Video of Entebbe International Airport
Caption: Story written by K. Laing-Solomon A journey back home turned political Reunited
Picture of Kampala
Caption: Gladys Athieno-Bingi, a regular second-year university student, hadn’t been back home to Uganda since 2016; but due to unforeseen circumstances, she returned on
January 13th, 2021.
Video
Caption: “When I first got there, everything was normal like how i remembered it.”
Picture of Sipi Falls
Caption: “You couldn’t see the unrest every where else besides the city. It wasn’t visible to an onlooker.”
Caption: Later that day, at 5pm (2pm GMT), the Ugandan government ordered a complete internet shut-down which went into effect two hours later.
Video
Caption: “Access to internet in Uganda has always been tricky, it’s not unlimited like it is in the western world.”
Picture of Sipi Falls
Caption: “I not only had university classes to attend but I had to keep updated about what was happening back home in the UK. If I wanted to get work done I had to go to hotels and resorts to use their free Wi-Fi.”
Caption: While she dealt with family matters and an emotional reunion, the Ugandan political climate continues to stir uproar and chaos as election day rounded the corner.
Picture of Sipi Falls
Caption: All while a global pandemic is ripping through the continents, Gladys was able to safely get home just after the United Kingdom went back under a lockdown. Gladys continuous reflects back on her experience going back home and hopes Uganda’s civil unrest is concluded with its citizens being heard. “Even though the political climate in Uganda interrupted by stay, I would go back in a heartbeat. The internet access will hopefully change in time as the world we live in revolves around it.”