Last week I found myself in a conversation with one of the many local Safari hawkers here in Arusha (actually, it was a ploy to get him off the subject of selling me a safari trip). His contention was that Kabila was to be faulted for the violence in Kenya because it was he who rigged the December elections. I agreed with him, but urged him to consider that by not choosing non-violent tactics Odinga was guilty as well. Is it clear that Odinga has any direct link to the perpetrators of the ethnic violence between the two leaders' tribes? No, but the fact that he uses this violence to pressure Kabila means that he might as well be directly involved. Perhaps instead of pretending that such things are out of his control he should speak out forcefully against violence on both sides. Until he does that in a meaningful way he is just as bad as the man he is trying to replace.
On an entirely different topic, and as a fitting means of waving farewell to Uganda, the following is a conversation I had with an airline official at the baggage check-in at Entebbe Airport.
Official: "Your bags are eight kilograms too heavy. You will have to pay $40."
Me: "Dollars!?!?!"
Official: "...yes, dollars.'
Me: "That's outrageous, let me try to fit more into my carry-on bag."
Official: "ok, $20."
Me: "... (confused by the fact that this has become a negotiation)... um, no let me try..."
Official: "ok fine, you can go"
Me: "..."
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