ABSTRACT
In Kampala, the Ugandan capital, the centre of khat consumption is the downtown (some would say, slum) area of Kisenyi. After work, young men gather in pool halls for a relaxing game, or frequent video lounges to watch English premier football and action movies. A few handfuls of khat leaves are chewed casually to heighten their enjoyment. Older khat chewers gather after lunch and sit companionably on makeshift benches, telling stories or sitting in quiet contemplation. A range of khat is on offer, mostly kasenge and kabasanda, but also a premium kasuja type, grown and marketed by just one man. The standard accompaniments, bottled water, soda, cigarettes, coffee, and Big G chewing gum imported from Kenya, which make the chew more enjoyable, are easily available. Chewing in this setting brings together a range of people from diverse ethnic groups, religions and social classes. Prosperous businessmen can share a bench with struggling wage labourers, and sex workers – also, in a sense, wage labourers. On one of the benches behind a derelict shop, the session takes off with Hassan talking about his plans to leave his office job and run a hairdressing salon. As he warms to his subject, he explains to his companions how much money the venture is going to make and how he would like to expand into a chain of salons. After a while he lapses into silence, allowing his friends to talk about football and local gossip. After a couple of hours, Hassan quietly departs. Somebody laughs quietly and comments that Hassan has been ‘building castles of spit’, the unrealistic plans typically hatched during chewing sessions.
