Uganda, March 31 -- First off, a confession: I was supposed to write this op-ed piece the weekend before kids returned to school. A bunch of them numbering no more than five were playing dodgeball in the neighbourhood.

My recollection of events is a patchwork that involves a certain degree of guesswork, but the horrible image I cannot get out of my mind is the one of a boda boda clattering into one of the kids.

The sound of the impact. The piercingly loud shriek of the little girl after what seemed like eternity. She must be aged 12 or thereabouts.

Her initial silence after the nasty crash made me fear for the worst. The high-pitched piercing sound she let out confirmed an injury the naked eye could barely make out. A fractured leg, pe...