I can't possibly be the first one to suggest that the Tanzanian airline company should opt for a far more realistic name. Saturday night when I thought I was leaving Tanzania, in KIA Airport at Kilimanjaro, my name wasn't on the departure list. And I wasn't the only one, in fact Precision Air had overbooked the plane to Nairobi with about 20 passengers.
In stead of letting it all out on the nearest person with a Precision Air tag, I congratulated myself for all the other times I have flown in Africa - where no irregularities happened, and where I really needed/wanted to be somewhere in time. As I counted, I realised I have been extremely lucky. I have flown Arua-Kampala several times without cash, paying the ticket later. I have flown Harare-Victoria Falls, sort of on stop, also with no huge amount of cash. And the first time ever I flew to Africa I went from Luxembourg-Abuja-Jo'burg - with a cargo plane for free. This Saturday night, I had none waiting for me in the other end, and nothing which couldn't be postponed.
However, I was the only one in KIA Airport who regarded myself a lucky person that evening. Next to me a group of middle-aged Americans (now left without their guide and ahead of them a complicated iteneary) competed to ask as many questions as possible. Two African business men (of Nigerian resemblance) went mad, shouted at the staff, and with violent expressions they made it clear for all that this was the end of the world as they saw it. Not exactly the time for a white woman to remind them that 'This is Africa', but I couldn't help it.
I understand why both Americans and Africans get provoked by the Precision Air's approach to problem solving. I did, too. But for an exception I was less noisy. The airline's suggestion was to promise us all a seat on the next flight out of KIA to Nairobi - 'we give you the highest priority'. To me this was an umistakenly expression of conflict resolution African style; 'We make
them shut up, time will pass, and the problem will go away'. The Dane then asked; 'What about the passengers on that flight - wouldn't it just be the same scenario over again?!' (as it occurred that the reason why our flight was overbooked was due to the fact that Precision Air had given passengers earlier on 'first priority'?)
The overbooked plane took off for Nairobi, and left us, the uneven group, behind. The inevitable facts occured; an extra night in Arusha! When the Americans realised what I had realised hours ago, they actually relaxed. One of them got the idea that a benefit of another night like this could be 'to hear more about me and my work in northern Uganda'. Hence I answered questions like; 'Where you there when Amin was there?', 'Aren't you scared all the time?' and 'Do you live in a real house in Uganda?'. After a while my patience finally ran out.
To make a long story short, after another session in KIA Airport the morning after, they finally put us all on a plane to Nairobi. It wasn't really untill back in Entebbe Airport that I could congratulate myself again; only one piece of my luggage lost! Funny thing is that the item missing was aposter display with the MS Uganda democracy poster, which on all other occasions have been confiscated at crossing borders in East Africa. At that point, it was only hilarious to find myself seated in the 'Lost and Found Dep. ' in Entebbe Airport, describing the content of my missing luggage item, when being asked what exactly is on the poster' . 'Oh, you know, the democracy posters which were confiscated last year before the elections, because the Electoral Commision found them partisan'. The woman in the office, laughing; ' Oh, I know them...'.
What a nice treat to have my car parked in the long term parking in Entebbe Airport.
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