Business is Booming in Kigali

While there may be a recession in the developed world, you would not know it standing in downtown Kigali, Rwanda. All I can hear is the sound of business.

Now don’t get all crazy and sell everything to move to Africa. This specific economy is very donor dependent – around half the economy is donor funded, greatly warping the business climate. Still, there is opportunity…

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Ugandan Engagement and Wedding Ring Traditions

Vicky, a middle class Ugandan, is about to get engaged to her beau and I wondered if Ugandans had different traditions than Americans when it came to showing love for your spouse.

I noticed that some women had rings on different fingers and I asked Vicky to explain. Listen to her explain the Ugandan traditions for engagement parties and rings, and how they wear wedding rings after the big day.

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Ugandan Opinions on Barak Obama

Crossing the border into Uganda, I was greeted by cheers of “Obama! Obama!” so I expected there to be universal love for Barak Obama here, as I found in Kenya’s endless Obama party.

Surprisingly, that was not the case. Ugandans had pretty divergent and contradictory opinions on the President-elect, from fanboys to skeptics, that I explored one night in Kampala.

First, let’s hear from two Ugandan women, one who says she has “no good feelings about Obama”:

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Boda Boda Motorcycle Taxi Driver Interview

I love the boda boda motorcycle taxis of Kampala, Uganda. Fast, cheap, and fun to ride, they get you where you need to go with the speed and style unmatched by any other African transport.

While going between business meetings, I had the opportunity to interview a boda boda driver about his ride, his job, and making a living as a taxi on the streets of Kampala:

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A Kenyan Equatorial Monument Moment

If you ever find yourself on the road from Kisumu to Busia in western Kenya, be sure to make plans to stop by the side of the road about an hour outside of town. Why? Because you are going to cross the equator and this geographic event deserves a little respect.

Thanks to the Lions Club of Kisumu for the equator monument and thanks to the lenient taxi driver for indulging me on a sweltering hot afternoon.

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