Umxube wempepho yesikolo yetropikhi kunye nobushushu obuqhaqhazelisa amazinyo njengoko bubonakaliswa sisibhakabhaka sasemva kwemini yasehlotyeni yase-Afrika, sithatha indawo esembindini kwaye silawule phezu konxweme lwechibi. Umoya unuka iintlobo ezahlukeneyo zokubola, ukushukuma kwiinqanawa ezingahlali mntu, ukuya ngasekunene, iitafile ezishiyiweyo ezisetyenziselwa ukusika iintlanzi, ngasekhohlo kukho ifiltrate eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka yolwandle edada kwichibi elingaphambili.
Emhlabeni, intaphane yeenkuni namalahle afumbileyo yenza ubukho obunamandla, ilindele uhambo lwazo lokuwela ulwandle ukuya kuzo naziphi na iziqithi ezininzi ezisechibini okanye kumthengi onethamsanqa.
Imakethi esanda kumiswa ime kumgama weemitha ezimbalwa. Kukho abantu abambalwa abadlulayo, abanye babonwa behleli ngaselunxwemeni, bethule kwaye bejonge emanzini. Ukuba ubuphose ibhodi enkulu ye-East Africa Breweries xa ungena, akukho nto inokukuxelela ukuba usePort Bell, singasathethi ke ngokuba umi kumhlaba welona zibuko lidala laseUganda.
Yathiywa emva kwerhuluneli yaseBritane ngelo xesha, uMhlekazi uHesketh Bell, iPort Bell yavulwa ngo-1908 ukuze ilawule izinto ezisuka eUganda ngolwandle.
Ukubaluleka kwawo kwakunamandla kangangokuba xa kwavulwa uLoliwe waseUganda ngowe-1931, wadityaniswa nezibuko ukuze kube lula ukuthuthwa kwempahla eyayifike ngolwandle isiya eKampala.
Kodwa namhlanje iPort Bell ibonakala ilityalwe, ilele kwicala lee wadi yaseKampala, ingahoywanga. Inyani nje yokuba lelona zibuko lidala laseUganda lanele ukuyiqinisekisa indawo phakathi kwamaziko okhenketho aphezulu elizwe, kodwa nangona bonke abantu ekwenziwe udliwanondlebe nabo bevuma, kuncinci ukuba kukho nantoni na eyenziweyo ukuqinisekisa ukuba iyonwabela indawo eyifaneleyo apho. Kwaye ngenxa yoko, iinzuzo zoqoqosho ebezinokuba ziziphumo nazo ziyimfihlakalo.
Omabini iMalindi kunye neMombasa, awona mazibuko amadala eKenya, sele engawona amaziko abakhenkethi abaphambili kweli lizwe. Into efanayo inokuthethwa ngeDar-es-Salaam kunye neZanzibar, amazibuko amadala aseTanzania. Zonke ngoku iisimboli eziphambili zelifa lemveli lamazwe abo, iwonga ePort Bell iye yakhatywa kabuhlungu.
Ukhangelo lwe-Intanethi lokhenketho ePort Bell lutyhila iindawo ezibhengeza ulwazi lwabakhenkethi malunga nohambo, iihotele kunye neeholide ePort Bell. Kodwa ngokucofa loo makhonkco, akukho nto ingaphezulu; uphawu lokuba ii-arhente zabakhenkethi ezininzi ziyayixabisa le ndawo njengeziko lokhenketho elinokubakho kodwa akukho nanye into esemhlabeni enokuyithethelela intetho.
Umnumzana uRichard Oyamo, uNobhala Jikelele weNdawo kaLoliwe, uthi ixabiso lezibuko linokufumaneka kuphela kwithiyori, kwaye hayi ukusebenza. “I (Port Bell) ayinaxabiso elinokubakho, ngengqiqo yokuba nantoni na ekufanele ukuba sezibukweni njengoko amanye amazibuko engekho kodwa lelona zibuko likhulu apha. Xa uyithelekisa namazibuko aseKisumu naseMwanza, sisalela ngasemva,” utshilo uMnu Oyamo.
Uthi akukho nto yenziweyo ukulawula abakhenkethi abanokuba ngabakhenkethi. “Ekuphela kwento etsala abakhenkethi ngamanzi; ayikho enye. Abakhenkethi beza apha behamba bengazi ukuba bafikile ePort Bell,” utshilo uMnu Oyamo.
Umnumzana John Baptist Kayaga, umphathiswa osisithunzi kuRhwebo noShishino lwezoKhenketho, uthi amandla okhenketho kweli zibuko aqhwaleliswe kukungakhathali kwabo banokuba ngabatyali-zimali kunye norhulumente.
“Imbono yayo yembali kunye nembonakalo yayo ilungile ngokwaneleyo kodwa akukho mntu wayicinga ngolo hlobo. Sonke besicinga ukuyiphuhlisa ngokuhambelana neziko lezorhwebo,” utshilo uMnu Kayaga.
Uthi amanye amazibuko afana neKisumu anamaziko amaninzi orhwebo apho abakhenkethi bathenga khona kodwa ayikho ePort Bell.
Umnumzana Oyamo uthi urhulumente akakhange enze zicwangciso zeli zibuko kodwa uye walityeshela. Umphathiswa wesebe lezokhenketho, umnumzana Serapiyo Rukundo, uthi nangona kunjalo banezibuko kwizicwangciso zabo. “Sizama ukuhamba ngenqanawa kwiLake Victoria. Abantu beza namacebo okukhuthaza ukhenketho apho.”
Igosa lezoNxibelelwano loLuntu kwiSebe lezeMisebenzi noThutho, uNksz Susan Kataike, ubethelele ukubaluleka kwePort Bell kushishino lwezothutho lwelizwe, kodwa wathi isasebenza ngeyona ndlela iphezulu, ngakumbi kuba iinqanawa zabakhweli ziphantsi.
Uthi isebe liqalisa ukwakha idokhi elomileyo kwizibuko kunye nokulungiswa kwendlela yeMV Kahwa kunye nePamba.
Isibakala sokuba abantu baza kuchitha ixesha nemali beze kumangaliswa bubuhle obubukekayo baseBhayi, kodwa baphinde bakhwele amaphenyane, ibonisa ukuba ukhenketho olunokubakho kweli zibuko luvakala ngabaninzi kodwa alukade lufunyanwe.
Umntu ohamba ngephenyane uthe kwiinyanga ezintathu ezidlulileyo eli zibuko sele liyindawo yabantu abafuna ukuzibulala. “Kwafika umntu othile, ekhangeleka ngathi useshishini wacela ukuba akhwele inqanawa ejikeleze iziqithi. Xa ufika embindini, utsibela emanzini kwaye ke kufuneka ujongane neziphumo ukuba ubuyela elunxwemeni wedwa, ”utshilo.
Eli bali libonisa elilula lelona zibuko lidala laseUganda lehliselwe kulo. Iimbono ezibanjwe ngabachaphazelekayo ngasentla yintetho yakho eqhelekileyo yezopolitiko, exela ukuba 'izicwangciso zisendleleni' yokuphuhlisa isiza. Ukuze ingabinalo nophawu olunye lokhenketho ixela okuninzi malunga nokukwazi kwe-Uganda ukugada ilifa lemveli yayo, kwaye ishiya kancinci ukuba kutheni na iimpawu zomhlaba ezininzi ezishiywe ngasemva ngama impiriyali, ngoku zingamabhodlo.
