Thousands of motorists returning to Kampala from western Uganda last week did not simply travel home. They aged. Some left Mbarara as young people and arrived in the capital as elders with stories, hunger, and emotional scars. What unfolded on the Masaka–Kampala highway was not a traffic jam it was a national experience, a live documentary titled Patience: The Ugandan Cut. The gridlock began innocently on Monday afternoon, then refused to end like a bad radio caller who won’t hang up. By nightfall, Mpigi, Butambala and surrounding areas had transformed into one long, unmoving parking lot. Cars slept. Engines gave up. Fuel finished. Hope was rationed.
“This was the longest traffic jam in the history of mankind,” declared Peter Mugisha, a businessman who now qualifies as a survivor. Families slept in cars, children asked difficult questions, and some drivers reached that dangerous stage of hunger where even roadside jackfruit looks gourmet. A one David Ssekitoleko entered Mpigi at 4:00 p.m. on Monday and reached Kampala at 7:00 a.m. Tuesday. That is not a journey; that is a night vigil. “It was hell,” he said, using the most polite word available. By morning, people were tired, hungry, angry, and spiritually confused. Some had time to reflect on life choices. Others forgave enemies.
Buses did not escape either. A bus passenger said at some point the driver switched off the engine not to save fuel, but to accept reality. When even boda bodas cannot squeeze through, you know the ancestors have sat on the road.
By Tuesday morning, the Ministry of Works emerged like a parent waking up late to find the house already burnt. They advised motorists to use alternative routes routes many drivers discovered after spending the night on the highway. Traffic police were deployed, presumably to watch cars not move more professionally.
Naturally, blame entered the chat. Some motorists pointed fingers at political rallies in Mpigi and Butambala, arguing that roadside politics plus holiday traffic equals suffering. Government officials disagreed, insisting the rally did not cause congestion and reminding everyone that Museveni hates blocking roads. He even left by air at 6 p.m., which is comforting information for people still stuck at 3 a.m.
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