“You black out, we jumpstart you”. This is the anthem at Bandali rise, Kampala’s most hyped nightlife hotspot in Bugolobi.
You know it is really December when at 10pm traffic jam is crazy and no one seems even angry about it. In most offices, work slows down. The ‘basama’ (Ugandans living abroad) are around.
Philly Bongoley Lutaaya’s 1989 Merry Christmas album and Boney M are having their time downtown. And if you are not in the city by 6am, you may struggle to find where to pass.
The shops are empty, the streets full of vendors. Everyone is trying to shop as much as they can, tailors do not even sleep anymore. Everything seems slower and everyone seems to be in a good mood.
If you have not yet booked that hair appointment, you may have to wait till next year. As for the annual dash to the villages… Bus companies including Global, Causing, Link, Nile Star, among others, are making a kill this period with double, or triple the normal fares.
When it comes to weddings, you could think December 31 is the deadline for getting married! Not forgetting the end-of-year parties, the nightlife. Speaking of which, Silo had a Sunrise party that started at 5am to 5pm the next day.
People literally set their alarms for 4am to wake up and party. Imagine that! Only in December.