My wheels : Eddy Kenzo,‘I had a puncture at 3am in Mubende’
The slightly enlarged bumper and fenders along with a rugged tyre design make it stand out.
What car do you drive?
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado TX.
When did you buy it?
One year ago. I bought it at Cheema Motors at Shs50m.
For how long had you saved for it?
For us musicians our money is like a fisherman’s money. It comes anytime.
What did you like about it?
I have always liked it. Before I bought it I had a Toyota Hiace Super Custom. I had bought two Super Customs. I am about to acquire another Prado but this one has also been good.
Which car are you planning on buying?
I want to buy a V8. It is very expensive and I am still saving. I might not buy a new one so I am looking at spending between Shs80m and Shs90m.
How much fuel do you spend on this one every day or week?
It depends but I spend Shs50,000 every day on average.
How far from you have you driven it?
I have driven it to Paidha in northern Uganda and I spent Shs300,000.
Do you know of other people that drive this car?
Haruna Mubiru has the new model. I cannot think of another person.
Do you have a first aid kit?
Yes, I do.
Have you ever had a problem while you were on the road?
Yes, I got a puncture when I was coming from Mubende at about 3am. We had a spare tyre and I replaced it. I can replace a tyre and I was lucky to have a spare tyre on that night.
How often do you service it?
It depends. If I am to travel way out of town then I will service the car before setting off for the journey. If I am going to stay around Kampala I can even take up to three months without servicing it and it will not have any problem.
How much did you spend on servicing?
I spend Shs200,000.
Does your car have a nickname?
My car has no nickname.
Do you share your vehicle with your friends?
It is usually my driver behind the wheel especially when I am going to places that are far from town. There is also a boy that I stay with who drives me around because I am usually tired.
Have you ever washed your car?
No I take it to the washing bay where I part with Shs20,000.
What was the first car you drove?
It was a Toyota Corsa. It was given to me by one of my fans. He is called Tashobya of Pal Suites. Then I bought another from Grace Ssekamate. It was a Toyota Mark II. It was long and very comfortable. I bought it at Shs6m.
What do you think about Ugandan drivers?
They are disorganised. They are not patient.
THIS AND THAT
On committing traffic crimes..
I was driving at 120kph yet the stated speed limit was 80kph. I was heading to Luweero.
Were you caught?
Yes, I was caught by people who said they were cops. They gave me a receipt of Shs200,000. I do not know what they were thinking. I have not even paid the money yet.
On learning how to drive...
I taught myself. To get the driving permit, I went for a test-drive and got it.
SUMMARY
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is a mid-size four-wheel drive vehicle in the Toyota Land Cruiser range produced by the Japanese car maker Toyota Motor Corporation. The Prado is one of the smaller vehicles in the range. It was in production between 1996 and 2002.
Code named, J90 series Prado, the vehicle was available as a three-door short wheelbase and five-door long wheelbase version. In Japan, the three-door series started with an R in the series ranging from RZ, RX, RS to RJ while the 5-door line-up started with T in the series ranging from TZ, TX, TS, to TJ. When the Prado was launched in the UK in 1996, it was called the Land Cruiser Colorado. It was called this to distinguish it from the larger Land Cruiser – renamed as the Land Cruiser Amazon.
There are no brand new J90s since production seized but used ones are quite many. Prices range from Shs35m to about Shs80m depending on model, year and among other factors.
