Photo Essay: Documenting the streetwise life of Kampala’s people

Katumba Badru is a photojournalist living and working in Uganda's capital. We see the city through his lens.

Words and photos: Katumba Badru

I am a street lover, and photojournalist and that’s my God-given responsibility in Kampala. I have powers to observe, and report on whatever is happening in this beautiful city. While working, I get to feel and see amazing things. I see people in love, I see humanity at its best.

I capture these everyday moments and share them without giving people clues on what’s happening with the hope that they can have the opportunity to feel the way I felt or even more.

Kampala is a city of beauty, romanticised style, and those winning whom I refer to as streetwise. It’s a blend of poverty, black middle class and colonisers who we call bosses. They decide who becomes rich, who goes to prison and who gets employed in the bigger office.

People here trade anything, trying their luck and connecting all night long – I guess that explains the no-sleep night life. It’s not all good or bad in this city but I love it and I only pray that maybe one day I can see it change.

It feels like a fantasy but all this beauty is painted all over on the street and these moments are not things you will see on your TV screens or your favourite daily newspaper.

I don’t make images I wouldn’t want made about me. This keeps me in shape to respect people’s privacy and dignity even in the worst case scenario.