Every Ugandan Must Develop a 6th Sense

I went to withdraw money at a mobile money booth. I was rushing to work when I found this young lady fixing her earring. I told her I wanted to withdraw money; because obviously, that’s the only reason I’d be at the booth. It’s not like we’re friends and I came to say hi. But this lady? She calmly continued fixing her earring like I wasn’t even there. And I just stood there waiting patiently. 

Then there was the time I lent a friend my tripod. He wanted to shoot content; because, let’s be honest, we’re all content creators these days. I gladly sent it to him. But when it was time to return it, this guy had the audacity to ask me to go pick it up.

I was dumbfounded. Like… wow.

I could go on, but let me stop here.

Oh wait; one more story a friend shared.

He’s had moments where someone was initially rude to him because they assumed he was a nobody. But the moment they found out his status, they suddenly started worshipping him. The switch-up was insane.

I’m sure while reading this, you’ve thought of similar experiences; or maybe even worse ones. Like that receptionist who, instead of welcoming you, made you feel like a nuisance. Or when you tried to support a small business, only for the delivery fee to be almost as high as the product itself… and then the product wasn’t even worth it. Or that high school friend whose hustle you supported, only for them to disappoint you. Or when a meeting or interview was scheduled for 9 AM but actually started at 11, with no apology whatsoever.

I feel your pain. We’ve all been there.

And so, ladies and gentlemen, after encountering these repeated, mind-blowing patterns, I say this to my fellow Ugandans, for the sake of our mental health, we must grow a 6th sense.

Because the stress and frustration that come with dealing with Ugandans daily is ridiculous. If you want to live longer, you have to reduce your stress levels.

This 6th sense will help you extend grace, ignore nonsense, and not take things too personally. I don’t know if this behavior is due to the many things that don’t work in this country, but one thing is for sure, there is zero accountability, from the lowest to the highest levels.

Of course, there are some responsible people who do the right thing, but we call them the lugezi gezi gang—the "elites."

But until you find yourself dealing with such people, for now, do yourself a favor; grow your 6th sense.