Healthy Shift

 Sometimes change doesn’t announce itself with loud fanfare. It happens quietly, almost un noticeably, until one day you look around and realize something has shifted. That is exactly how I felt recently when I noticed a subtle but powerful change in Kampala.

Several years ago, when I worked in the city and took a commuter taxi home, the most common roadside snacks were simple, crunchy treats: roasted maize, groundnuts, hard corns, banana crisps, and potato crisps. They were tasty, affordable, and easy to munch on through an hour of traffic. For as little as 500 or 1,000 shillings, you had your fill. But let’s be honest they were not the healthiest habits to indulge in every single day.

Fast forward to now, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Instead of the familiar boxes of crisps and biscuits, I am seeing more baskets filled with fruits. Apples, oranges, mangoes, bananas, even grapes and blueberries, are now making their way through the same traffic lanes. To me, this is more than just a change in what’s being sold it’s a reflection of a collective shift in mindset. There is no supply without demand. Somewhere along the way, people started asking for something healthier. And slowly, the city responded.

I can’t help but celebrate this. To see someone choose an apple over a greasy pack of crisps is to see Kampala becoming more health-conscious, one bite at a time. It shows that we are learning, adapting, and valuing long-term well being over short-term cravings. And what makes it even better is that the fruits are still affordable, still within reach of the everyday commuter.

Yes, crisps and roasted maize are still around, but their dominance has waned compared to five or six years ago. What has grown is the presence of healthier options options that nourish instead of merely filling us up.

It may seem small, but to me this quiet change is worth celebrating. It tells me that Kampala is not only growing as a city of hustle and resilience, but also as a city that cares about health. And that is something to be proud of.