This is what makes Entebbe tick

By Titus Kakembo
 
If you have been in Uganda and have not toured Entebbe town, then you are missing and must sneak there.  It remains vividly treed with flowers and the green lawns running down to the shores of Lake Victoria make Entebbe one of the most delightful towns in Uganda.
 
Being tucked only, 30km away, makes it an extension of Kampala City. But being positioned in an aerial crossroads of the East Africa Community (EAC) has rendered this serene town of more importance in the region.
 
Last weekend I was there with a consortium of airline operators making merry and not competing for passengers. The venue was Anderita where chips and fish/chicken, beers, tea and wines were sipped as if there was no tomorrow.
 
“We need a break,” said the master of ceremonies John Kintu. “Our customers on the guest list make sure you come back to fly with us. It is because of you that we are in business. Every flight you make with any of us is a vote for the transporter you book with.”
 
True to his word, the air industry is getting flooded with a variety of operators. The introduction of EAC single visa and discovery of oil in Kenya and Uganda has made aviation a means of transport one cannot ignore.
 
A casual tour of the operators is a revelation of Ethiopian Airways, Turkey Airlines, KQ, Brussels Airlines and many others.
“You do not have to waste valuable time travelling to Mombasa or Kigali by road when you can make it to and fro in a day!” cautioned Kintu.
 
Wait a minute, if you destined to Entebbe over the weekend, you ought to travel three hours in advance.
The highway is always busy with motorists shuttling to and from. Some have picnic kits on board. Others cruise 4WD vans or those fuel guzzlers.
 
On board are obese kids and pretty women with curled hair clutching Smart phones. Occasionally sirens blare to clear the way for some big shot.
 
Once there, Entebbe is visually green, blue in the sunny sky and hilly. A number of social clubs there provide golf, darts, lawn tennis, football, rugby and most of all beach volleyball.
 
The most popular sport is beach volleyball at Lido Beach, Spena Beach or Aero Beach. Ladies with curvaceous bodies dressed in florescent coloured swim suits keep the lads on the edges of their seats.
 
“They are evidence that God is such a perfectionist in sculpting,” commented Jude Egunyu. “But some shapes are enhanced with artificial; boobs, long wavy hair and bums. One day an artificial pad in the bums fell out in the middle of a game.”
 
While cruising towards Entebbe International Airport you cannot miss the UN tarpaulins, choppers and 4WD Toyota vans.
 
This explains the bulbous men with marine haircuts prowling Entebbe streets. They wear all types of military uniforms. Like movie stars, they come with sunshades, sneakers and baggy tee shirts.
 
Some patronize pubs like Four Turkeys, fast food joints like Archies, highbrow establishments like Protea Hotel, Gately or Trap hang outs.
 
Other than Beach Volley ball and the moneyed UN men, what makes Entebbe tic, one would ask?
 
“Those who deserve the best in life, this is where they come,” says an airline engineer Henry Aita at Protea Hotel. “They serve you very expensive wines brewed 50-100 years ago in Switzerland or South Africa.”
 
“But they serve practically every beer and spirit,” added Aita. “I like their continental dishes and top class accommodation.”
Extensively travelled Henry Clegg is of another view arguing that there are lots of attractions fringing Lake Victoria.
He points out the excellent Botanical Gardens covering 70 acres. Birding there is great and any visitor should go assured of a close-up view of white colobus monkeys.
 
“This is the Kew Gardens of Uganda,” says Henry Clegg. “The quietness punctuated with bird coos, insect shrieks and primate calls is amazing. The place brings me closer to nature in an urban setting. It is every lover’s dream come true.”