Thanks a lot for sharing your experience.

If all goes well, I may also start working out of Kampala in January. My main concern is an internet connection (capable of using Skype). I know that Kenya has recently made some huge leaps with Safaricom’s 3G network and Orange coming in as a new competitor to the market, but how is the situation in Uganda? I noticed Uganda telecom has two options, but at $90 and $170 a month for a 64 or 128kbps connection this is quite steep. Do you have any recommendations here?

I spent a year working in Kenya and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I know from experience that I can live with very little in terms of luxury, but internet is one thing that would make life much easier.

Cheers
Erick

I wouldn’t say it’s a question of lowering your expectations, it should be a question of having no expectations. There’s a big difference. Having no preconceived expectations means being open to whatever might be normal for that part of the world.

I recently spent time in Cameroon, and when the people I worked with asked me what had impressed me about their part of the world, I told them two things: the people are fabulous everywhere; and in Cameroon people have to wait a lot. I wasn’t used to the waiting either. That’s why there are chairs and benches everywhere!

Like you say, accept it for what it is and enjoy being in the presence of the country people who are also waiting…One day this will be a fond memory, and aren’t you lucky for that.

Lynn

Are you enjoying your time there? Kampala sounds like a lovely city and I’m very much looking forward to my stay there. Oh, what are you doing for anti-malarials?

Accommodation
If you’re staying for more than a couple of weeks then it’s best to find an apartment to rent. While it may be possible to arrange this before you arrive in Uganda you will most probably have to pay a high premium to do so. It’s not difficult to leave it until you get here and then have a good look around town, at the areas you’d like to live and with a better understanding of your surroundings.

A good recommendation would be to check into a popular hostel when you first arrive, ask around to see if anyone knows of anyone with a room or an apartment to rent (depending on your requirements and budget). There are notice boards on the ground floor of Garden City (one floor directly below the entrance to Uchumi) and at Red Chilli Hideaway. The monthly Eye Magazine also has a list of estate agents who specialise in finding rental properties for overseas visitors. It is common for estate agents to ask you to pay for their petrol as they drive your round the various apartments that you look at. This it’s also not uncommon for them to try and make a tidy profit on the fuel from you. Remember that the right amount is to pay them for a litre for every 10kms driven. At the time of writing (April 2008), a litre of regular fuel costs approximately UGX 2,200.

Rental apartments vary in price depending on quality and location. In certain more affluent areas of the city you can find 2 bedroom apartments for over US$2,000 per month. A similar apartment in another area of town could be priced at around US$600 per month.

A nice furnished apartment with running hot and cold water, electricity, fitted kitchen should cost between US$600 and $1,000 per month. It is also possible to pay considerably less than this for an apartment in Kampala but it is unlikely it will have the facilities mentioned above.

Another option is to rent an unfurnished apartment and to source furniture separately. This will more than probably be a cheaper option but you will have to deal with the purchasing and then the selling of the furniture at the end of your time in Uganda. I suppose the choice between a furnished and unfurnished apartment depends on how long you are planning to stay and if you have the time and patience to deal with sourcing and then selling your furniture.

The popular areas of the city for overseas visitors staying in rental apartments seem to be Naguru, Ntinda, Bugolobi, Kansanga and the Muyenga area.

It may well work out more convenient and possibly cheaper for you to stay the entire time in a hostel. There are many hostels and hotels around Kampala – far too many to attempt to list and comment on here – ranging in price from US$5 to US$450 a night.

… hope that helps. Feel free to ask me anything you need to know. When are you arriving?