There are a few questions one might ask about this photo of me and my siblings. I'll answer one : why was I dressed like an overworked congolese boss baby?

I always thought mum was responsible. You see, mum was a part-time tailor. One of the earliest memories I have is that of me trying out a shirt mum had tailored in her stall. I remember walking into the stall with old, dirty and torn clothes but walking out with new outfits. When I started primary school, she made my first school bag.

But mum was meticulous in her measurements. She made sure the clothes were never oversized. it was out of character for her to make those baggy Kaunda suits for us.

Turns out the clothes my brother and I wore in the photo were presents by one of her closest friends. Mum did not like them. We wore them to Uhuru Park because that particular friend was coming with us. I think mum secretly threw them away after that because we never saw them again.

As for the salute, at that point in my life I wanted to join the police when I grew up. Specifically, I wanted to be a driver in the police force or the army. I loved travelling and I thought the police looked cool with their guns, camouflage and shit.