Ugandans can speak a lot of English, but scratch the surface a little bit and you’ll find that we do not exactly think, behave, or execute like the British. So we have people trapped in this one-dimensional imitation of Europeans which stops at speaking the language. This has effect of creating dystopian individuals who are a danger to their African society. Educated but not able to manufacture anything, read but don’t know what works, and finally settling down to good old corruption – the lifecycle of a dystopian English imitating African.

Take those fancy English speeches about the “Balaalo” in Acholiland, for instance. While the reality is that Ugandans actually move on a daily basis to and from all corners of the country and settle freely in any part of the country, the discussion on what is essentially the internal migrations of Ugandans, is now suddenly a Shakespearean tragedy.

I have often said that it is a necessary move to make MPs talk about issues in their mother tongues. This would make it easier for them to detect their own idiotic arguments, because they would likely be surrounded by people not from their area. Discussing local issues in English as an African loses so much context.

The narrative of “Balaalo Must Go” which is being force-fed into the psyche of society, is straight out of a fascist playbook and it deserves a good old NRA-style resistance. 

Firstly, the term “Balaalo” itself is a diminutive that has often been used to insult; it’s not the same as “Balunzi”. And yet it’s being paraded as a legitimate way to describe the socio-economic life of Banyankole and Banyarwanda cattle keepers. Conversely, if you started calling people “Abalimi” in parliament just because they grow sweet potatoes, cassava, and beans for a living —it would be offensive. So in this particular case, the educated Ugandans see it okay to bring cultural swipes onto the national stage.

Secondly, take this Christmas holiday we’re in as an example. You will find that this is a time for Ugandans to massively migrate internally. Ugandans instinctively participate in a large scale urban-rural migration exercise during these times, turning cities into ghost towns. Where do they come from? What causes this mass movement? Is this temporary or a permanent feature of Ugandan society structure?

These seasonal movements of people would have given perspective to the nature, extent and character of the internal migrations that Ugandans usually do. But our English imitating folks who see things as if they’re the London School of Economics, will leave this small detail out of the discussion. What are you doing in the judiciary, parliament, executive and elsewhere if you cannot bring context to society’s primal problems?

So I think the issue of so called Balaalo moving to any part of Uganda or East Africa, has been mis-defined, mis-characterized

The difference between the rural-urban migration during Christmas season by  people with fancier suitcases and slightly less mooing, and the migration of “Balaalo” is that Balaalo move with their cattle, but otherwise it stems from the same primal cause – economic nomadism. Balaalo are shepherds of animals, and looking for greener pastures for their animals is part of their social-economic life cycle. 

If going miles away from your birthplace with a suitcase to find a job, start a business, visit a family, etc.  doesn’t make you “Balaalo,” but moving with animals does, then you’ve misunderstood your society’s superstructure. 

Kyagulanyi Sentamu, the NUP guy from the Ghetto, recently talked about “abatunuza amannyo” (those who look with their teeth)  in his Luwero vitriol.

These are obvious attempts at political tribal sentimentality, lacking deep ideological solutions and Pan African spirit. 

So the next time someone throws around “Balaalo” like a political insult, remind them: they’re just suitcase Balaalo themselves. Start appreciating the complex ecosystem that keeps this crazy, wonderful country tick.

But most importantly, let’s ditch the tribal vitriol and study the real deal. Cattle keepers, farmers, and the land itself – they’ve been dancing tango for centuries, creating a food production ecosystem that’s the envy of the region.

Have these English imitators ever studied how Ankole region bypassed Buganda region in the production of Matooke, a Buganda staple? I haven’t seen their papers on how farmers who have never used any fertilizer continue to get bumper harvests from their land? Those who make a living by cultivating – “Abalimi”, obviously prefer land which has been farmed on with cattle, because it is very fertile, and cattle-trampled ground is much more cultivable than a wild bush. It is more difficult for cultivators to open a bush which has never been farmed, into food gardens. So the ecosystem has been that where balaalo move, cultivators follow, and intensive cultivation follows.

Niba rero Acholiland ishaka kuzamura ubuhinzi, bagomba guha ikaze Balaalo amaboko afunguye (nimirima irimo ubusa). Bazakomeza amaherezo, bakurikize injyana ya kera, itavuzwe. Aho guta igihe hamwe nicyongereza cyiza nuburakari, reka twinjire mumateka nyayo y’aka karere. Reka dushyireho amategeko arera iyi ecosystem.

