc keeping heaven always alert and constantly monitoring his recruits. Uganda can minimize attacks but it can never wipe out all forms of terrorism. We shouldn’t presume that all terrorism is manufactured from abroad. We can have home grown terrorism. The best way to defeat terrorism is to let Ugandan enemies know that Ugandans are standing together on this fight. Ugandans should never succumb to the whims of the enemy and stop partying. The Ugandan security should know that when someone is giving an edict in Somalia that Uganda would be hit at the same time when rebel groups are causing havoc across the country’s borders, there is a link; a link to divert the attention of the Ugandan security. When Al-Shabaab is linked to ADF, Uganda should try to know who funds ADF, which countries continue to give safe haven to its leadership etc.

The Ugandan security should ensure that all liberties of the Wanainchi are protected. They should know that physical checkups are more effective than metal detection. Searching humans using hands is more effective and should be emphasized at all times. Outdoors venues that hold large crowds should never have one entrance. More than four entrances and exits should be emphasized on such venues to minimize the size of the crowd that usually engulfs the entrances when there are many people crowding one entrance which could be a target for a potential terrorist.

The other most effective way is community vigilance. The corrupt LC system should be cleaned up and the historically nosy Resistance Committee system( the Rwangisiriza) revived to be keeping noses on which ever people come to their areas and what do they do and registering them. This had effectively worked for Uganda for a very long time.

But can Uganda take the war to the bedrooms of these terrorists?

From Tanzania Corespondent Lute Wa Lutengano…..

I am now in Kampala, the land of Kaguta the son of Museveni. I seem to have begun my life in this city of Bodabodas, as the thousands of motorcycle taxis are known here, from the wrong foot. On my arrival on the night of last Saturday, I checked into this favorite hotel of mine along Kampala road. I immediately rushed into the hotel pub cum restaurant to have a snack before I could hit my bed.

Inside the joint I was pleasantly surprised to meet a Tanzanian colleague of mine, actually a former Arusha resident, one Mfinanga, who was in Kampala to attend some regional conference. As he was leaving early in the morning for Brussels he informed me that I am lucky as my young brother from Arusha , Suk Chat, was also in town. I promised I would look for him the next day.

After my morning official duties I began looking for Suk Chat in all the other establishments in the city. The last I heard of his whereabouts was that he was the previous evening seen at Speke Hotel. Late in the afternoon I returned into my hotel only to be told by the hotel management that actually Suk Chat had all the time been staying in the same hotel I was in. To make matters worse he had now checked out sometimes around noon and left for Arusha.

I was demoralized and decided to proceed to the Grand Hotel Imperial where on Sunday afternoons there is some live band music on its Coffee Terrace bar. There I met more Tanzanians attending the several conferences taking place in this city of many hills.

It was here that I also met a long lost Kampala Cab Driver friend of mine. He is an elderly man who is a Baganda. I engaged him into some conversation, by first wondering why there were now fewer Bodabodas on the streets of Kampala than during my previous visit two or so years ago. There is a major crackdown on the errand Bodabodas in town, he explained.

For many years, I was told, the Bodabodas had violated all traffic rules known to mankind. Enough is enough, the Government decided to arrest the situation. Actually the Kampala Traffic Police do literally ambush the Bodaboda cyclists. This has sometimes led to some comical tragedies whereby the driver jumps off his motorbike and disappears leaving behind the hapless passenger to his or her own peril.

The name Bodaboda, I was told, was coined in line with the history of the origins of this mode of transport. It is said that some many years ago they were actually the major means of ferrying people across the no-man’s-land between the Kenya and Uganda border – that is Border to Border.

Now this mode of transport is catching up back home in Tanzania. Unfortunately it is taking a more tragic mode, as criminals of all types are now using it to rob and even kill their victims. This is all very strange to Ugandans.

My Ugandan friend, Steven, that is his name, was very shocked to learn about this turn of events in the Bodaboda business in Tanzania.

However he had one outstanding commendation to Tanzania’s unity. For example, he was a little surprised to learn that a bona-fide Tanzania was free to buy and own land or a farm in any part of the country.

In Uganda, he told me, it was almost impossible for him to move north or in some parts of Uganda and buy, own and build or farm there. He lamented, however, that others from other parts of Uganda were free to come down to Kampala and its surrounding areas to just do that. That is unfair, he told me.

I believe he was a blue blood Baganda.

Photograph by David Anthony Hohol

Since our launch in June of 2009, RELATIVITY OnLine has continually attempted to reveal the multiplicity of perspective; global viewpoints that make our multi-colored neon kaleidoscope world the wondrous embodiment of humanity’s spirit and soul. This week marks the first inclusion of our Photo of the Week, an image of a single moment from somewhere across our planet that will stay with us forever - an immortal moment in time.

This week’s photo was taken a few hours outside of Uganda’s capital city of Kampala. The haunting eyes of a banana farmer’s year old daughter reflect a thousand stories from the world’s cradle of civilization and the purity of innocence that was once within us all.

Born and raised in Uganda’s Western District of Mbarara, Staff Writer Arinaitwe Rugyendo is a young media entrepreneur. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Makerere University in Kampala and is currently working towards a Master’s in New Media and Society from the University of Leicester in England. Rugyendo has worked in the field of journalism for more than a decade and currently is co-owner and operator of ‘Red Pepper’, Uganda’s leading daily tabloid newspaper. He maintains his country has as a unique and important story, grounded in its fervent support of liberation movements in the DRC, Rwanda, Southern Sudan, South Africa, Burundi and Somalia, that needs to be told. Outspoken, undeviating, and unafraid to the speak the truth, Rugyendo represents RELATIVITY OnLine’s candid search for realistic portrayals of the world in which we all live. Rugyendo’s newspaper can also be seen online at  http://www.redpepper.ug/