Last week officially belonged to End of Year parties that sacred corporate season when every company remembers it has employees, feelings, and a budget line called staff welfare. Suddenly, organisations that spent the entire year sending passive-aggressive emails discovered love. HR, which has been beefing with staff since January, transformed overnight into your best friend. Smiles everywhere. Hugs. Group photos. “We are family.” Meanwhile, everyone remembers the warning letter from March.

Then comes Secret Santa the greatest corporate scam ever invented. Management frames it as bonding, but in reality, employees end up gifting themselves. You buy a gift worth 50k, receive a mug that says Keep Going, and smile like a responsible adult. Somehow, it still works. People start looking forward to it. That’s how fake friendships win in corporate Uganda.

What fascinates me most is how people forget grudges the moment the DJ plugs in. All year you have been calling colleagues wicked nicknames when venting to your friends, “that one with the forehead,” “that one who cc’s the whole office,” “that one who never replies on time.” But once the party starts, you are grinding together like war never happened. Forgiveness is powerful when there’s alcohol involved.  Some of us fluked these parties purely for reconnaissance. We want to finally see the people our friends complain about all year. Just to confirm if the nickname matches the face. Research purposes only.

Musically, companies had one clear playlist this year. Regardless of what your Spotify Wrapped says, Elijah Kitaka and Vinka carried corporate Uganda on their backs. Same routine everywhere: show up, sing the hits, collect the envelope, move to the next venue. No risky lyrics. Just vibes and professionalism. Sing the wrong line and you might offend the wrong bank.

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