Kandi kuri iyo nyandiko, gira kwimuka utekanye na Noheri nziza, mwebwe banyenduga b’amavalisi!

Translations / Tafsiri / Enkyusa/ Ibisobanuro/ Enzivuunula

• Sisi sote ni “suitcase” Balaalo!
• Twese turi “ivalisi” Balaalo!
• Ffenna tuli “kkeesi” Balaalo!
• We’re all “suitcase” Balaalo!

Bannayuganda basobola okwogera Olungereza nnyo, naye kwata ku ngulu katono ojja kwesanga nga ffe tetulowooza, tetweyisa, oba okukola ng’Abangereza. Kale tulina abantu abasibye mu kukoppa kuno okw’ekitundu ekimu okw’Abazungu okukoma ku kwogera olulimi. Kino kirina effect y’okutondawo abantu ssekinnoomu aba dystopia abali mu bulabe eri embeera zaabwe ez’Afirika. Yasoma naye nga tasobola kukola kintu kyonna, asoma naye nga tomanyi kikola, era okukkakkana ng’asenze ku nguzi ennungi enkadde – obulamu bw’Olungereza ow’ekika kya dystopian ng’akoppa Omufirika.

Twala okwogera okwo okw’Olungereza okw’omulembe ku “Balaalo” mu Acholiland, okugeza. Wadde nga ekituufu kiri nti mu butuufu Bannayuganda batambula buli lunaku nga bagenda n’okuva mu nsonda zonna ez’eggwanga ne basenga mu ddembe mu kitundu kyonna eky’eggwanga, okukubaganya ebirowoozo ku kiki mu bukulu kwe kusenguka kwa Bannayuganda munda mu ggwanga, kati kikangabwa kya Shakespeare mu bwangu.

Nze ntera okugamba nti kyetaagisa okufuula ababaka okwogera ku nsonga mu nnimi zaabwe enzaalwa. Kino kyandibannyanguyizza okuzuula ensonga zaabwe ez’obusiru, kubanga kirabika bandibadde beetooloddwa abantu abatava mu kitundu kyabwe. Okukubaganya ebirowoozo ku nsonga z’ekitundu mu Lungereza ng’Omufirika kifiirwa ensonga nnyingi nnyo.

Ennyonnyola ya “Balaalo Must Go” ewalirizibwa okuliisibwa mu bwongo bw’abantu, evudde butereevu mu kitabo ky’okuzannya ekya fascist era esaana okuziyiza okulungi okukadde mu ngeri ya NRA.

Ekisooka, ekigambo “Balaalo” kyennyini kikendeeza ekibadde kitera okukozesebwa okuvuma; si kye kimu ne “Balunzi”. Era naye kigenda kulagibwa ng’engeri entuufu ey’okunnyonnyola obulamu bw’embeera z’abantu n’ebyenfuna by’abalunzi b’ente aba Banyankole ne Banyarwanda. Okwawukana ku ekyo, singa otandika okuyita abantu “Abalimi” mu palamenti olw’okuba nti balima muwogo, lumonde, n’ebinyeebwa okweyimirizaawo —kyandibadde kinyiiza. Kale mu mbeera eno entongole, Bannayuganda abasomye balaba nga si kibi okuleeta eby’obuwangwa ku siteegi y’eggwanga.

Ekirala, twala ennaku enkulu eno eya Ssekukkulu gye tulimu ng’ekyokulabirako. Ojja kwesanga nga kino kiseera Bannayuganda okusenguka mu bungi munda mu ggwanga. Bannayuganda mu butonde beetaba mu dduyiro omunene ow’okusenguka mu bibuga okudda mu byalo mu biseera bino, ne bafuula ebibuga ebibuga eby’emizimu. Bava wa? Kiki ekivaako ekibiina kino eky’abantu abangi? Kino kya kaseera buseera oba kya lubeerera mu nsengeka y’embeera z’abantu mu Uganda?

Entambula z’abantu zino eza sizoni zandiwadde endowooza ku butonde, obunene n’empisa z’okusenguka okw’omunda Bannayuganda kwe batera okukola. Naye abantu baffe ab’Olungereza abakoppa abalaba ebintu nga bwe bali London School of Economics, bajja kuleka akatono kano akatono okuva mu kukubaganya ebirowoozo. Kiki ky’okola mu kitongole ekiramuzi, mu palamenti, mu kitongole ekifuzi n’awalala bw’oba ​​tosobola kuleeta mbeera ku bizibu by’abantu ebisookerwako?

