Ugandan Roads

In Uganda they drive on the left, but there is a local saying that you drive on what IS left.

There is one dual carriageway in the whole country, that goes from the airport in Entebbe to the capital, Kampala. It was built by the Chinese on a loan deal and is reputatedly one of the most expensive in the world due to the unfavorable terms under which it was financed.

Made roads have rumble strips on the entrance and exit to every town or settlement (that can be every couple of miles) to ensure you slow down and rattle every bone in your body at the same time.

After Kitgum, heading north, the roads are dirt. If it rains they become mud baths only for the brave, 4x4s, boda bodas*, foot traffic and goats.

The road from Murchison Falls national park from Karuma has been under construction for about 3 years but is open for use.  Parts of the road already built are starting to crumble and everyone drives on the dirt sections as it is safer than driving on tarmac and hitting a car ending pothole.

On that road you see trucks laden with goods and market traders sat on top completing that most African of stereotypes.  These men hire a truck to take them and their wares to different towns to coincide with different market days.  On the back of one such lorry was written the slogan: "we have no seatbelts, we die like men"

Morning and evening the roads will be lined with school children making the long trek to school, distances can often be several kilometres, not everyone has shoes.

In the towns the roads and pavements tend to blur into one with cars, trucks, bicycles, bodas, and pedestrians all fighting for space.

You also don't see many of these signs anywhere else:

*A boda boda is a small motorcycle ridden typically but not exclusively by a man with no helmet. They act as taxis, delivery drivers, and generally a means to get any quantity of people or stuff from A to B in as erratic a means as possible.

Stay Rooted 🇺🇬 - Dave.