The economy has reopened, so Kampala is “lit” all over again.

1. People’s vocabulary has changed. Kampalans no longer say, “remember, there’s curfew”. Instead, they say: “man, come over, this place is full!” That’s because all the bars have been liberated and boozers are storming them like they are weather reports. These days, the weather forecast reads, “Clouds will be hiding the sunny gold of a cold beer for much of this afternoon. Wet conditions will temporarily come to an end but look for their return later tonight as another push of energy moves into the (pelvic) region.” That sort of sums up my love life.

2. Cars are more likely to be found upside down than the right side up. We are all preparing for the inevitable crunch that we will hear and feel when cars collide with a night that’s in high gear. You know, with all the driving under the influence you should expect so many accidents happening. In the mornings after, the streets will be littered with cars which tried to somersault the night before but instead ended up flipping their owners like a middle finger.

It's all fun and games as the night life returns Pulse Live Uganda

3. People will be discussing the price of booze as beer becomes that four-letter word that leaves everyone pregnant with the good times. Already, the price of Hennessy has sparked the kind of debate that’s a high energy, booze-driven drama playing heavily on bar atmospherics. There’s no denying that what matters most is what should matter least as shots of whiskey trigger bursts of meaningless conversation that is immensely satisfying. I mean, it has been two years since we last partied like rock stars so the built-in tension of each person will spill over into the built-up drama that makes for a night to remember.

4. Kampala will personify the song, The Freaks Come Out at Night. The whole town will turn into vampires. You recall what they say: vampires cannot stand direct sunlight - it causes them to explode into flames. Well, partygoers can’t stand the light…unless it’s a disco light or the moonlight. The day becomes night as everyone comes alive in the evenings where fun is the mother’s milk of a full life. During the night, people are dancing like no one’s watching and then, during the day, those same people are so lifeless that they dance around every work issue, while everyone is watching. The night will metaphorically remind us about some primary fascination with the darkness, bringing out the fear of the light of day where all the monsters seem to rise with every hangover.

5. Oh, yeah. The hangovers. Splitting headaches will be the norm. Now, the symptoms of a hangover being the same as those of Covid-19…fatigue, weakness, thirst, headache, muscle aches, nausea, stomach pain, vertigo, sensitivity to light and sound, anxiety, irritability, sweating, and increased blood pressure…people will be left panicking. They will be thinking that there is a spike in infections. Relax, that’s not Covid-19. It’s a variant of a good time known as a hangover.