Uganda’s rolex is much more than a street food – it’s a national treasure

When Ugandans refer to getting a rolex, they seldom mean an expensive Swiss watch. Rolex is a popular kind of street food, made famous in global media. It serves more than just a practical function as fast food, but has many cultural meanings that form part of the country’s national identity, and a ralling point for promoting social causes. These have been played out in Uganda’s media – which is the basis of a recent study of the meanings of a rolex in Uganda. We asked journalism and communication lecturer Ivan Lukanda about his research.

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What is a rolex?