Kisenyi Bus Terminal was filled with joy and endless smiles on Friday evening as Coca-Cola’s ‘Share a Coke’ campaign surprised passengers travelling to western Uganda with free sodas.
What began as an ordinary wait for buses quickly turned magical when a well-branded Coca-Cola team entered the terminal carrying packs of sodas.
Many passengers initially thought the team was there to compete for seats, only to realize they had come to spread joy one bottle of Coke at a time.
Buses that had been quiet just moments before turned into spaces of laughter and conversation as passengers shared sodas and stories with their neighbors.
The act of sharing a Coke instantly transformed the atmosphere, connecting strangers in the most unexpected way.
Atulinda Jacklin, a resident of Kisoro, was comfortably seated waiting for her journey to begin when she was approached with a free soda.
“I never thought anyone would share a coke with me for free. We’ve always bought coke but not having it for free unless if you go to a party, but in the bus park, ‘Apaana’,” she said, still surprised by the experience.
She praised Coca-Cola for the kind gesture and the creativity behind printing names on the bottles.
“How I wish the bottle I got had my name on it! I’m going to keep on buying sodas until I find my name. Thank you Coke,” she added.
Joseph Balikuddembe, a bus operator at the terminal, was equally surprised. A regular Coke buyer, he had actually planned to purchase one that evening before receiving it for free.
“This isn’t just a sharing gesture, but also an opportunity to save for the evening because I was planning to buy a soda, but guess what, I’ve got it for free,” he said.
Another bus operator, Abdnuru Kajibwami, expressed excitement about the personalized Coke bottles.
“I’m humbled to know that the names on the bottles are for everyone. There’s nothing like footballers who we always see on most of the companies’ products,” he noted, praising Coca-Cola for including local names rather than just celebrities.
Consolanta Nyakato, a traveller, shared her appreciation for the campaign’s personal touch.
“I thank Coca-Cola for putting our names on the bottles. It shows that they appreciate us and this has made me feel that our revenue is being used well. I pledge to continue buying more and more Coke,” she said.
The ‘Share a Coke’ campaign continues to make its way across Uganda’s bus terminals, turning ordinary moments into shared experiences and proving that something as simple as a soda can spark connection and joy one personalized bottle at a time.
