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A brief look at the rich boda-boda culture in Kampala and appreciation of this revolutionary transportation niche.

10 Reasons boda-bodas are Kampala's most beloved transportation | Pulse Uganda

Martha Kemigisha

Bajaj, TVS, and Mahindra are some of the popular names among boda-boda riders. But to the average Ugandan, they are all put under the umbrella name 'Boda guy'.&nbsp;

I call this Uganda's first mobile application.

The history of this motorcycle taxi is as interesting as some of the stories you will catch in the wind as the boda guy tries to talk to you over your headsets or, well, the wind. Totally doesn't feel like soldiers communicating over radio calls as they navigate gunfire, which in this case are the potholed roads of K'la.

On the tail end of the British rule in East Africa, motor vehicles crossing the borders of newly independent Kenya and Uganda had to endure stacks of paperwork. A solution came in the form of bicycle riders. They'd smoothly dodge the paperwork delivering people in Busia and soon after Malaba.

These riders would shout out 'boda-boda' (border-to-border) for potential customers.

Let's delve into the lives of Kampala dwellers and the boda-boda fraternity.

Boda guys are the closest every Kampala dweller gets to having a personal chauffeur. Some people have monthly subscriptions to whatever location they travel to. Boda apps encourage this culture, but Kampalans have developed offline close relationships that support this trend.

You can send and receive any form of a package with a boda. From food to construction material, there's nothing a boda guy will not convince you he can carry. Maybe that "yes we can" attitude is part of their charm.

They have some bad apples but on the whole, Kampala dwellers trust boda guys with their lives, children, packages, and food, picking them from hangouts at weird hours, and driving them through the crazy roads. They are no snitches either.

Most boda guys would put 'dodging traffic' under superpowers if the Avengers ever came to them for help. The suffocating and butt-punishing congestion that sweeps the roads of the city is almost unknown to many boda-boda passengers.

They know 'spots'. It comes with the job, but it's still impressive to watch. They are also getaway rides from traffic officers like they have them on a radar.&nbsp;

Their ability to keep up a one-sided conversation is to envy! They are encyclopedias of local content. Politics, football, life advice, health advice, personal stories, you name it!

Sitting on a boda, shades on or a cool helmet on, the wind in your face, the rider drifting. It can feel like riding into the sunset or starring in a video. They are also full of compliments and respect! You will hear them fighting for your attention with phrases like "Boss wange" "Mugaga" among others.

Among the road runners, bodas are that skinny guy who gets bullied by the big group of guys but the adults keep telling them to be stronger, and more organized, and blaming them for being beaten. Their plight is often in the news, policies, and criminals who use this transportation to rob and kill people.&nbsp;

They cater to individuals. There's enough to go around and if you share one with someone, that person is usually known to you.

Boda boda. I wonder if it would be the same if they made a car named after boda bodas.

10 Reasons boda-bodas are Kampala's most beloved transportation

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