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November 24 Another Day of Waiting I still haven't heard from the New Vision about the fate of my job. I probably will travel to Lira tomorrow morning to sort out a few things and move back to Tororo or Kampala by Friday. I really need to put the New Vision behind me and move on with my life but the HR department seems to have this whole thing hang over me for a while; for whatever reasons. I have spent today searching the web and applying for jobs. I have also take some time to visit our plot of land down the lake at Katabi, Entebbe that gave me an opportunity for a brisk walk with my niece Ziporrah. I have just go back and I am headed home to be with Emmy who is quite a handful. November 23 Living in "Limbo"
It is nearly two weeks now since I was suspended from work and have been therefore formally unemployed. I have spent much of the two weeks back home in the village doing some simple farm activities and beautifying where I live.
There it has been quite a quiet time for me with few telephone calls but with a busy schedule of physical activities that ranged from slashing, planting, jogging, weeding, sawing, painting, trimming and sweeping. Sometimes I gazed at the moon or the rain when it interrupted my schedule. I hardly went to town except two occasions to read mail. I have also had time to take care of my dogs and re-organize the position of some things in my compound like the dog pen, garden seats and lights. I have been handicapped by finances though; on some of the improvements I had planned do on the cottage ahead of the Christmas holiday that will see Emmy and the expectant mother home for two weeks.
Finding casual labor around the village has also been quite
difficult and I have had to do much of the work at home single handed. I have employed
my nephews a few times but they are just unfocused and unreliable; always
having one program or the other of their own that causes inconsistency in
reporting to work. Their way of work just does fit with my style neither my
schedule.
They seem to have forever to do some of these earthly chores. I wish they could just begin to appreciate the value of time. To them, the saying that time is money seems to be too remote and neither have they considered that tomorrow will soon be yesterday and they will be older than they could imagine. Look at me! My whole head is nearly grey now and it seems like yesterday when I was a boy just like them. Sometimes, I look at my son and imagine that I waited too long to get him into this world. It should been much earlier when I was still with plenty of energy and “time.” Well, I have lots of catch up to do for him now. Anyway, I have been told by some colleague or former colleague if you take it that I have already been sacked, that New Vision tends to handout dismal letters at end of month rather mid, just like resignations tend to take same pattern.
I came over to Entebbe yesterday expecting to hear from the New Vision today but the day is nearly up and yet to hear a thing as far my fate is concerned. Anyway, I have been told by some colleague or former colleague if you take it that I have already been sacked, that New Vision tends to handout dismal letters at end of month rather mid, just like resignations tend to take same pattern.
If no communication comes through today, I might travel to Lira tomorrow morning to pick up some of my personal effects and move on with my life instead of living in limbo.  November 18 FinallyWhat I had feared could happen to me is finally here. This afternoon I received a call from somebody from head office informing that a decision had been taken to dismiss me. He, ineffect told me that my career with the New Vision is over. I have been sacked, he implied in that terse manner. Well, I am still waiting for the official dismissal letter and what is said therein. November 12 ChangeToday is another day for me here in Kampala. It has been a cool calm day and I have met quite a few interesting people since I started off from Entebbe in the morning.
I took a motobike taxi from home to the commuter taxi stage for Kampala in Entebbe town and the rider charged me seven hundred shillings instead of the usual one thousand. At another taxi stage in Kampala, I was conteplating buying a sweet for myself to while the time on my way to head office to meet the Human Resource Manager and my supervisior but a lady who sat next to me bought two sweets and gave me one. What a coincidence and kind act in the morning. We were heading to same direction but she alighted before my destination. I went along with my supervisor to meet the human resource manage who presented me with a letter to sign and told me that I am to appear before the disciplinary committee for a hearing tomorrow at 2pm following report by audit dept on the accident my official car was involved in. My supervisor was asked to be around but he declined saying that he will be starting hsi leave tomrrow. He instead asked his deputy to stand for him. I too was asked to come along with a representative e.g a lawyer to witness the hearing. I have decided, though, to go it alone and let justice take its course. Our meeting with HR manager was pretty short and I went out to town to do some window shopping as I mused about what the future holds for me after the New Vision. Talking about the future,; a preacher on a local TV station preached about change on his early morning show called Insight for Living. He quoted that popular saying that "The future has the tendency of arriving an annouced or too soon." The other memorable thing he said was that human beings have a natural tendency to resist change yet change is good even if it comes in bad circumstances. He also quoted Roman 8.28 as word of encouragement to believers in Christ who might be apprehensive of change. He also quoted Ecclesiates when he said that there is a season for every thing and indeed there