The Defence

Highbury Corner Magistrates at Islington was one of my haunts in those heady days of Criminal Law practice, together with Camberwell Magistrates in South London, and Thames Magistrates at Bow Road in the East. I also sometimes strayed off my usual stomping grounds and headed to West London to attend juvenile court in Hammersmith, and right across London to places as far apart as Hendon, Westminster or Bromley, wherever my instructions required that I attend.

Criminal Law was always my favourite since from being a law student all those decades ago. And it was criminal defence, not prosecution. An unsuccessful attempt to join the Crown Prosecution Service as a prosecutor only reinforced this thought in my mind that I enjoyed being a criminal defence lawyer; visiting my clients when they were in police custody, or in prison - Wandsworth Prison, Brixton Prison, Wormwood Scrubs, Pentonville - getting to know them; seeking the most favourable outcomes for them, even when I knew they were guilty as hell. I guess there was a naughty side of me that took delight in this - siding with the bad guys, well, sort of.

Later when I moved on to more desk-bound roles, although equally intense and stressful - but better remunerated, the work was not quite as exciting, as, for example, springing my client out of jail who had been in custody for months and denied bail repeatedly; or successfully arguing for a suspended sentence for my client, even though I knew they deserved to be sent to prison. My overseas training was advantageous, because it came with the advocacy skills of a barrister that solicitors who are trained solely in England and Wales do not normally possess. I was involved in several Crown Court matters as well, the court where the more serious cases are tried, and where I sat behind barristers whom I had instructed. 

Given the limited audience rights of a solicitor in England, namely, audience rights limited to the lower courts, tribunals, panels, and so on, it is those lower court cases, especially some particularly fierce cross-examinations of prosecution witnesses that have remained in my thoughts for longer, since the advocacy itself was always my stronger side. 

Banjul, Gambia 2

In avoiding heavily touristed areas and touristy things, I have often gone out of my way to seek out quiet, less travelled spots in every travel destination I have newly arrived at. The belief is that hanging out with the locals is a good way of getting a more authentic and unvarnished experience of whichever location I'm visiting. This approach has worked out positively, and not only in the experiences which I might not otherwise have had if I was cocooned in some tourist enclave, resort or hotel, or if I moved around the place as part of a tourist excursion group. And this especially in my travels across the African continent where meeting local people, eating local foods, using public transport and so on, and making new friends, is more to my preference.

The Gambia is a major destination for tourism, with tourists mainly from Europe. So beach tourism is a big thing here, as are the organised curated boat trips up and down the Gambia River. There are also river lodges along the river targeting those foreign tourists. And while I understand the economic reasons behind these activities, and have nothing against any of them, for me personally, it has not come naturally to think of myself as a foreign tourist. I have always wanted to experience the places I visit in the same way as the locals would experience it. On this trip I stayed in a Gambian home located in a fairly densely populated residential district of the capital, ate Gambian meals, drank Gambian 'green tea', enjoyed Gambian jokes, and learned a lot about the different Gambian peoples. 

Of course there was the beach too, this is after all a big part of the lifestyle here. I sought out the beaches frequented by the locals, not being keen on the stereotypical tourist beach experience that, in my opinion, is the same, whether in the Bahamas, in Bali Indonesia, or in Mombasa. I wished for something uniquely Gambian.

Brufut Beach

Tanji Beach is an area for the local fisherpeople, traders and merchants of fish and other seafood; suppliers of fishing equipment and fuel for the fishing boats, and so on. It is not a tourist area.

So while everyone else was braving the waves and splashing around in the Atlantic Ocean, there I was resolutely remaining on dry land, utterly convinced that I am not an aquatic creature. This beach, though, is heavenly. If I lived anywhere nearby, I would be here every single day. At Brufut Beach,

Banjul, Gambia

Banjul was founded in 1816, when the British Colonial Office ordered Captain Alexander Grant to establish a military post on the river to suppress the slave trade and to serve as a trade outlet for British merchants ejected from Senegal, which had been restored to France. Grant chose Banjul Island (ceded by the chief of Kombo) as the site, which he renamed St. Mary’s. He named the new settlement for Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst, then colonial secretary of Great Britain.

