Rafsanjan Abbey
5 August 2007
Soroti town has it all - babes, money, food and good weather. But like they say, "Good things don't come easy..." even reaching Soroti is not as easy. You have to go through one of the worst roads in Eastern Uganda.
The highway between Jinja and Iganga is bumpy and risky because of the several trucks that use it and the drivers can at times be extremely aggressive. The dust turns your clothes' colour brown and you feel dizzy after the turns a bus makes as you drive through the Jinja-Bugiri road that is under construction. But when you get to Tirinyi road, you begin to enjoy a ride on one of the smoothest roads in the country.
If you are using private means, the journey to Soroti via Mbale could take less than four hours but if you are using a bus or other public means, it takes you about six hours, and in the end, Hedex or Action tablets may be recommended.
I travelled by bus, a journey that was very eventful. First because of the narrow road, we were involved in an accident at Nakaloke village in Iganga district. Our bus hit a taxi from behind. Unfortunately, one woman seated in the place the bus hit, passed away while she was being transported to Iganga hospital. The bus failed to brake as the driver negotiated for space with a trailer coming from the opposite side.
This was just the beginning of our troubles because when the traffic police intervened, the bus was impounded and we had to look for other means yet the bus driver declined to refund our transport fees. However, when some passengers vowed to lynch him, he called the Gateway Bus Company who brought us another bus. We reached Soroti at 5p.m. after spending nine hours on the road. We went to a small restaurant that serves buffet but with restrictions - if you overload your plate, you pay Shs10,000, which is double the standard price of the buffet. But that was the least of my worries as I don't eat much, unlike my friends who had to haggle with the waiters.
However, I realised that Soroti people are friendly and they are always willing to speak your language (Luganda/English) even if they are struggling to do so.
One can take a leisurely walk down the town's streets, because they are cleaner than Kampala and there is no headache causing traffic jam. Actually, a pedestrian can enjoy walking in the middle of the road for some minutes before a car passes by. All streets are full of old Indian-fashioned buildings and you can notice a few Indian traders in shops.
On the day I was there, it had rained, but the cold weather never stopped people from joining the Voice of Teso anniversary party to see Kampala's top musicians perform for them free of charge. Actually, some children came bare chested and I'm yet to find out whether it was because of the scarcity of clothes or they love it that way in such cold weather.
Soroti is an agricultural region, with plants covering about three-quarters of the town's neighbourhood so it's advisable to ask for a mosquito net before you go to bed. Land-Mark Hotel where I spent the night was clean, well equipped and had mosquito nets.
But I spent the night on an empty stomach because their chef stays 30 kilometres away from the hotel and he leaves the hotel early! When I asked that they at least prepare me some tea, I was told that the milk had gotten finished. The next morning's sumptuous breakfast however compensated for the previous night's lack of food.
Soroti is considered the cultural centre of Teso region but I was disappointed by an incident at the sports grounds where the Voice of Teso anniversary was held. As the chief guest, the Teso paramount chief Emorimor gave a speech; part of the audience booed him for his lengthy speech. Some of them started pointing at their wrists as a sign to show him that his time was up and they wanted artistes to perform.
I'm sure that is an abomination in Buganda, Busoga, Toro and other regions. Nevertheless, Soroti is a rich and beautiful land worth visiting.
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