Kampala — When you see a tadpole hoping about at midday, you know something is not right.

That says it all about the army of Kampalans who walk to and from work as a means of cutting costs.

There are people who always walk from their areas of residence to work in the city.

Those from Kireka-Bweyogerere side prefer to walk along the railway line. Others just walk along the pavements especially on Bombo road. And there are even more panyas (short cuts).

These perennial walkers say their number is increasing daily.

The newcomers sing the same song; high food, transport and service costs against low and stagnated wages. I joined them early last week to have a chat and feel of their daily experience.

Isaac Mukisa was my first friend on the trek. He works for a tour and travel company in the city and says he earns around sh700,000 which he uses to support a family of five.

"Of course food takes a big percentage and the prices have gone up," he told me. "I usually use a taxi but this time, our salaries have delayed by 10 days."

Someone joined the conversation and, soon, the talk went to the rising cost of living.

A sack of charcoal, I was told, was getting to sh30,000 from sh17,000. Landlords are also raising the rent. "Things are biting. We now cook once and spread the food to two meals," said our other companion, who chose to remain anonymous.

Brenda Benkunda, a secretary with a law firm, says she has had to plait her hair to avoid frequenting the salons.

"I don't like plaited hair but what can I do?" She was even inquiring about dreadlocks, she says. She has heard they are cheaper.

Benkunda said she usually wakes up very early and leaves for when taxis are cheaper. "This time I failed and cannot afford sh1,500 from bweyogerere," she said as we walked.

Walkers move in groups of twos to fives, punctuated by an occasional lone walker. I was told that walkers are no longer dominated by women who serve food in down town restaurants and taxi parks, porters, carpenters and shoe shines.

These days, even white collar office workers have joined in.

Many are bitter with the Government. "They hate us. They victimise us. They despise us. But God is our witness," one, who works around Nasser Road, lamented.

He walks five kilometres from work to his home daily and says he is now getting used to it.

The next day, I set off from Nansana at 6:00am and went through Nabweru towards the city.

Most walkers were not willing to talk until I meet Parley Owong, a guard with one of the private security firms in town.

He was walking to their offices at Kamwokya for deployment.

Our chat came by accident. The ice was broken when a saloon car almost splashed muddy water at us.

He said he grew up in Arua in a family of six, as the last born.

He always dreamt of Buganda as a land of opportunity because many of his tribesmates who came here had returned home with radios and TVs after working as casual labourers.

So, after the death of his father three years ago, he left school and joined the security firm as guard.

He packs lunch to save on his expenditure but he is planning to start going without lunch for the next three months to save up some money to raise transport, and go back to Arua to start a brick-making business.