VIEW UGANDA MAGAZINE - TRAVEL

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MORE THAN NATURE

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Meet

the world’s

Smallest church Gipir & Labong

“A spear in the elephant”, splits brothers for good

BIRDING

OUR RICH CULTURE

TRAVEL

10 most sought birds of Uganda

The royal transport glamour

Queens and Presidential suites in untamed wilderness

Cottages

Conference

Accomodation

Boat Cruize

Our Services Luxury Accommodation facilities , Swimming pool, Free WIFI, Bar and Restaurant, Beach games, Guided forest walks, Boat rides, Quad bikes, Bird watching, Cycling , Steam & Sauna, Massage Booking Office

Plot 1 Colville Street, Communication House Ground floor shop No 4 P.O.Box 9174 Kampala (U) Tel +256 414 237 477 +256 754 640 014 +256 774 334 655 Email brovadsandslodge@gmail.com info@brovadsandslodge.com

Web www.brovadsandslodge.com

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A sun so fascinating that you wonder off into a painting, wanting to clutch onto the feeling for good

By View Uganda

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he sun. No, actually, sunrise and sun set. Yes, that’s the topic. It might be a common appearance, a routine to be taken for granted until one day, just one day, it grips you. A sun so fascinating that you wonder off into a painting, wanting to clutch onto the feeling for good. That folks, that right there, is the magic of the sun! Oh, and boy Uganda boasts of varying landscapes and features which offer uni ue vantage views of the Sun. So, taking to a way of life that involves tracking the sun, Travel Journalist Solomon Oleny, spent the past six years tracking the sun and will spill the tea. He will tell of points where he looked on, spellbound, took his hat off and bowed in respect to the golden beauty that is the setting and rising sun. Mostly picking nine vantage points around Uganda, he will help where you too can bask in the glory of the rising and or setting sun.

A powerful sensory experience. A kiss by the rising sun. Piercing through the dark l

: Lake

Victor

ike a boastful torch only to emerge at the summit of the Mountain. The Rwenzori sun delivers the news of a good day with such primacy. Once tangent to the horizon, it makes sure to blow your mind, lingering yet determined, this sunrise is everything and more!

It starts out as a small and rosy glow.

Humble really! Slowly, it works its rays, slithering to the peak of the mountain, all the way from the hind mountain tops where the clouds dilly-dally and places its firm grip to the top. Adorning pride, it lights up the snow atop the mountain with a golden colour and locks it into an embrace than could only be e uated to a mouthwatering ice cream made of oranges.

It is not a million dollar view, no! It is legendary! And see, the reward with summiting wen ori is it offers a chance to see the first rays before they can penetrate through the clouds to the earth (the summits are past cloud level).

While the people at the foot of Rwenzori have to wait till 0am before confirming it’s a new day, mountaineers atop awake to it as early as 6:10am-15am,

ia

UWA

hand

You know, due to their high altitude (over 5,000meters above sea level), summits like Margherita and Stanley are generally cold, sometimes icy, if not frosty. No surprise the sun here is like pure love, gliding its warmth through you.

Lake Bunyonyi

What could be better than tracking the sun whilst on Africa’s second deepest fresh water Lake? Yes, after Lake Tanganyika, Bunyonyi is the deepest lake. Now, beat that! The lake, like a gentle valley guarded by hills, has unpredictable weather changes. One minute it’s a hot a furnace with temperatures shooting all the way to 30 degrees, the next its cooler than a mortuary.

One thing is clear, the sunrise in Bunyonyi is all about the chase.

Unpredictable and such a tease, almost hard to tell when it will rise or set, or if it will even surface that day.

Should it rise however, looking every bit pampered, well rested, gentle but loud, it will be worth the chase.

The beauty it exudes has seen it make it to many a postcard. A blend of serenity of shimmer, dodgy but present, shy and assertive, basically,

memorable. It is no wonder that over 20 powerhouse icons have flocked the scenic attraction that boasts of over 20 islands in the last five years. Amongst many, these include Bill gates, Juelz Santana, President Paul Kagame and Alicia Keys.

Southern Sudan. And with it comes uncontrolled excitement among prey, especially herbivores. Such include the buffaloes, kobs and antelopes all of which spend their nights in fear of being pounced on by predators with sharp night vision, like the lion.

In the air

Swinging and playfully tearing through the park, the prey trumpets at in joy of having lived to see another day. Sometimes, tourists are spoilt for choice; should they watch the golden sun melt into brightness or the jubilating wildlife that can’t help it spring up on their fours in delight.

But see, the beauty about the Kidepo sun is that it makes uite the entrance and leaves with a bang! As the sun begs to leave, the little animals run off into hiding awaiting the return of their friend the sun.

As seen above the clouds that hover over Entebbe Airport, sunrise is a breathtaking display of radiant colors. Bright streaks of red, orange, yellow and green slowly blend with the deep blue backdrop of the sky.

