Trouble brewed in Nakawa Market in the crack of dawn, when roosters were still struggling to decide if it was truly time to wake up or if they could sneak in a few more winks. A fire, like an overeager chef, decided to whip up some chaos, leaving traders in a smoky haze of despair.
Joel Ssenyonyi, Uganda’s Parliament Opposition leader, probably hadn’t even finished his breakfast when news of the market’s plight reached him. Now, Mr. Ssenyonyi might not have been expecting to add ‘firefighter’ to his resume, but when trouble calls, even politicians have to roll up their sleeves. Or at least make some concerned noises.
The market wasn’t just burning goods; it was burning questions. Why does this keep happening? Why does the city seem to have a permanent love affair with flames? Are the arsonists just misunderstood pyromaniacs, or is there some grander conspiracy afoot?
But alas, as predictable as a boda-boda weaving through traffic, the answers remained elusive. Reports, like rare gemstones, were nowhere to be found. Some say they were last spotted hiding under the piles of uncollected garbage, while others claim they were snatched by the same mysterious forces that seem to enjoy setting things ablaze.
As the smoke clears and the dust settles (literally, because let’s not forget Kampala’s perpetual dustiness), the real question remains: What now? How do we help the traders pick up the pieces of their charred dreams? How do we stop this fiery fiesta from becoming a regular event on Nakawa’s calendar?
Mr. Ssenyonyi has taken up the cause for starters. In a Post on X.
He’s not just here to condole as the area MP (although in Nakawa West and for that matter any part of Uganda, he’d probably get more votes if he promised free rolexes at every campaign stop). No, he’s here to demand answers, to demand action, and maybe, just maybe, to put out a few fires along the way.
