Since the beginning of this week, Twitter in Uganda has been awash with photos of Kampala roads having potholes of every nature. The demonstration began literally on Sunday by an academician, writer and cartoonist Dr Spire Sentongo who felt his taxes are not put to proper use.
Kampala Pothole exhibition is the second hashtag campaign so far whose pressure has been felt right from the bottom billionaires (common man) to the policymakers. The first campaign whose magical power was almost felt in every corner of the earth was #freebobwine but it had blood, tear gas and live bullets and some people lost their lives and property during the course of event.
However, the #Kampala Pothole exhibition is a clean, perfect and cool demonstration, demonstrators are participating while in their cars, beds, kitchens, salons, and at their jobs, probably some are participating while sipping soft drinks in restaurants, the city is so calm and nothing changed; it is business as usual, there is no tear gas, no breach of the Public Order Management Act, no breach of Computer Misuse Act in other words everything is fine however the responsible parties (KCCA and Cabinet) are seriously having sleepless nights.
I would say this is a clear example that technology can be used in a perfect way to convey clear information of dissatisfaction and be heard by the authorities within a few seconds.
If I’m to be real to you since the elections despite the promises by the current managers of this country ‘Securing the future’, Kampala roads have been living in a sorry state. Surprisingly both the political and technical wings of Kampala Capital City Authority have always been silent.
Their reactions have just been heard recently when people started sharing images of the city’s many potholes that their vehicles have to gingerly make their way around or through. Nevertheless, KCCA’s reaction has always been wanting (Not serious and kind of what will do to us).
The commander Jim Spire Sentongo
As the saying goes an angry mob is always triggered by the angriest and fed-up characters, on 15th April 2023, Dr Ssentongo, tweeted: “Our preliminary KAMPALA POTHOLE EXHIBITION starts on Monday, April 17. We shall exhibit Kampala pothole photos on every tweet by @KCCAUG @UNRA_UG, @NRMOnline, @GenWamala with the location of the pothole (pondhole), age of the pothole, estimated size, and a note of thanks.”
The common man and even the Authority thought his campaign would flop. But because he was determined, Mr Sentongo ‘the commander’ went ahead on Sunday and reminded his army to use the Kabaka’s birthday run as a vehicle to take many photos and videos of potholes in Kampala roads they will share on Monday.
“As you participate in the Kabaka Birthday Run, take as many Kampala pothole photos and videos as you can equip yourself for the #KampalaPotholeExhibition starting online tomorrow,” he tweeted.
On Monday by 10 am morning, thousands of Ugandans were on Twitter and visibly expressing their anger and frustrations at the poor state of roads in Kampala. The demonstration was totally embraced by all classes of Ugandans and by mid-day Monday the hashtag #KampalaPotholeExhibition’ was the most trending one.
By Monday night it had already garnered over 11000 tweets. This cool and bloodless demonstration was embraced by everybody because it was a safe one and so clean. Although participants have castigated the government for failing to rehabilitate the city’s roads, they are not using abusive language, a super score showing that Ugandans can be serious when fed up with a situation.
Because it’s a cool demonstration, some have even turned the photos into memes with graphics added – like ships sailing across potholes or people chilling on the beach, complete with palm trees, next to other ones, a serious mockery to KCCA.
By Mid-day on Monday, the KCCA social media department was already sweating to replay some tweets especially those that were from famous people. One funny tweet was from Mr Gaetano Kagwa, a presenter at Capital FM in Kampala who tweeted: “Welcome to Kampala, Uganda. The pothole capital of the world. Please enjoy your stay.”
KCCA spokesman Mr Allan Ssempebwa had to come in to defend; “Now, after representing Uganda, raising our flag ‘high’ years back, what good do you get this time in representing Uganda this way?”
His reply did not deter anything because even government leaders like Resident District Commissioners have participated in this demonstration. Deputy Resident City Commissioner Kampala – Lubaga. Anderson Burora also took part when he tweeted “Following the #KampalaPotholeExhibition. The Lord Mayor is set to STEP DOWN as Lord Mayor for failure to Deliver to Kampalans in order to keep his reputation.
Resident District Commissioner Lwengo district Hudu Hassein also participated “The pothole exhibition is a mockery and an absurdity! Spire Jim may have good intentions but at this rate, it’s now a national comedy captured by the failed opposition. We all want a better Kampala but not at the cost of shaming our country globally.
Hudu also blamed KCCA “You didn’t have to wait for people to “kwekyawa” to the extent of risking our national pride just to act!!!! Absurd”
The Campaign has so far reached international media such as BBC narrating how Ugandans are expressing their anger over potholes in Kampala roads.
Dr Ssentongo’s demonstration or campaign has been appreciated by prominent leaders like former Vision Group boss Robert Kabushenga who tweeted and said “If you focus narrowly on the #KampalaPotholeExhibition you miss the wider impact of what @SpireJim has so cleverly done. Basically, he has shown how to engage in politics of protest using tech and lowered the personal physical cost of engagement. It is the new mode of mobilization.”
Gen Mugisha Muntu also welcomed this new way of demonstration “The strategy is as old as the struggle for human freedom. In the summarized form “one struggles many fronts”. It gets shaped by different operational environments. Nothing terrifies autocrats more than the exposure of the population to the right information. Alluta.”
Meanwhile, the campaign is still going on despite the KCCA’s reaction on Tuesday telling the public that it’s hindered by a very limited budget to rehabilitate roads.
Because of the demonstration, on Tuesday Parliament summoned the Minister for Kampala Capital City Authority and Metropolitan Affairs Hajjat Minsa Kabanda to come to Parliament and present a full statement stipulating how the authority spends money on both road maintenance and construction in Kampala City.
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