A BRUSH WITH CRIMINALS: THE TRIP TO UGANDA I ALMOST MISSED

For the first time in my life, I stared in the eyes of blood-money-thirsty thugs in 2016 when I came face to face with my assailants who invaded my house and were ready to kill just to get a few pieces of silver from me. That was the day when I realized how quickly life can end.

During my first year at the tabloid I worked for, donkey years back, I used to knock off late nearly every day and I was always the last to be dropped because I stayed far away and was the only one who stayed around the Kanyama area.

I came to learn later that my news editor wanted me to spend more time at the office so that I could learn more because I was “a diamond that only needed to be polished” according to his confession years after he had left the institution.

My house was not far from the Los Angeles police post and very close to now Puma filling station and so, in terms of security, I was convinced I was safe but I was wrong. You know, Kanyama is a hive of all wrong activities centred on juvenile delinquency which has given birth to all sorts of crimes ranging from burglary to murder.

On May 6, 2016, I knocked off late as usual and arrived home slightly after 23:00. Bearing in mind that the next two days would be busy for me as I could be called at any time by our delegation leader to Uganda for the inauguration of President Yoweri Museveni, I decided to sleep in the sitting room so that I could wake up early and finish the stories I had started for the following day.

I plugged my laptop to power, packed my passport, IDs, and everything else I needed to use the following day in my laptop bag and also connected my phone to the laptop to charge. I set an alarm to wake me up at 04:00 and got my beddings and slept on the couch.

Exhausted, I immediately slumped into deep sleep. I was only brought back to life when the criminals paid me a visit two hours later. First, they smashed all the bulbs outside and opened all the padlocks to the grill door and then unlocked the door. It was only when they pushed the door open that I sprung up from the couch from my slumber and stared face to face with the one who was in front.

He swung at me like a demon-possessed idiot but I ducked and hit him hard on the eye, dropping him to the ground like a bag of potatoes. The mistake I made was leaning against the door to gain balance and that is when the one who was behind me aimed an iron bar on my collarbone and I went with it to the ground.

Colleagues, all this happened within seconds. The blow on my collarbone left me numb on my left hand and as I struggled to stand up, the bastards had literally picked up everything they could lay their hands on. They got my TV, laptop, phone, wallet, and my laptop bag where all my documents were.

In order to divide my attention, the group which was by the bedroom window shattered the window panes with one blow using whatever object they had which tore the curtain from top to bottom. I called for help but none of my neighbours dared to come out. Filled with rage, I smashed open the door to the sitting room which they had closed after stealing my things and went out in the darkness.

The excruciating pain on my left shoulder where I was hit with an iron bar overwhelmed me. I went out of the yard and attempted to follow them but one of my neighbours who was now awake came and held me back saying the group may not have left and would attack me again.

Time now was slightly after 02: 30. I cried like a baby as I could not just imagine that some poverty-stricken lumpens had just gone with valuables which I bought with my hard-earned money without any of them going with a scar. I hate being defeated but that morning, I felt not only defeated but humiliated also.

I cursed the landlord who had purposefully ignored our constant reminders that we needed a gate but again, it was not worth it. I thought of shifting the same day but again, I had no money.

I never slept again until around 05:00 when I went to Los Angeles police post to report the case. Foolishly, the police officers I found on duty started asking me how the thieves had stolen when they had been patrolling the compound from the previous night till morning. Surely, was it my duty to know?

I had to pay for everything from the police report, transport for the police officer assigned to deal with my issue and further, he demanded for a talk time and food allowance from time to time. I did not object even when I knew he had no right to demand for all that because I was desperate to get my phone as it was key to recovering everything else.

Anyway, I will deal with the police case in my next write-up. I had never saved any contacts anywhere else other than my phone. The only numbers I had mastered were for my elder brother and my friend Paul Monde Shalala. I asked for my neighbour’s phone and I called Paul, telling him my things were stolen and then asked for my workmate, Innocent Siachitoba’s number.

From Innocent, I asked for my boss’ number and tried to call him but he did not pick. I mean, it was too early. I then handed back the phone to the owner and went to the office. I explained what had happened to the editor and he told me I needed to push things really fast so that I don’t miss the Uganda trip.

I did not know where to start. I could not access the little money I had in the bank because both my ATM card and my NRC were also stolen. The K300 I had, went with the wallet. Then, I had to get the passport within two days but again, that had to wait because I had no NRC. To compound the problem even further, the person who was directed to release money for me to start pushing for my documents was playing mickey-mouse.

So, the whole day on May 7, was wasted on being told to do this and that and being referred from one person to the other. I had no money in my pocket. Dilemma. You know, certain things happen for a reason and certain people just become impossible to us thinking they are fixing us, when in the actual sense they are just making us stronger.

I told myself I would go to Uganda to shame some chaps who were rejoicing over my predicament. The following day, I got money from a colleague and went to the passport office and got the forms but I could not pay as the bank had closed by the time I was given the money. Time was running out. I had to act fast.

Meanwhile, my air ticket was ready. I needed to go and collect it first thing on May 10, get my money and get ready for the flight which was scheduled for 12:00. ZANIS was also putting pressure on me. They wanted to know whether my documents were ready or not. I never told them the truth.

By May 9, I had no NRC and passport. As a matter of fact, no paperwork had been done yet and anxiety was eating me up. As early as 07:00, I was in a queue at the bank to pay for my passport. I was going to use photocopies of my lost NRC to pay and I made prior arrangements with one of the people I knew to push for my passport as soon as I was done with the NRC.