The result of this combination is a prism of radiant natural colours. As the sun peeks below the skyline, its rays shine brightly and start to warm the air. The views can’t get crazier as the plane descends underneath the cloud to offer views of a glistening reflection of the sun on the surrounding Lake Victoria. It is a charming scene. Fellas, if you ever wanted to propose to her, this could be just the right moment.

Kidepo National Park

6:15am-7am, that’s its time! The Kidepo sun illuminates in this hour, blending into this wild savannah park found at the borders of Uganda and

Lake Victoria

How could this be a list of amazing sunrises without the awesomeness of Lake Victoria? Being Africa’s biggest freshwater lake, that would just be wrong! Not that it is entitled, Lake Victoria, or Nalubale as the locals might call her, avowals of such an enchanting sun. Embracing the showcase to totally, shade upon shade, making for a buffet of sun-

Team work

MeetChurch Smallest the world’s

smallest

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2 UWA team listens at the o cial ceremony

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I will always remember the way I sweated behind the steering wheel as I carefully drove through the bumpy narrow road leading to Biku from Nebbi.

Together with Mubiru, a colleague and Godfrey, a friend, we were on a UN Programme-mission to rediscover Biku.

The damp and heat of February 28th 2015 seeped through my suede jacket, causing my pores to unleash rivers of sweat that soaked my T-shirt.

But I was grateful for the fresh air. It was cooler inside the car. Every progress of the journey drove us to more scenic sights and sounds of the valley rivers along the corridors of Nebbi’s rolling hills.

Kanye West’s

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ntil pictures started sauntering in, instantly sending a wave of exhilaration across the country, US rapper, Kanye West’s visit was but a rumour. Not even a video of the rapper naming Uganda among the countries he would be visiting was believable. Not in the wake of fake news, no Sir. But alas! He came. He saw. He explored and it was surreal.

William Olwoch Lalobo, proprietor of Heritage Holiday Safaris provided the ground transport, and he was Kanye’s tour guide for the day. He gladly retraced Kanye’s journey through the wild, step by step.

To this day, if you ask, Lalobo will maintain that Kanye was definitely seeking inspiration. “He didn’t even have any

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“To see the lion, I had to take the route which has mating kobs,” he explains.

“Chances that you will see a lion here are very high.” These grounds, also known as koblets, often attract many kobs, a specie known to be easy to be prey for the lion.

But before the kobs, Kanye and team would spot the Jackson Arch-beast, which the Acholi people (the tribe that hosts the park), call Apura. t was the very first animal they would see, as a matter of fact, and quickly, the shy animal would run off into the wild, as if to alert the others.

Something wasn’t quite right, not for the controversial rapper, at least. He needed just the right music to set the gear in motion. “In the middle of his game drive, he requested that I stop and that a member of his entourage join him,” Lalobo narrates. “He wanted his ob arley music he specifically wanted to draw inspiration from the song, uffalo

the ele

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ocated in the far orth astern part of ganda, Kidepo a semi arid park and home to many species. Also bordering

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Mountain Rwenzori

Wild Quest

mountain

of debate

Choose between two mountain giants: Rwenzori and Kilimanjaro! I know, right?

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small town subdues the colossal Indian Ocean. Quickly, the untamed ocean turns into a ‘prince’. Diani, a small town in Kenya is definetly where the ocean goes to relax. Here, it magically turns into sparkly clear waters and lush greenery. Oh yes it does! Suddenly, the 10 kilometer stretch is nothing but white sand beaches, crystal clear waters, coastal reefs, palm-tree forests and fresh air. Located far-east of Kenya, it is a paradise! So much so that World Travel Awards even named it one of the five most beautiful beaches in Africa.

Now, beat that!

But you see, to take it all in and have a bird’s view of its unmatched splendor, I would advise you pursue a sky diving challenge with Sky Dive Diani, an aviation agency that offers the adventure all week. Let’s put it this way: the adventure is fun, safe, well organized. But what is an adventure without an awesome dose of adrenaline rush? Nothing, yeah? The crew at Sky Dive Diani know it and boy do they deliver.

Now that’s a debate every mountaineer might wanna indulge in. Not that it is the first it is showing face, this debate has been brewing for a whole five years now, and both mountain giants make quite the mark. Today however, after pursuing both mountains during the dry and wet seasons, our Travel and Conservation journalist Solomon Oleny and View Uganda editor Andrew Kisamba will weigh in.

What a jovial crew, positive and abounding with aviation experiences.

This team comprising of a pilot, instructors and a photographer will happily welcome you into their world of sky-diving. First, they will calm your nerves, an art they have mastered to help prepare you for when the adrenaline shoots through your body. Indeed, what better way to enable you conquer the adventure, even without prior free-fall experience?

L The hike

The adventure will start with you being flown to 12,000 feet aboard a powerful Cessna Caravan 208 plane or a twin engine Piper-34 Seneca. Oh, and this will not happen until after you have been briefed by your tandem instructor. Next will be flying at a 500 horse powers, which is piloted by a captain whose experience in handling any possible flight scenario, takes center of the flight.

