Kampala — Thick mist engulfed Kapchorwa town on Tuesday afternoon, bringing business to a standstill. The mist, which began as thin clouds hazily floating across the sky at around 5:25pm, covered the whole town within 15 minutes, blocking visibility.

Drivers and bodaboda cyclists were forced to turn on full headlights to see. Some retail shops closed business early as people went home to avoid the mist.

Bodaboda cyclists, truck and taxi drivers, who had parked on the Kapchorwa-Sironko highway, gathered on the pavements to watch the unfolding mystery.

As one breathed in, the air smelt like fumes from a grass-thatched kitchen whose soot had been drenched after a heavy downpour. The mist created mild warmth as it floated in space. Water vapour could be felt on the skin and lasted about 20 minutes before clearing off. Thereafter, a freezing cold seized the town, prompting many people to return home. Shortly afterwards, the whole town was dark.

Jessica Kulany, a resident of Kapchorwa town, said in the 1970s, such mist would last for more than six hours. "It normally occurred at the beginning of the second rainy season as a natural reminder to farmers to prepare for the planting season. These days, thick mist rarely appears in the afternoons," she said.

Mountainous Kapchorwa has a tropical climate due to its proximity to Mt. Elgon Forest National Park.