CHOGM hurt but also Organised Me…

CHOGM to me is a word in motion and it represents the way in which the Commonwealth Meeting Came, Hurt, Organized, Globalised and Marketed the City of Impalas. Personally, lack of access to the millions of publicity money did not mean that I didn’t experience what the hype was all about.

I could not shake the Queen’s hand (failed to reach my uncle’s wish for me) nor publish a brochure for the Commonwealth Delegates (because dealing with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was shifty) nor have one of my Artworks printed in a booklet for the Commonwealth Women’s Conference (I was informed too late) but in consolation painted a 5.5 by 7.5 metre backdrop of the “Kampala Skyline” as seen from Kololo Airstrip [Photo taken by myself even after a Policeman advised me to get a letter first but I didn’t] for KADS (Kampala Amateur Dramatics Society). They were going to use it for a Christmas pantomime about CHOGM beginning Wednesday 5th December 2007, about 10 days after CHOGM. I started working on it a few weeks before the historical event but two days before the meeting when I had gone to add more on the art piece at the Uganda National Cultural Centre, a Security Guard stopped me at the gate simply because I lacked the special CHOGM Identification Card. Can you imagine I got this assignment after the deadline for applying for IDs had passed but the watchman at the gate couldn’t allow me to enter even if an insider (employee) from National Theatre who had entered without a card could speak for me? Earlier I had tried to sneak in but was spotted and told to use the main gate. After this humiliation, I was so ANNOYED for being mistrusted and treated like a criminal in my own capital just because of a group of 54 earthlings who breathe the same air I breathe, eat the same food I eat (maybe just cooked differently plus priced highly) and can fall sick like I do that I switched off. I walked away furiously to board a taxi adjacent to the Social Securities Building on Jinja Road and went to Mukono in order to forget about uncool Kampala and the animalistic treatment I had just got. I could have designed those IDs myself and walked in like a sniper if I wanted but chose not to because I respect Her Royal Highness. Instead, going out of the city in anger was far better because I got a sharper and more expressive image of Kampala at the Mukono Media Bureau for the backdrop I was working on.

After CHOGM, it was back to painting and I did not want to hear anything about the queen from any security personnel since she had left. I do not hate Princess Diana’s Mother-in-Law; actually I treat myself as her loyal subordinate (even if I don’t pay ceremonious homage to her, afterall West Nile where my ancestors come from was originally Belgian Territory though I was born in British Territory) but I hate the way locals felt big and more equal unnecessarily. What security threat did a mere worker like me minding his own business pose to someone he honoured? If I believe that Hellen Mirren’s immaculate performance depicting Elizabeth in the movie “Queen” deserved its Oscar and my lovely mother is also called Elizabeth (I actually nicknamed her “Queen Mother”), then Aiko meets the equal. I had my own excuses to HATE on these Ugandans with a Passion…