“On a bad day, my earnings are just enough to pay my boss”

This article is part of an interview series about people working in the informal sector in different countries, including a domestic worker in India, a refugee teacher in South Sudan, a fish butcher in Mexico, a street vendor in Kenya and a head porter in Ghana.

Who are you?

I am Baker Obua. I ride a commercial motorcycle taxi known locally as a “boda boda”.

Where do you live?

I live in Gayaza, a suburb of the Ugandan capital Kampala.

How does your average day look like?

I wake up every day at five-thirty to get my children ready for school. I then take them to school on my motorbike. Then I get ready and drive to the commercial motorcycle park, where I wait with other drivers for customers. I usually have breakfast around nine-thirty and lunch at one-thirty. These mealtimes can depend on how much work there is. If a customer has to travel a long distance, for example, I may have a break later or not at all. I have to pick up my children from school around four-thirty and take them home. After that, I continue my work until about nine o’clock, when I finish for the day and drive home.

What do you like about your situation?

Considering the unemployment rate in Uganda, I feel lucky to have this job. I get to see a lot of the city and go to many different places when I drive customers to their destinations. I also get to talk to people while I drive them around. This makes me feel like I’m part of their lives and helps me forget my worries and problems. I also get to manage my own time at work. If I’m tired, I can rest and continue working later.

How can your situation be improved?

The motorbike I ride belongs to my boss. Every day, I have to pay him a commission on my earnings. On a bad day, my earnings are just enough to pay him, and I have nothing left for myself. So, if I could buy and own a motorbike, my situation would improve significantly.

Ronald Ssegujja Ssekandi is a Ugandan author and edits D+C/E+Z’s Nowadays column.
sekandiron@gmail.com