Priorities | Samuel Kamugisha

The cancer machine can wait

For we have more urgent priorities

Like flying the honourable minister

To India for cancer treatment

The wananchi can line up for months

Until the good Lord calls them.

 

Tell your wives not to conceive

Until we fix maternity wards

For now we must fly

The minister’s daughter

To London to deliver.

 

Sorry we cannot fix the potholes

For we have to urgently buy cars

So posh for our honourable MPs

To save their delicate backs

From the pond-sized potholes

Please be a little patient

For that is our priority for now.

 

Mr Teacher, stop complaining

About low salaries for we have

To first increase MPs’ pay

Please wait for some years

Or go and rear goats.

About the Poet

Samuel Kamugisha is a Ugandan journalist, poet and fiction writer. A Journalism and Communication graduate, his poetry and short stories are inspired by his work as a journalist and as an observer of events in his country.

Kamugisha’s poem, ‘The Honourable Weevil,’ was published in Wondering and Wondering of Hearts: A Collection of Poems from Uganda, while his two poems, ‘Flying Papers’ and ‘Priorities’ were long listed for the 2016 Babishai Niwe Poetry Award.

His other prose and poetry have been published by Brittle Paper, Parousia Magazine, DwartOnline, Praxis Magazine, and Africa Crayons, among other places.  You can read more of Samuel Kamugisha’s journalism, prose and poetry work on pearltimes.co.ug.

You can also read Painting Soulless Kampala HERE

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