I then rushed to City Market where I bought a small phone for K100 and replaced my sim card. I then went back to the national registration office and after filling in some forms, I was told to go back at 14:00. I tried to explain my issue but the lady I found on counter No. 4 told me there was nothing special about me being in the presidential entourage and that my predicament was not her fault.

I went back at 14:00 and the same lady told me since I had obtained my first NRC in Kalomo, there were two options; either to wait for one week so that details could be retrieved from there or to go to Kalomo and get my NRC from there. I tensed up and told her she would regret for delaying me and wasting my time when she knew she could not deal with my issue.

I phoned my news editor and explained the turn of events but he told me to talk to the DG himself. He sent me the number and I called him. Oh my God! There are angels in this world! Mr. Mvula asked me to wait for him as he had gone out of office but was on his way back.

I sat at the reception and waited and the same lady came to tell me no matter what I did, I would never get my NRC and actually asked me to leave because I was occupying space meant for people who had genuine cases.

I burst on her. I questioned her level of education and told her matter-of-factly that she was stupid and senseless. I warned her I had the power to make her lose her job if she continued with her nonsense.

A certain Lozi gentleman calmed me down. My surname sounds Lozish and so, he spoke to me in Lozi thinking I was also from Kwa- Haye but I told him I am Tonga. He asked me if I knew the DG to which I said I did not but told him I had spoken to him and had told me to wait for him.

He told me the DG had just walked into his office and asked me to call him again. The DG asked me to go to his office where I narrated how for the past two days I had suffered at the hands of the woman on counter 4.

He called the woman and roasted her in my presence.  He asked her why she had failed to process my NRC even when she knew I was on a presidential entourage to Uganda the following day but she just stood there zombified like a drenched chicken and never said anything.

The woman was dumb-founded!  He ordered her to immediately work on my NRC and within five minutes, the NRC she was saying I would get after a week was given to me. The DG called me back to his office and asked me how far I had gone with the passport and when I told him I had already paid, he told me to go to the passport office first thing in the morning and once I am there, I call him.

As I was leaving the passport office, someone from State House called and asked me if I was ready and I told her I was. She asked me why I had not yet picked the air ticket from the ticketing office. I lied that I was out of town the previous day.

She sternly warned me that if I didn’t get the ticket and my money by 08:00 the following day, I should consider myself cut off from the trip.

Hell on earth! By 08:00, I was at the passport office and then called Mr. Mvula. He directed me to someone but that person was not in the office. I called him again and he told me to wait downstairs as he was sending someone to come and get me.

In no time, a lady came and took me to one of the offices where she processed all my documents. Meanwhile, call after call from both my news editor and State House poured in because I was supposed to be at the airport by 09:00 or utmost 10:00 since my flight was at 12:30 but by that time, my passport was not yet ready and so, I had no option but to switch off my phone.

My documents were ready by 10:00 but as you may be aware, passports are printed in Ridgeway and I was told they could not take my documents only as they were supposed to be taken as a bunch for printing once and for all at 12:00. Again I called Mr. Mvula who sent a driver from his office to come and pick me from Cairo, together with the lady who was working on my documents so that we could rush to Ridgeway.

At 12:00 sharp, my passport was ready and then I switched my phone on and found messages from our delegation leader saying if I could manage, I was supposed to call someone from the ticketing office and negotiate to have my flight rescheduled and then get my money from Cabinet Office.

I called the man from the ticketing office and he told me my flight was rescheduled to 18:30. I went to Cabinet Office and got my money-first hurdle overcome!

I had never been to Uganda and now the people I was supposed to be with had left me. Worse still, according to the manifest, I was supposed to arrive in that country around 03:00! My God, it was better to arrive during daytime.

When I called the news editor, he suggested that I go home and get whatever I needed and go straight to the airport and check my details in advance to ensure that there was no other problem. Wise advice. I went home and by 15:00, I was at the airport. I went to the Kenyan Airways office and found that my details were all correct. I was relieved.

As I was waiting for my flight, worry again engulfed me. How will I link up with the people who have gone ahead of me? Secondly, I did not have the yellow fever vaccination documentation. How will I elude authorities in Kenya? I saw myself being sent back!

I tried my colleague Osward Yambani’s line. Then, Osward was with Muvi TV and was in the group that had left earlier.

Luck enough, they had already reached Kenya and he was roaming on his Airtel line. I told him I was taking off at 18:30 and begged him to tell our delegation leader to do whatever she could or else I would not meet up with them because I knew nothing about Uganda. He obliged. I was at least relieved now.

At least the delegation leader would do something. At least they now knew that I was travelling.

We flew to Kenya and when we arrived in Kenya, we were told the plane would be grounded for longer than expected and that those who wanted could spend some time at the airport before continuing with our journey to Uganda.

I had a bad experience with yellow fever documentation in Kenya a year ago when I had gone to cover the football match with the national team and so, I did not want to gamble. I remained on the plane.

We arrived in Uganda, Entebbe, slightly after 03:00 and cleared with the immigration without any problem. Our delegation leader had alerted the hotel where they spent a night that I had remained behind and that they should pick me around that time and so, I found a gentleman at the exit displaying a placard inscribed with my name.

I thanked the heavens and jumped on a bus which took me to the hotel where I found a room reserved for me.