is a season appointed for change and we can only embrace it with a positive attitude if we want to be better off. I was encouraged by the preacher's words and my positive attituted was strengthened and was quite prepared for the day. Probably, that may be why my day was much calmer that I expected it to be. I was given in effect a suspension letter because I aske to stay away from work pending the hearing and a decision that will taken after the HR meeting next Monday. I very well know that the letter that I was given today is a prelude to my being shown the exit from the New Vision after 13 years of faithful service. Thank God, thugh, that the future has come to me while I am wide awake and I welcome the change even though I am not certain of what will be. However, the change may come along with tough times ahead but I am certain good will come out of it all. November 11 My Times I have been away from work for eight days that I spent doing other kind of work
at home in the village. Put another way; I have on a short leave or vacation as
our American brethren would have it. I took a break at the peak of investigations into my car accident amid a lot stress and it has been good for me so far that I had that break from work. I have been able to quite a bit in the village in preparation for my retirement or sacking, whichever comes first. I have also had time to do a lot of physical exercise in doing task like weeding my garden, sawing wood, pushing the wheelbarrow full of soil and manure. Naturally, there has been some time spent with my parents, neighbors, friends and dogs. I have had lots of time too with the radio listening favorite programs on the BBC and local Fm stations. I did not miss a day too with my Bible and had one Sunday to preach the word of God. My sleep often came fast and in one stream. The moon was shining bright nearly all the nights that I spent home that created a routine for me of taking a walk around the compound with the dogs before going to bed. I often walk up early by 4.30am, stretched, prayed, read my Bible, took some porridge, brushed and got started with my day's schedule. I did some jogging before setting about work in the last three days home in preparation for the MTN Kampala Marathon due on November 22nd. I reported back to work in Lira today, having left Tororo by bus yesterday. It has been quite a day for me at the office with lots of story being told to me by various folk around about the investigations by the audit department into my car accident and rumors of my imminent sacking and lots of intrigue. Well, that to me is a settled matter because I have passed the worrying or guessing stage many miles back and I am on to the future after The New Vision with or without the sacking or the pardon. I have one of the senior auditors attempt to block my transport refund but in vain, reportedly because I crashed my official vehicle. I wonder if that is standard practice or official policy in the New Vision? Well, today too there has been a hold up of my petty cash voucher by one of the auditors who investigated the accident. I wonder if that too has to do with the accident or does it portend worse for me at the New Vision? Anyhow, I will traveling to Kampala tonight at 12.30am by bus for the monthly sales meeting on Thursday morning. I hope to spend Wednesday afternoon and evening with my family and travel to Tororo Friday afternoon or Saturday morning to follow up on some of the work I left pending. I am likely to travel back to Lira on Sunday afternoon depending on what the management of New Vision has decided about my fate following the car accident and the subsequent investigation into by the internal audit department. October 27 On The North RoadI am in Gulu tonight on an end of the month debt collection trip in my sales territory. I left Lira this morning with an accountant from head office in Kampala who came along with a vehicle from credit control department driven by one of the pool car drivers. So, I am not at the wheel today. My car is still in the garage for repair following the accidentit was involved in more than two weeks ago. There has been a lot controversy over the circumstances of the accident, especially who was at the wheel at the time of the accident and I have been through a bit of questioning by the audit department that may or may not lead my sacking. Well, I have taken it in stride and chosen to work normally despite the stress it is fanning up. I have covered so far a quarter of this four day journet that will take me through at least five major towns and districts of northern Uganda. We left Kitgum this afternoon having arrived from Lira at about lunch time and we hope to leave for Adjumani at about 10am tomorrow, from where we shall proceed to Moyo and cross over the Nile to Yumbe, on to Arua. By thursday, we should have covered Nebbi, Pakwach, Oyam and Apac. Hopefully, we shall be back to Lira on Friday where I hope to get on the bus home to Tororo as the accountant and the driver get back to Kampala. October 13 Home with EmmyI had quite a wonderful time home in Entebbe with family and friends last week despite the hardship of geting around without a car in a rainy season. Emmy was quite a handful but that is what made it fun being with him.
We went together to Kampala on Friday the 9th October, Uganda's Independence Day for the annual Uganda Manufacturers' Association International Trade Fair. It was not that exciting as it has been for us in the past years. There were so many people at the show, especially school children, causing lots of congestion and lack of concentration on any particular item. The mistake that we made this time round was to go on a day that was a public holiday when most people was be free to go out and hang. Well, Emmy's presence made all the difference for me. He was attending his first trade fair and witnessing the biggest gathering of people in one place for the first time.
