I left Lytham St Annes with son John on Sunday Morning 6th Jan 2013 with a dfrive to Manachester airport in lihght fog for most of the way. I left my 4 suitacase at the luggage drop with goodbye hugs to John and joined the shoert queue through security then had my last English breakfast for a while. This time last year our flight was delayed because of high winds @LHR and I missed my connection to Entebbe. This time there was fog around London, so we left Manchester for Heathrow about half-hour late and then had to join the circle down to land at Heathrow. Thinking the gates to my Entebbe flight would have closed I ran across terminal 5 to find the flight ready to load, even so there was further delays. We finally took off 45 minutes late about 10.00am. The flight across Europe, Middle East, North Africa to East Africa was uneventfull and we arrived almost an hour early! The final leg of the first stage of my journey to Kampala was by road. Tom from Adonai House was waiting for me at Entebbe. It was a little like losing a day, as I left Lytham before light on Sunday and arrived Kampala about an hour after midnight.
My intention was to travel by road to Yei, south Sudan on Sunday 13th, but… After a few hours sleep I had breakfast and went to Ugandan Ministry of Internal Affairs (MoIA) to renew my 1-year multiple entry visa for Uganda, with all my documents ready and the form filled in, I gave the lady the application, my passport and supporting documents. Her first question was "Where is your police clearance"? "Ugh I've had two MEV previously and never been asked for this." "It is a new 'Requirement'" Ha ha that dreaded word comes up all the time in Africa! "Where do I get that from" she replied "Your home country", but I'm here in Kampala "then you could try Interpol" End.
Managed to get my CRB Church clearance emailed from home and re-applied for the visa on Tuesday 8th, the CRB seemed to be acceptable and I was told to come back Thursday, which I did but applcation had not been processed - come back Tuesday. So I went back yesterday 15th January and she couldn't find my passport. After a desk search she found it and gave me all my application papers with my passport and said go to the next window. Another queue! then to another window to get a photocopy of their bank details. Off to Stanbic Bank up Kampala Road to bank $100. Back to MoIA to queue at the same window as before. I noticed that on my documents they had written 'Issue 6-month multiple entry visa', so I handed in all papers including banking slip and asked why it said 6-month and not 12-month? He will tell you the man said - so I waited and waited until they gave me all the papers again and said "go to Room 2". Did you find out why 6-month not 12-month? "Room 2 will tell you"
Off to room 2 and there were clerks and a border officer in there. Handed over papers and asked the question to be told that they no longer issue 12-month visas only 6-month. The border woman wrote out a slip receipt and said "come back Thursday" So I will see if it is ready tomorrow, Thursday. I can't book my bus ticket until I have my passport with visa as tickets cannot be ammended, so not sure yet when I will get home in South Sudan.