This archive report was first published on 7 June 2020.
As Kampala returns to its pre-lockdown normal, the city's notorious traffic jams are back in full force. The only difference is that the usual congestion now stops around 7pm or 8pm due to the COVID-19 curfew. But the brief respite from the lockdown was worth it, as it gave residents a taste of breathing unpolluted air.
For those who have lived through the lockdown, the experience was a sweet return to childhood days when the sky was blue and the air was clean. The author recalls gazing at distinct clouds and breathing in the natural flavours of the atmosphere, which changed with the seasons.
However, the return to normal life has brought back the pollution, and Kampala's air quality is once again a major concern. The city's air is six times the levels deemed safe by the World Health Organisation, and living in Kampala can cut about eight years off your life.
Interestingly, President Yoweri Museveni has banned air conditioning at State House, citing the risk of viruses being spread through sealed rooms. However, this means that the State House windows are now open, allowing in the polluted Kampala air. So, the president and his citizens are being poisoned together.
Behavioural scientists and medical practitioners will tell you that breaking a habit becomes all the harder after attempting to fight it and then backsliding. Kampala and its residents may be heading in this direction, with the pollution becoming chronic after the two months' respite.