The way Emmy conducted himself amid the sea of people was just amazing. He was not perturbed by any particular thing. He smiled, jerked, shouted, waved and did a lot of eating. He did not have the slightest intention to dose in the four hours we were at the show as he had already had some sleep on the way from Entebbe to Kampala. But he had a sound sleep on the way back.
When we got back home, Emmy made loud noises and moved vigorously around the the seating room; probably his excitement was an expression what he had witnessed and was also glad to get back home to play ball and tell stories in his own langauge. He smiled in his sleep later that night despite moments of crying over something that appeared symptoms of flu.
It was not so exciting to leave Emmy on Saturday morning when I traveled back to Lira through Tororo. Emmy cried as I walked away from the house in Entebbe and seemed to understand that it was not for just a while that I was moving away.
Trudy was not particularly happy save for the day we went for the show. She had some intermitent spotting and nasal bleeding that has persisted for quite a while now. I only hope that today's review at Mengo Hospital will bring some good results.
I will off to West Nile tomorrow for a field trip with my supervisior that will take us as far as koboko after we have been to Pakwach, Nebbi, and Arua. I might probably return to Lira on Friday and then travel Eastwards to Tororo for the weekend.
October 05 Today  This is how things look like for me today. My car had an accident this morning and got substantially damaged. I am waiting for a police report and mean while I am having a reminder by experience of what it is like to get along without an official vehicle. September 22 Weekend in Kampla I had quite a good time in Kampala during the two days for the monthly meetings at head office and Saturday home with my little family in Entebbe. I made the most of the time for our little boy Emitono, cuddling and teaching him to walk. Emitono is taking a bit long to learn walking. He can walk with support and without support, though. Probably it is his weight delaying him to walk but I believe he could do better with a little more training, unfortunately I am not always there for him. I left Kampala on Sunday morning with a few trees plants from the nurseries for my garden back home in the village. It was a lovely cool morning as you might tell from the photo above. It had rained the previous evening and the sky was clear with a fresh breath of air unlike the past three days that had been very hot. And it was even more lovely to receive a new camera that got me immediately back on the photography track. I had waited for it all weekend long, hoping to capture some moments with sonny but it did not arrive in time. I am looking forward brisk season of shooting, though, this rainy season especially of my filed trips, Lira and my gardening back home in the village. Two weeks ago, goats entered the church I was praying from and they wondered about the phew before going out. I wondered whether they had come to offer themselves willing sacrifices or some other thing they were upto. Anyway, I missed to capture the moment on camera just like I have misssed many more in the time I have been without a camera. I am back in lira having come over from Tororo Monday morning with my pick-up truck full of newspaper stands for various outlets in Lira town. It has been a very busy two day for me and I will be on the road to the next two days that will see me in Lira, Dokolo and Amolatar district rural outlets. Hopefully, I will be able to get back to the village for the weekend for some tree planting and gardening. September 14 Journey up North I had a great journey to the Southern Sudanese border last Thursday. It was not so much about the visit to Nimule but my experience on the way from Gulu through Amuru District on to Bibia border post on the Ugandan side. Amuru was once a rebel infested district and driving through was extremely dangerous. A colleague was shot dead and his car burnt while from a field trip such as the one I was on from Adjumani district to Gulu through Amuru. Thank God the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has been subdued and pushed to the jungles of Central Africa Republic by Uganda government troops and they now pose no or little threat to the security of northern Uganda. The last time I drove down this road, I stopped at what was the largest displaced people's camp a at the height of the insurgency; Pabo camp. This time round though, I drove down to a place called Atiak and then to Bibia. The landscape was generally flat Savannah grassland like the rest of north and north east Uganda with very few homestead along the road. Even though peace has returned to this area, many people still prefer to stay together in the centers rather than return to the former or establish new homesteads. Probably the fear of the return of the notorious LRA haunts them or they are too traumatized to go back to homes where they saw their loved one s slaughtered, raped or abducted. I met two interesting war traumatized boys at Atiak of about age 10. While the two walked aimlessly talking, singing and begging they still had a pleasant human side to their life, even a good sense of humor. One boy spoke on Acholi, the local language and the second boy spoke both Acholi and fluent English. While one of the boys just begged for money and food items one after another with a sheepish smile after receiving just before asking for another, the other boy said thank you, laughed aloud, gave out the biscuit he had bought with the money he had begged me and walked away singing and laughing. I asked my self, "What is the point?" He begged for five hundred shillings to buy biscuit which he got, bought it and immediately gave away after saying thank and laughing aloud. Well, I cannot answer but I was humbled by his generosity. Further down the road were some other war returnees chafing at logs with locally made chisels in an emerging trading center of wattle and straw huts. The people here who are mainly young men in their twenties are making stools and pestles from wood and other are selling charcoal as part of income generating activities in this very rural and poor war ravaged district of Amuru in notghern Uganda. Both the stools and the bags of charcoal are going for about ten thousand Ugandan shillings (U$5).  