Once upon a time, I visited the Marine Club. At the security checkpoint I was frisked very thoroughly by the askaris on duty. This normally would be no big deal except that there was a group of 4 mzungus who walked straight past the security without being subjected to any check whatsoever. Furthermore, once inside, I had to pay entrance fee and was then ushered to the side of the building where an old movie was being shown on projector. What perturbed me though, was that I never saw any mzungu being made to pay the entrance fee. Also, none were ushered to the ‘cinema’ wall outside, they were instead all going inside the building. So being a curious chap, I followed them inside. The house had been converted into a bar but I was the only Ugandan indoors and that included the American bartenders. Getting service was damn near impossible as these chaps spent all their time vibing the mzungu ladies and getting drunk. When I finally did manage to get a soda, it was delivered to me as if it were the greatest inconvenience conceived by man. The bartender did not even open the bottle and I had to badger him for another ten minutes just to get him to do that! That was the last straw for me and I stormed out in protest.
His motivation to come to work was pretty clear. Emphasis on ‘pretty.’
How was it possible that we as Ugandans had allowed an establishment to pop up and become popular where racial segregation was being practised against the locals? That was a few years ago and the dastardly club is now closed, but we’ve been witnessing other disturbing tales in newer establishments. Quality Village and Mish Mash are rumoured to be some of the foreigner owned venues where the locals seem to be tolerated rather than welcomed. But should we place the blame entirely on the bazungu? How many times have you been in a restaurant and failed to receive service from a Ugandan waiter who spends all of his time and energy hovering around the foreigners? They even give them smiles that we have never been deemed worthy to receive. I have a friend (let’s call her Penelope) who entered a shop in Garden City with an elderly white man and failed to get service because the sales assistant was trying to help the mzungu, until he finally told her that Penelope was with him and should be attended to. Even the beggars on the streets seem to discriminate against us!
Preferably if you’re from the OC…
We as Ugandans, seem to have an inferiority complex that things from outside countries are superior to anything home-grown. This is why we are bullied on our own turf and say nothing. And those who have racist tendencies are able to thrive in this environment and get away with it.
I am Enygma 