Tugende!

The quickest way to get around Kampala is on a "boda boda," or motorcycle taxi. They can cut through the jam and take you door to door to door which is really convenient. You can get a boda at a "stage," which is essentially any street corner, sidewalk outside a popular bar / restaurant, etc. One of my boda drivers told me that they actually register their stage with the police / government, which surprised me. 

While you may hear horror stories about boda accidents / robberies, I haven't had any issues yet (knock on wood). Here are some tips I got about riding:

• Buy a full face motorcycle helmet from the states (they're expensive and not high quality here)
• Always get on / off on the left side. The exhaust pipe is on the right and will burn you!
• Get the number of boda drivers you trust. Especially for women, especially at night. 
• While you may want to hold onto the driver as you ride, that's not the norm here (easy to pick out new muzungu's this way). Most people are able to ride without holding on (like my coworker to the right), but I can't do it. I'm convinced my legs are too short to put enough pressure on the seat...? Anyways, I hold onto the little handle you see in the back. If you're lucky, the handle may actually wrap around the sides. Those are the best / most comfortable. Once I'm settled on the boda, I'll say "tugende" which means "let's go" - one of the few Lugandan words I've learned.

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​Since it's not safe to walk around at night, I have a few bodas that know where I live and will come right to my gate to get me. I can see them approach from my balcony, and run down once they're here. 

I usually spend 3k-6k ($1-$2 USD) on bodas. It's kind of a gamble. Sometimes I negotiate before I get on (if I take one from a stage), but I find that if I hand them a sum I think is fair upon arrival, usually that works out. Every once in awhile, drivers will be fussy because they know they can rip off expats, but it's not work arguing over 30 cents here and there. 

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The cheapest mode of transportation are "matatus" which are Toyota vans - you can see a bunch in the left of the videos below. I haven't taken these yet because I have no idea how to figure out where they go, but I think you pay about 500 shillings (~15 cents). There's a driver and a "conductor" who will lean out the window and yell at people / try to find passengers. You tell the conductor when you want to get off (say "parking"), and they'll pull over. 

While safer from a physical standpoint (during the day), petty theft can be common and the vans aren't always in good shape some sometimes they can break down.

Here are some video clips shot from a car to give you a sense of traffic in Kampala!