Top gear crew hits town

Boda Boda cyclists and motorists go past James May and Jeremy Clarkson in the background) during a shoot in Kampala. Courtesy Photo.

What you need to know:

Last week, we caught sight of the Top Gear crew; Jude Katende fills you in on what you missed.

The Top Gear crew of the talkative Jeremy Clarkson, diminutive Richard Hammond and funny James May will be leaving Uganda this week. Here, for different shootings, the trio caused a stir on the internet when their arrival was announced. Although many Kampala dwellers were ignorant about the trio during a shoot on the streets, those who recognised them quickly posted their pictures on blogs and on Facebook.

Their first shooting was in Fort Portal and they have since been to Garuga among other places including Kampala Serena Hotel, where they stayed. However, the initial excitement was last week dented by an article that went viral.Clarkson’s September 2011 piece for Sunday Times titled “My daughter and I stepped over the body and into a brothel” has sparked off heated arguments and comments among Top Gear fans and those just getting to learn about them.

He wrote how a plate of beef stew he ate cost more than what most people in Uganda would earn in a lifetime. He also alleged that ‘In a two-hour walk I didn’t see a single girl under the age of 18.”They don’t survive,” said our guide.’

This won’t be the first time Top Gear is angering people. Last year, Clarkson landed the BBC in hot water after viewers of the Top Gear Christmas special complained that his jokes about India’s people and culture were offensive. .

The Top Gear trio has developed something of a habit for stereotyping or insulting foreign nationalities. May described Mexican food as “like sick with cheese on it” while Hammond called Mexican cars lazy!