I bought two stools and two bags of charcoal and by the time I got to Gulu I was being trailed by an old lady who begged me to sell her my stools. She had really fallen in love with these artistic pieces that I had intimated to my friend would envied by many townsfolk. I was right and just had to let the lady take the stool for a few bucks above the price at which I bought it. I reserved one, though, for my friends who had always asked me to buy one from the West Nile district of Pakwach. These ones were even stronger and more attractive than the Pakwach type that often have inscription such as "Remember Pakwach." These ones were also plain, leaving room for self customization if one wished to. While the scramble for my beautiful stools went on in town, a thought of starting a business in the local artifacts came to me if I could buy them in the rural areas and add a bit of value by way of polishing and vanishing before resale. well, I am still toying with the idea. Watch this space for what I will be up to three months down this road. I was elated to pulled over at Bibia especially while along the way from Lacor Hospital in Gulu we had been subjected to a speed we did not like by a Uganda People's Defense Forces truck that drove ahead of us and did not allow us to overtake even while we made at least three stops of more than 30 minutes along the way but still catching with it. We sold some magazines and newspapers while we sought a reseller for our products at the border point. And it while we where at Bibia that we heard of the riots in downtown Kampala by some Baganda (subjects of the Kabaka, the traditional leader/king of the people of central Ugandan region of Buganda) over the refusal of the government to grant the king permission to visit Kayunga district for the annual Buganda youth celebrations. Of course we were far far away from the riots, like over 600kms up north from Kampala. Funny, as it may seem, it was an interesting time to open a new outlets for the newspapers. naturally, the various business people, immigration and revenue dept workers, insurers and clearing and forwarding agents were eager to know in detail what was going on in Kampala. Bingo, we manage to find a willing business person to take on the task of being a sub-agent at Bibia and the newspapers who have selling since Friday.  I will be revisiting Bibia again next month to check on the progress of the new sub-agent and I will be glad to check out the lovely stools again, probably meeting the interesting boys at Atiak again. I hope and pray that I remember to carry them some gift that they wont have to beg for. I made home to the village Saturday afternoon and as usual got pretty busy with gardening and other farming work around home. i got a chance or two to relax while watching TV with some friends in town and also went swimming Saturday afternoon. Once Emitino and the mom were absent. Hopefully, I will see them this week when I go over to Kampala for the monthly sales meeting. September 03 The Unexpected
It has been quite a while since I took some time off to type down something into my blog. I have had a very busy schedule since the last monthly sales meeting in Kampala. I have been up and down the field and the weather has quite erratic too; sometimes very hot, dusty and dry and suddenly very wet and chilly. A few rural roads up north here have already taken a good beating from the torrential rain. I passed a submerged low lying bridge on my way to Kitgum last week and the road was quite potholed as compared to a month ago when I last went there. I wonder how it is going to be after the predicted elnino weather phenomenon come September to December rains. Well, I can only wait and see. If the floods do come, I know that I will be for a lot of difficult on my field trips, knowing very well that my current official car is not a 4WD unlike the uncomfortable but reliable Suzuki Maruti that I previously had. I am not feeling very well today and I have already about three bouts of Malaria in the three months. I also realized this morning that my prophylaxis Cotrimaxole tabs have run out without me replenishing in time due to hectic schedule that I have been through lately. I hope to travel home eastward tomorrow, though and hopefully take some time off to think and relax while puting1&2 together at home. I really must adjust my work schedule or else I might just ruin my health and reduce my years here on earth. I need more time to relax, think, exercise and spend with my family rather being on the road all the time. I had a bishop and his entourage visit our local church back in the village last week and he and about twenty other companions had breakfast in my cottage last Sunday morning. It was such a wonderful experience host such a high profile guest in my house and also a learning opportunity for me to deal with people quite outside my generation. These guys, if you do not mind my generation’s language, came 1&1/2hrs late and some of my helpers expected quite a bit of formality in the whole breakfast business and hosting of the guests, and I was getting worried that I and my elder brother my just make a mess of things since we not very familiar or good friends to formality. Surprisingly, our guests were not that formal and bingo, everything sailed on free style and we just had to praise that Lord. I did not have great Kodak moments, though, because the anticipation of the task ahead of me that weekend just did not leave room for preparation for things like photography, especially when I did have in my possession a camera of my own. I only realized when the guests were leaving that I had missed an occasion for some precious memories in the later years. I just have to have my camera replaced sooner than later. I had lots of unexpected happening; the bishop’s visit so soon, how my brother and I managed it without our wives, whom we did not expect to be missing, how the guest were more than we expected and how the food was all the same enough. Dr Epuwatt, just exclaimed how God has multiplied the few loaves of bread! There is no pleasure like unexpected pleasure! Have a great weekend. August 14 In Kampala I am in Kampala this weekend and home with my family in Entebbe. I came over on Wednesday night up from the north of the country through the eastern route across the Nile.
