Kampala, the capital of Uganda is full of people from all walks of life. Motorbikes weave through the crowd, with the scent of merchandises mixed with car exhaust. On the surface, the city buzz like any East African capital, vibrant, chaotic, and alive. But beneath the clamor, something darker brewed!

Inside a small shop at Makerere Kikumi kikumi a suburb in Kampala neibouring the mighty Makerere University, a big university in Kampala, Uganda and East Africa; a man known only as Benja (not real names)is always seen busy unpacking boxes on a Friday. It came to our understanding that most of the boxes being unpacked and packed contained substances. And these were drugs.

The shop sold almost any merchandise; cheap knock-off phones and chargers, but the real product was sealed in plastic packets tucked beneath the false floor of the room next to the display room; and this was cocaine and a substance called ORIS smuggled in from Mombasa, through Busia, making its way into Kampala’s nightclubs, suburbs, and schools.

And below are other avenues how these drugs meet city students and the costs taken to ‘choke’ a cocaine in Kampala;

Of course Benja is not the kingpin or the boss in this; we picked on his back ground to the business from an area long serving boda guy (boda boda operator) who we paid extras just to a little take us through bits of Benja’s and how he acquired the shop. And here he tells us how Benja was once also a boda-boda rider. And was once arrested and detained in 2016.

“A cousin introduced him to the trade after a jail stint. Now he dressed better, ate well, and never asked too many questions,” says our boda guy who preferred anonymity.

“Tayagala bibuuzo omusajja oyo’ loosely meaning (he hates questions),” the boda guy adds.

Our source inside police had already tipped us more detailed information about shops similar to Benja’s. 

“Cocaine. Not from Colombia. This stuff is cut in Tanzania, moved through Kenya. Cheaper. More dangerous. And it’s spreading fast,” Our Police insider reveals. 

Through further discoveries we came to learn a little about Benja’s boss who owned three shops in other different areas and drove a white Toyota Mark X with tinted windows on UB series, Ugandan license plate.

Agents in Makerere

And around Kiseminti area and Kamwokya, boys no older than thirteen are boldly handed folded packets of marijuana and cocaine to trade to these so-called-agents (Makerere University). The seniors of course discuss prices and pick-ups on phone earlier before the pick-up. So when deal is done, these rusty boys are then sent to pose on streets only to supply the agents. Sometimes it is a cash on delivery or a deal cut via mobile money.   

Where and how narcotics/drugs instigate to town (shops)

Investigations have so far shown most of these drugs (Marijuana) ‘enjjaga’ travel from areas like Kasenge, and Mukono along Katosi road using boda bodas (bajaj boxer and CT) bikes in the evenings or night. These, commute on an unbeatable speed. The product is wrapped in sacks and huge black or green ‘buveeras’ polythene bags and here it becomes hard to easily tell what is being transported.

When products ‘emmaali’ (as locally called) from suppliers reach town, (Kampala) it is then handed over to dealers who later after sorting it out, then move it to dealer shops. With shops being agent dealers and, or final purchasers. But this is normally considered depending on the agreements done between the two merchants; (the shop dealer and the agent who brings the stuff) since the shop acts as a wholesale to them, and as well as a broker. The shop purchases the drug from the final supplier who transport it from deep the villages. The shop agent after broker it to University agents or other city fellas who vend it around Kampala city to those who use it on a daily.

How agents operate with vendors

First, it is relatively hard to tell who the vendor could be. They disguise as boda boda operators, taxi drivers and nurses. Some are seen as normal city vendors dealing in clothes. And they are just a call away. Agents give them a call when there’s a promising or potential client who urgently in need of any of the products. These kind of deals are usually done and sealed by agents. When a client fails to show up to the shop or unaware of the locations he simply contacts the shop or any agent around town who also contacts the boda boda guys. And a delivery is met. However, when one directly contacts one of the boda men, the first question that pops up is ‘ani yakuwadde e number eno?’ literally meaning, ‘who did give you this number?’ then the phone goes off. The boda guy then forwards the phone number to his agents who later asses it and verify you as a client or maybe a cop.

When all is believed to be clean about you, the agent then confirms to the boda guy you first called. Here, the boda guy never calls you back, the agent does but never discloses his location with you. But asks how you got to know about them and bulala bula then verifies you and your location. You then seal the deal on phone (you send the money on phone). The agent phone then goes off and a boda guy you first called contacts you back informing you about his coming. This is done when it is your first time to deal with them especially on big deals like cocaine.