Bathurst became the capital of the Crown Colony and Protectorate of The Gambia in 1889 and was granted city status in 1965 when The Gambia gained independence. The city's colonial grid layout and architecture reflect this period.

In 1973, the city was officially renamed Banjul. The new name is derived from the Mandinka people's word "Banjalu" referring to the fibres they used on the island to make ropes.

After a period of decline in the 1980s, much of the population moved to surrounding areas, forming the Greater Banjul area. Today, it remains the political and economic centre of the country, with infrastructure reflecting both its colonial past and modern development.

Banjul city is an island in the estuary of the Gambia River, and it is the central business district of this capital city most of which is however, located in Kanifing/Serrekunda, on the mainland.

Banjul island has the State House, National Assembly, the Supreme Court, in short, the seat of government. It is also where the Police Headquarters and the Port of Banjul are located, and some government departments, major banks and commercial enterprises, as well as the popular Banjul Market. It's a bustling little island, and like in most places in Africa where people gather in numbers, is lively and full of life.

We visited the ferry terminal from where the ferry from Banjul to Barra on the north bank of the Gambia River carries those whose intent mainly is to travel onwards to the Gambia/Senegal border, and then have a direct run to Dakar, Senegal from the border. We were still undecided whether to use this ferry to cross when we embark on our journey to Dakar, or whether to travel by the longer, 12-hour more scenic land route, which would guarantee that we pass through Senegalese towns like Kaolack, Fatick and Thies. I personally preferred the land route, but it wasn't I alone to make the decision.

Last Sunday we drove to Banjul island, also sometimes known as St. Mary's Island, This island is the central business district and the seat of government, but only on weekdays. At the weekend the island turns into a quiet, beautiful, quaint little treasure trove of history for enthusiasts like myself. I was so lost in enchantment as we drove through the quiet narrow streets that I even forgot to take photographs, with my mind replaying its imaginations on a loop of what the island might have been like two hundred years ago, and then drawing a connection between that time and what my eyes were seeing. I vaguely remember involuntary gasps of "Oh wow, Oh wow".

Kampala, Uganda 4

September, 2024

I also ventured 291 km to the west of Kampala, to Fort Portal in Kabarole District in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains. The photos are not mine, but these are the dramatic landscapes I might have observed and the experiences I might have had, had I the courage to venture further uphill.

Uganda has turned out to be my favourite country in Africa, and not only for its natural beauty, although the natural beauty itself is truly remarkable. The variety of landscapes in this single country is astonishing. From papyrus wetlands, to hilly landscapes; from lush tropical rainforest, to savannah grassland with abundant wildlife; from pretty lake islands on Lake Victoria to beautiful littoral environments in Entebbe, Kampala and all along the lake shore; from busy cities and highways, to multiple scenic lakes, breath-taking waterfalls, and an entire mountain range with year-round snow-capped mountains and serene foothills. It's simply amazing, there is no other country like it in Africa.

South Africa might come in second place, with mountain ranges like the Drakensberg and others, as well as the veld, and the scenic coastal landscapes of the Eastern Cape and Western Cape. But all these, even if larger in scale, do not come close to the sheer variety of Uganda.

The Rwenzori Mountains, previously called the "Ruwenzori Range", is a mountain range of eastern equatorial Africa, located on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

"The Rwenzori Mountains are the highest and most permanent sources of the River Nile, and constitute a vital water catchment. Their multitude of fast flowing rivers, magnificent waterfalls and stratified vegetation make the property exceptionally scenic and beautiful." (UNESCO)

These mountains reach heights up to 5,109 metres (16,762 ft). The highest Rwenzori peaks are permanently snow-capped. The Rwenzori Mountains National Park and Virunga National Park are located in this range.

Environmentalists have expressed a lot of concern over the high melting rate of the glaciers atop this mountain range due to climate change.

See more here: https://www.brilliant-uganda.com/rwenzori-mountains...