Kale ndowooza ensonga y’abayitibwa Balaalo okusenguka mu kitundu kyonna ekya Uganda oba East Africa, ebadde enyonyoddwa bubi, ebadde enyonyolwa bubi

Enjawulo wakati w’okusenguka okuva mu byalo okudda mu bibuga mu sizoni ya Ssekukkulu abantu abalina ensawo ezisingako obulungi n’okusenguka okutono, n’okusenguka kwa “Balaalo” kwe kuba nti Balaalo batambula n’ente zaabwe, naye bwe kitaba ekyo kiva ku nsonga y’emu enkulu – okutambulatambula mu by’enfuna. Balaalo basumba ba bisolo, era okunoonya amalundiro agasinga okuba aga kiragala eri ebisolo byabwe kitundu ku bulamu bwabwe obw’embeera z’abantu n’ebyenfuna.

Bwe kiba nti okugenda mayiro okuva mu kifo w’ozaalibwa n’ensawo okunoonya omulimu, okutandikawo bizinensi, okukyalira amaka, n’ebirala tekikufuula “Balaalo,” naye okusenguka n’ebisolo kikufuula, olwo oba otegedde bubi superstructure y’ekibiina kyo.

Kyagulanyi Sentamu, ggaayi wa NUP okuva mu Ghetto, gyebuvuddeko yayogera ku “abatunuza amannyo” (abo abatunula n’amannyo) mu vitriol ye ey’e Luwero.

Bino byeyoleka bulungi ku kugezaako ku ndowooza z’ebika by’ebyobufuzi, nga tebirina bigonjoola bizibu bya ndowooza n’omwoyo gwa Pan African.

Kale omulundi oguddako omuntu bw’asuula “Balaalo” ng’avuma ebyobufuzi, mujjukize nti: ba kkeesi Balaalo bennyini bennyini. Tandika okusiima enkola y’obutonde enzibu ekuuma ensi eno ey’eddaalu, ey’ekitalo ng’ewunya.

Naye ekisinga obukulu, ka tugobe tribal vitriol tusome ddiiru entuufu. Abalunzi b’ente, abalimi, n’ettaka lyenyini – babadde bazina tango okumala ebyasa bingi, ne bakola enkola y’okufulumya emmere nga y’obuggya bw’ekitundu kino.

Bano abakoppa Abazungu basomyeko ku ngeri ekitundu kya Ankole gye kyayitamu ekitundu kya Buganda mu kukola Matooke, eky’okulya kya Buganda? Sirabye mpapula zaabwe ku ngeri abalimi abatakozesangako kigimusa kyonna gye bakyagenda mu maaso n’okufuna amakungula ga bumper okuva ku ttaka lyabwe? Abo abeeyimirizaawo nga balima – “Abalimi”, kya lwatu bettanira ettaka eririmibwako ente, kubanga ligimu nnyo, era ettaka eririnnyiddwa ente lirimibwa nnyo okusinga ekisaka eky’omu nsiko. Kizibu nnyo abalimi okuggulawo ekisaka ekitalimibwangako, mu nsuku z’emmere. Kale ensengekera y’obutonde ebadde nti balaalo we zisenguka, abalimi bagoberera, era okulima okw’amaanyi kwe kugoberera.

Kale Acholiland bw’eba eyagala okutumbula okulima, basaana okwaniriza Balaalo n’emikono emiggule (n’ennimiro ekyerere). Balaalo bajja kugenda mu maaso okukkakkana nga bagoberera ennyimba z’ensi ez’edda, ezitayogerwa. Mu kifo ky’okumala obudde n’Olungereza olw’omulembe n’obusungu obw’ekicupuli, katutunuulire emboozi entuufu ey’ekitundu kino. Ka tukole amateeka agakuza enkola eno ey’obutonde.

Era ku note eyo, mubeere n’okusenguka okutali kwa bulabe ne Ssekukkulu ennungi, mmwe ekibinja ky’alaalo ekitambula ne kkeesi!

Translations / Tafsiri / Enkyusa/ Ibisobanuro/ Enzivuunula

• Sisi sote ni “suitcase” Balaalo!
• Twese turi “ivalisi” Balaalo!
• Ffenna tuli “kkeesi” Balaalo!
• We’re all “suitcase” Balaalo!