November is Grasshopper Month

While growing up in Jinja (Busogaland), one of the best moments of my childhood was chasing the seasonal delicacies called nsenene (Luganda for Grasshoppers). When the season came, I would spend days and nights chasing the insects from around my neighbourhood to unknown territories. When I came to Kampala permanently around 1995, I continued with the nsenenexcitement.

At St. Mary’s College Kisubi (1997 - 2000), grasshoppers usually migrated while we were at school. That was when I noticed the trend that it usually happens in November. The month always found me in boarding school so one time, the SMACK secretary told me and a classmate named Mukasa to catch for him as many as possible since he had a big family. We obliged and he fried some for us in appreciation. But since Mukasa had suddenly gone (away from school to try and link up with his parents in UK), I received his perishable share which I savoured during evening tea.