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When I first watched Big Brother Africa, it was, unfortunately, the day that Uganda's new found hero Gaetano Kaggwa appeared to be having sex with South Africa's Abby.
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| Uganda's new found hero Gaetano (Photo by Eddie Chicco). | Nay, not 'seemed', on second thoughts. All the evidence was that they were having sex and it was all live on television.
Some may argue, of course, that it was all highly mitigated by the fact that it was taking place under the blanket. True, but it may well have been without the blankets, given the fact that nothing could be hidden. It is one thing for one to have sex behind a curtain of blankets. It is another when the blanket is simply covering their bodies.
I was watching with two of my nieces - one in primary five and the other in primary six.
They were, of course, excited by the telling movements under the blanket and started clapping wildly. Terribly embarrassed, I switched off the television.
The young people almost gorged out my eyes, demanding that I switch the telly back on. But I was adamant. I definitely was not going to allow minors to watch what was, for all intent and purposes, something far worse than a blue movie.
That did not deter them too much and they kept shouting, "Gae oyee"; something that clearly told me they had found a new role model to hang on to.
I was like "Oh, my God. What a tragedy!"
Then next time I switched on, there were the housemates bathing naked, something I could not understand - or stand. I thought the reality show had gone too far.
To make it worse, the only person who insisted on bathing with her panties on became the first one to be evicted.
From then on I completely lost interest in the BBA show; and for a long time I never bothered to watch it again. I had had enough.
Later on - on one of those days when there is nothing much to look at on the screen - I ventured to watch BBA again.
For some reason, I got emotionally involved. Somehow I started hoping that Gaetano would not get evicted. You see, as far as I was concerned, he had stopped being just Gaetano; he was much more than that. He had become Uganda's flag-bearer; somebody who was keeping Uganda's flag flying high in South Africa and in the eyes of all Africa.
When he became the first to be evicted - among the finalists - I became like a deflated tyre for a while. But later on, taking a closer look at the proceedings, I decided there was something good to look at, despite the loss.
The thing is not whether or not Gaetano brought the money home. What matters is that he was a finalist and therefore one of the overall winners. One important thing that some of our friends about town will want to learn from Gaetano is that he accepted the verdict. When asked whether he lost fairly, he said he had no objections to the verdict and even congratulated the winner, Cherise from Zambia.
That is a different story from some of our friends that I am talking about here, who have never learnt the art of being a good loser.
They have never appreciated the fact that however highly one thinks of himself or herself, other people - the ones who vote - may not share the same views. That is why they keep on screaming foul play just because they lost an election they had dreamt of winning. All because they thought they were unbeatable. Even when the case is taken to court, and they lose; they still claim they won anyway. So tragic!
The thousands of Ugandans that came out to meet Gaetano on his return once again sent out a very strong signal to the political elite.
I am talking about those politicians who want the Uganda menu to be nothing else but politics of opposing even the ideas most noble.
Those who swore after the 2001 elections that they would make sure they finished President Museveni both nationally and internationally; a feat that we shall not allow them achieve.
The point those crowds who welcomed Gaetano are making is that all they need is peace for them to do their own thing. They obviously do not have all they want in terms of needs but they want their space so that they can do their thing.
It's just like when we saw crowds streaming to Munyonyo to watch the Miss Uganda thing. Peace is all they want so that they can live. Live as in 'live', and not merely exist, eking out a miserable subsistence.
The President did say at one time, that people should not eat politics all the time. That was after some people had started campaigning against the so-called third term (something the President hadn't even talked about and still hasn't up to now) - a few days after the President had been sworn in to begin his second term!
I think the President had a point: for starters Ugandans need a break from politics. More importantly, Ugandans are increasingly demonstrating that they want a break from politics. That is why we see so many people increasingly embracing the issues and events that have nothing to do with politics.
It is a clear statement from the citizenry; that politics is not everything, as some would have us believe. That there is life and excitement beyond agitation and arguments around small political issues that are ballooned up far beyond their ideal size.
The people have spoken; that there is no point pre-occupying oneself with political arguments and losing sleep over them unnecessarily, as though that is what human existence is all about.
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