Cocaine; for this drug it is believed to be brokered by Congolese from DRC and other Sangomas (Kampala boys from S.Africa). Since cocaine is more expensive than the marijuana; these shops trade it sophistically and it is never given out to anyone who simply comes around unprofiled. You have to be investigated for assurance that you are and have ever been a client. Or maybe detail a person who has ever worked or dealt with them.

This is done not to be trapped by Uganda Police or any other security agency. The Cocaine on Kampala streets is so expensive that a spoon (not handful) could cost you Ugx47, 000 – Ugx60, 000 (approx. $13-16). And a quota a tea spoon is around ush17000 (4 US dollars). The drug is folded (wrap) in a piece of paper (Newspaper pieces) and dissed to you in a black small kaveera (packing polythene bag). So here you leave the shop safe with onlookers thinking you are taking sugar or from buying salt.

Codes

Campusers (University students) who purchase drugs in favour of the visitors or tourists who smoke or clog on narcotics know and directly visit these shops with codes like ‘boss bikole ku white’ loosely meaning do a cut on cocaine (not Marijuana or any other colour). The shop attendant here then picks the signal. And others will be like ‘koona ku musanvu’ literally meaning ‘I need that of Ush70, 000.’ Sniffing on any given drug at the shop is not allowed. This is so due to the code of conduct.

These shops are around you

It is actually a hard nut to crack when asked to point at these shops. These shops run normal like shops anywhere else. They trade and operate normally and well licensed.

They deal in commodities under retail business and are normally retail shops. Planted near and around universities and urban centers, ghettos and secondary schools. Some operate in kiosks.  These, also sale cigarettes both legal and illegal; like Oris and Premium slim and also an iligal tobacco called Supermatch (with a football player) commonly from Kenya or Sudan. And they are never on display like other staffs.

They never sell it to strangers even if you carry a bag of money. You only have to visit with a popular client or someone who understands codes and who surely knows connections to these shops. Visit knowing what you exactly want, no shortcuts or pretense. When the shop dealers pick a hardy in you; in minutes you notice a group of armed angry boys (Kifeesi) surrounding you inquisitive of who the ‘hell’ sent you. And your survival could be at edges and mercy of the gods (bajajja bo).

A shop attendant in Kisenyi bus terminal who we spoke to but preferred anonymity also confirmed the selling and the drugs business in shops but however revealed that numerous times Uganda Police raid dens where these people live, hide and take these narcotics but cracking down on these shops is quite a hard nut to crack.

The most grown, and consumed types

LOUD, QUEEN, GORILLO, APPLE, and the famous ‘SKUNK’; all are said to grow in one or two months, when given proper care.  Kenyans and Eritreans are the most traders and they pick it from Kireka and Kisenyi, a congested suburb in Kampala.

Queen and ‘skunk’ are of recent the most local marijuana in Uganda trading expensively locally and internationally.

There packs (sticks) vary in size and price. In Uganda, in areas like Mukono, Kabalagala, Nakawa, Bweyogerere-Kireka and Kasenge they termed them in different corpora as thus;

Corporal (quota an inche of a stick) locally costing UGX1000.

And Rwezira (almost half a stick) costing UGX2500 in some urban areas like Kampala but in villages it gets down to UGX1000 and a full stick medium wrapped,  in a white light paper costs over Ush3500. In a day, it has been confirmed that a light smoker can at least consume over 7 sticks of Rwezira.

The sticks that are molded like cigarettes there packaging and wrapping is done out of a budget excise book (32pg).

A pick on an American who died in cells over drugs

Eric Nkusi, an American citizen who died in August 2025 while in Police custody in Entebbe, Uganda first suffered severe withdrawal symptoms from drugs.

Police sources said Nkusi demanded to be provided with heroin, which he was allegedly addicted to, but police officers just laughed it off and directed him to wait to go back to his home country and have access to the illegal drugs.

“Nkusi was a drug addict and demanded to have access to drugs or else he was going to die. But police officers just scoffed at him, claiming he was acting. But to their shock, Nkusi was found dead the next day inside police cells,” sources said.

Patrick Onyango, the then Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson who we spoke too while still in service, responded that he was yet to be briefed about Nkusi’s death.

The American Embassy in Kampala was noted to have sent a team to establish the circumstances under which Nkusi died.

Nkusi was arrested over his visa overstay in Uganda.

Cocaine or marijuana is sold on Kampala streets like medicine.