The two end of month meetings at head office are done and I have a bit of time to update myself on the going-ons in the city and have some quality time with my son Emitono who just doesn't want to lose any moment with me around the house. He is such a lovely boy and seems to have grown faster than I had noticed in his first year in our crazy world.
As I had said before, Emmy made one on July 24th while I was away on a field trip that made it hard for me to be part of his birthday celebrations in Entebbe. When I looked at Emmy's photos taken when he was nine months and compared to those that i took when he was a week to his first birthday, I noticed such a big difference and I though top myself; "Oh my goodness, the boy has grown so much that I hardly noticed." Later on, I said to myself smiling as I drove along, "now I have a real son and I can also laugh."
I wonder how I will be explaining to Emmy my long abscence from home while on field trips and away at station in northern Uganda? It is such a demanding job and I just can't enough time to be with family and friends since I work miles and miles away from home. When I tell some of my friends that I wish to be on thie current job for just two more years, they think I am crazy to think of self employment espceially farming as a viable option. Anyway, I think if I am to be there for my son and also reduce my stress levels, I might just have to go whole hog on my convictions.
Nice weekend. August 07 Home Bound Moses is avery fatigued man this Friday and it is time to take a break from the hectic week of field work that I have had. I am off this afternoon to Tororo to spend some time with my parents, relatives, friends and dogs. I should have gone to Entebbe this afternoon but considered putting of till next Wednesay when I will going to Kampala for the monthly sales meeting.
It has been relatively cool up north here sinec there have been bits of rain here and there. The dust too has been down a little bit. Infact it is threatening to rain now as I type these lines. I probably will set off for Tororo at about 3.30pm and expect to arrive at 9pm. I got a few errand to do on the way home at Dokolo, Otuboi, Soroti and Mbale. I have a meeting at 6.30pm with a business partener in Soroti and I have debts to collect in Dokolo, Otuboi and Mbale.
Tomorrow too, will be a very busy day for me even though I call it a rest day. The business, though, will be diffrent and I might just afford some time to swim and just take a leisurely walk or ride. I would rather the former to get my legs stretched from the weeklong bending in the car.
I have tree planting, landscaping, trimming and a few other activities to see through the weekend at home in the village. It is my prayer that I will find all the labour that I need to accomplish the scheduled tasks. Labour is increasingly become difficult to come by in my village as more and more people move to town in such of employement. Most of the time, I have to do much of my work, especially around the compound myself. Sometimes, I just wih I had 36 hours instead of 24 to myself. Well, I just have to make the best of the 24 that the almighty has gieven. Have a blessed weekend. August 03 Life Goes OnIt has been a long time since I last dropped a line here. I have been through through busy and stressful times lately but life still goes on somehow. Emitono turned one on July 24 and sadly I was away on a field trip and missed the birthday party in Entebbe.
July the first month of the financial year is past with its several meetings but the hightened stress and new sales targets to meet are here with me to face. As the good book says ; "The righteous shall live by faith," by faith I will overcome though the darkness seem great, for it's greatest just before the dawn.
I had hoped to see my son this weekend but sickness and fatigue kept us apart again. Emmy is down with malaria and could not travel with my brother from Entebbe who visited home this weekend. I had also traveled quite a bit and could not make it to Entebbe. I did a few errnads though; supervising garden work around the compound, cut the hedge and got somebody to mow the lawn. That done, I did a bit of shopping and debt settling that left me broke.
It was quite hot both here in Lira and Tororo last week, however, Lira has had a few showers that have somehow brought the heat down. It also drizzled in Tororo last night but north and east are still generally dry and I am reliably informed that central too is largely experiencing drought.
This is one of a few years in the recent past in which I have seen so little rain in the country; no wonder why some parts of the country especially in the east and north are having it rough with famine. I just hope that this weekends scattered showers will be followed by something more serious from heaven above. A repeat of the 2007 el nino floods, though, that are predicted later in the year might just spell more trouble for the already famine afflicted folks as they might wreck havoc on households's little livehood.
I feel a little feverish and fatigued once again and need to save some vitality for tomorrow. Good evening. July 09 Hamlet By The Rock |
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