Uganda: I Was Nearly Beaten At Kyadondo Rugby Club

Stephen Wandera

11 July 2011

Kampala — An hour to the final of the World Cup game, a friend, Patrick Jaramogi, called me, asking where we should watch the game from. I proposed Kyadondo Rugby Club; little knowing that it would turn into a field of death hours later.

Patrick, however, was not comfortable with my proposal, instead suggesting that I go to the noisy Kabalagala-Kansanga suburb, which is closer to his home. His car had broken down, another reason he could not move.

Unwilling to cede my ground, I also rejected his proposal, instead deciding to watch the game from home. As is the norm with such occasions, I bought my pot of malwa (local brew) and sat down, waiting for a Spain victory.

Close to midnight, a friend called, asking if I knew anything about a bomb blast in town. I had no idea. I then called a few people who told me something had gone wrong in Kabalagala.

I picked my camera, jumped into my car and off I sped, to Kabalagala. Cruising past Lugogo, I nearly knocked three pedestrians running across the road. I did not pay much attention until I got to the Electoral Commission offices and my sixth sense told me there was unusual movement near Kyadondo Rugby Club.

I made a U-turn and within minutes, I was there. Two policemen were manning the entrance with batons; I could hear victims crying out for help. As I moved about the sight shocked me. There were bodies still in the chairs, with shattered faces, limbs cut-off. Some had hands folded around the chairs, you would think they were still watching the match.

Scary scene

It was shocking but I remembered I had a job to do. I took shots until my batteries ran out. I could see pickpockets going through people’s bags, making off with money and phones. Still reeling from the sight, a group of volunteers carrying the dead and injured confronted me. “Why are you just standing as we help people?” one of them asked.

About 40 minutes later, more police officers swarmed the place, sending journalists away from the scenes. I went back home, and emailed the pictures to my editors. That night, I caught no sleep. The images of people lying dead in chairs kept flashing back in my mind.

Stephen Wandera is a photojournalist with Daily Monitor

AllAfrica – All the Time