The Kitandara lakes of the Rwenzori Mountains, which were formed by retreating glacier ice Credit: Hugh Kinsella Cunningham

The Rwenzori mountains are of cultural importance for two of the ethnic groups inhabiting the region Credit: Hugh Kinsella Cunningham

Trekking guides Gilbert Kule and Remigio Thembo observe the terminus of the Margherita glacier on Mount Stanley Credit: Hugh Kinsella Cunningham

Destroyed buildings caused by a series of floods between 2013 and 2020 along the Nyamwamba river, Uganda Credit: Hugh Kinsella Cunningham

Trekking guide Gilbert Kule walks across the 4000 metre Afromontane zone of the mountains Credit: Hugh Kinsella Cunningham

Kampala, Uganda 3

September, 2024

Kabaka's Lake

Kabaka's Lake is a man-made lake located in Kampala. It is one of the prominent landmarks in the city and holds great historical and cultural significance. It is the largest man-made lake in Uganda.

This lake was created during the late 19th century on the orders of Kabaka (King) Mwanga II of Buganda. The construction of the lake was a result of a power struggle between Mwanga and his Christian subjects. The lake was dug to serve as a water source and a defensive barrier for the king's palace.

Kampala, Uganda 2

12 September, 2024

My Thoughts About Uganda

Of all the African countries I have visited, Uganda has emerged at the very top of the favourability rankings. On this trip I did not stay long enough in Rwanda to form a substantive view on the place. What I did see in Rwanda though, was not the warm conviviality that greeted me in Uganda. Cool calm polite efficiency could easily be superficial.

Uganda is warm, friendly and genuine, in my experience, and I find those whom I have met to be articulate and well informed, regardless of their status or station in life. And they are not conceited. Also, they are understated, as exemplified by their top notch tourism industry that hardly ever makes the headlines and usually gets featured only in passing in popular tourism literature.

At 69% Nigeria's adult literacy rate is significantly lower than Uganda’s 80.59%. In Nigeria we are intelligent too, but our intelligence seems not always to be directed collectively towards the common good. Uganda is not perfect by any reckoning either, nowhere is. But it has clean streets, clean marketplaces, which speaks about the people and their attitudes. Things are better regulated and more tightly controlled than in Nigeria. In Uganda it is less likely that I would get food poisoning from drinking bottled water that I had bought on the street, as I did when I visited Kano, Nigeria, earlier this year and ended up sick and in a hospital bed.

Kampala, Uganda, is a genuinely pleasant city to be in. I prefer Kampala to Nairobi, Kenya, for example, for its authenticity, and the perceptible sense of self-assuredness and pride in its own identity. I think Nairobi (and Kenya in general) tries too hard to please foreign tourists. Kampala does no such thing, and has the self confidence to just be itself.

While political leaders across the continent can be rightly accused of leadership failure, and I am no lover of autocratic rule, credit must be accorded where it is due. The current political leadership in Uganda are largely responsible for the stability that makes this country such an attractive place. The proof of this is in the relatively large number of foreign nationals who come here to settle. This year foreign direct investments in Uganda have increased to 3.01 billion dollars, up from 2.8 billion dollars in 2023.

Postscript: I had started writing this before my time ran out and I had to start making my way to the airport. I concluded it after I had arrived back this morning. Cheers.— in Kampala, Uganda.

Uganda’s Independence Monument at Nile Avenue in Kampala

At the Namugongo Martyrs' Shrine

At the shore of Lake Victoria at Entebbe. The landscapes in and around Kampala are an interesting combination of hills and extensive papyrus swamps, wetlands. In that sense it is quite unique. Uganda, although landlocked, has a maritime feel nonetheless, with sea breezes from Lake Victoria and lakefront views in Entebbe and Kampala to rival any beachfront area anywhere in the world, even if calmer, more natural, and less touristy. I liked it a lot.  

Saint Paul's Cathedral Namirembe, commonly and locally referred to as Namirembe Cathedral, is the oldest Anglican cathedral in Uganda