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Graffiti, Goats, and 23.5 Degrees: My Unplanned Street Art Day in Lira

@Topiclo Admin3/18/2026blog

i think i finally found the perfect wall behind that cracked-up banana stand near the bus depot. the sun's beating down but it's not brutal, just that steady 23.5 celsius that makes your skin feel like it's humming. humidity's hanging at 57 percent, which for spray paint means the cans are happy but my hands are a little slippier than i'd like. pressure says 1010, whatever that means for the atmosphere, but it feels like the air's thick enough to taste. i just stepped out and the air's exactly 23.5 degrees with 57% humidity - not too hot, not too cold, just right.

so i'm in Lira, uganda, and if you ever feel like switching scenes, Gulu's only a couple hours north. but honestly, i'm not bored. this place is a graffiti dream if you know where to look. the walls here are like giant canvases that have been waiting for someone like me to come along and give them a voice. i heard that there's a local rumor about a guy who painted a huge mural of a chicken on the side of the central market and got arrested because the vendors thought it was a curse. someone told me that the police are actually cool with art as long as it's not political, which is a relief because i'm not here to start a revolution, just to add some color.

i've been talking to the locals, and there's this one old guy who runs a chai stall near the train tracks. swears his chai is the best in town (i checked TripAdvisor but he's got no page, guess he's too old school). he gave me the lowdown: "if you paint something beautiful, the kids will love you. if you paint something ugly, the mothers will chase you with brooms." fair enough. i also found a Yelp review for a chai place nearby that said the tea was "spicy enough to wake the dead" - i had to try it, and they weren't kidding.

i also stumbled upon this tiny gallery that doubles as a coffee shop. they have rotating exhibitions from local artists, and the owner told me that last year they had a street art festival that was funded by some NGO. the festival brought in artists from kampala and even from rwanda. but the funding dried up, and now it's just the usual suspects tagging abandoned buildings. i heard through the grapevine that the mayor's office still has a few murals from that festival on public buildings, but they're starting to fade.

anyway, i'm about to start a piece right here. let me show you where exactly.

that's the spot - a long, crumbling wall that runs along the alley behind the main market. it's got great visibility from the road but also a little bit of shade for when the sun gets too harsh. the ground is dusty, and there are goats. always goats. they'll stare at you like you're the weird one for painting a giant orange bird.

i took some pics while i was setting up. check these out:

and

. not bad, right? the light was perfect around golden hour, which is when the paint seems to glow anyway.

the actual painting process was a blur. i was listening to some beats on my phone, cans rattling, the occasional passerby saying "mzungu!" (that's white person, for the uninitiated) and then either giving a thumbs up or shaking their head. one kid offered to be my spotter, which basically meant he'd shout "police!" every time a paramilitary truck passed. i love that kid. the paint dried quick in that heat, and i ended up with a decent piece - a phoenix rising from a pile of broken baskets, because why not? it's symbolic, i guess. the baskets are everywhere here, woven from local palm, and they break easily. so a phoenix felt right.

after i finished, a group of boda boda drivers (motorcycle taxis) gathered around and asked if i could paint their names on their helmets. i told them i'd need more paint and maybe a permit, but they just laughed and gave me a soda. that's the thing about Lira: you can be a stranger with a can, and within minutes you're part of the street furniture.

if you're planning a trip here, you should definitely check out the night market on fridays - it's a sensory overload in the best way. i read on the community board (https://www.lira.ug/community/events) that the samosas from that one stall are spicy enough to make you see god, and i can confirm. also, there's a spot called the "rock" where the kids gather to practice breakdance on Sundays. i tried to join once and nearly threw my back out, but it was fun.

overall, this day reminded me why i do this. it's not about fame or money; it's about the moment when a random person stops, looks at your work, and smiles. or when a goat eats your stencil and you have to improvise. it's about the mess, the sweat, the accidental drips that become part of the piece. and it's about being in a place like Lira, where the air smells like dust and cooking oil and possibility.

also, i have to mention the weather again because it was just so perfect - not too hot, not too cold, just that sweet spot where you can work for hours without melting or freezing. i think the temperature hovered around 23.5 all afternoon, and the humidity kept the paint from clogging. it's the kind of day that makes you forget you're in a place most people can't point to on a map.

anyway, i'm crashing soon. the power's out again (classic), so i'm writing this by torchlight. the goats are finally quiet. i'll post more pics when i get decent internet. until then, keep your caps loose and your eyes on the walls.

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About the author: Topiclo Admin

Writing code, prose, and occasionally poetry.

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