As the plane climbs to higher altitudes, the 15 minute scenic flight will uncover more magic.

et’s put it this way, while many a tourist will conquer Kilimanjaro in just five days, Rwenzori takes up to eight days. So first: is time of the essence? If it is a huge factor in your expedition, you might wanna keep that in mind. See, Kilimanjaro is formed as a result of volcanic eruptions and therefore boasts of a free standing mountain with miniature ranges.

Paths snaking to its summit make for a gently rising around the slopes of these ranges.

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sort of plan, he just wanted to connect with nature,” Lalobo begins quite empathically. ut the lions, the buffalos, the cats really, these were definitely a must see. hat would define the game drive, or as they call it in the wild: the trucking route. Lalobo would take the Jesus Walks rapper through Queen trucking route, a path bursting with variety.

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by the

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Mountain Kilimanjaro

VIEW UGANDA - TOUR DESTINATIONS

89 Mweya Safari Lodge The Presidential Cottage

The beginning

At 11am, on Saturday, 13th-October, the guards at Pakuba Airport in the heart of Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park, would receive news of the arrival of eminent guests. 30 minutes later, four planes would touch ground, one of which was a presidential jet.

Kanye West, his socialite and reality TV star of a wife, Kim Kardashian and their daughter North West, emerged out of the presidential jet. With them came a 50 man entourage and a vitality that could only be expressed in the Ugandan wild.

Dive

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Three spacious terraces, fashioned into outdoor sitting arenas make for an enthralling invite. Each designed to help guests explore refreshment, health and also, satisfactory spiritual relaxation.

By Caroline Ariba

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The gip ir

By View Uganda

Tracing

Ugandan foot steps

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first time giraffes were being trans located to Kidepo. e held that move was meant to help stimulate recovery of this rather endangered species.

First, they will calm your nerves, an art they have mastered to help prepare you for when the adrenaline shoots through your body.

A Wild ue

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his nearly 0,000 drop was unearthed by nternational nion for the Conservation of ature C , a body that looks to conserve nature. ganda is not foreign to this bad news. ee, for over four years now, the population of giraffes in Kidepo alley a tional ark has stagnated at a measly . Authorities wor ry that it will get worse espe cially due to natural causes like predation, a thing that affects all the parks.

n an effort therefore to keep the numbers growing, the iraffe Conservation oundation C , an with a foot in conservation and management of Africa s giraffes in the wild, has trans located 10 ubian othschild s giraffes. hese were moved from the country s biggest national park, urchi son, with a conservation area ,8 0km2 to Kidepo. peaking of the decision to do this, ulian ennessy, irector of C , first e plained what they do. he said that their work is inspired by the fact that giraffes face many threats in the wild.

into Diani’s

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Legend has it that around the 15th Century, each Luo family had an ancestral spear it held a very strong attachment to. It was a symbol of leadership and authority.

hortly after driving past Pakwach Bridge, a giant channel that serves as the gateway into the est ile region, the first thing one sees to their left side is a concentration of dilapidated buildings. These are workers’ quarters of the now defunct Uganda Railways Corporation.

Right behind them is ‘Wang lee’, a bushy spot at the quiet banks of the Albert Nile. It is here that the Luo brothers Gipir and Labong uring this event which separated took around 15th century – place in August 2018, after am blood-thirsty hatred shattered their once harmonious relationship. wandha, the new ecutive Insight into the Separation Legend has it that around the 15th irector of ganda ildlife Century, each Luo family had an Authority A , would ancestral a rm spear it held a very strong attachment to. It was a symbol of that the over 100,000 move was indeed funded by leadership C . e and authority. As culture demanded, it used to be passed then noted that this wasfrom/by not the the head of one

Paradise

Sylvester Ochopi, the caretaker, walked to the parking lot to welcome us to rest in the shade surrounded by lush flowers.

He told us that the centre’s history dates back to 1996, when Pastor Song, a Korean, together with his Lordship Henry Luke Orombi, the retired Archbishop of Church of the Uganda, founded it.

Photography

Assegai Business Solutions Ltd.

E GIRAFF

Did you know that the giraffe population in Africa has taken a plunge rue, e perts have since blamed this on the loss of large scale habitat, fragmentation and degradation of their preferred habitat. hey have also blamed disease and the evil that is poaching, despite criminali ation. he long neck beauties were estimated to be 155,000 in 1 85 but dropped to ,000 in 2015.

“The centre’s ministry is focused on spiritual healing for individuals and church groups. It is hoped that those who come here will be able to meet with God in a special way, receive a vision for their future and to become bold soldiers for the gospel,” Ochopi explained.

A

animal roping the

By Solomon Oleny

By Solomon Oleny There are times when you visit a place and it turns out to be a disappointment. Biku Recreation Centre, situated on Biku Hill, 18km from Nebbi town, is not even close to such place.

Apart from its jaw-dropping beauty, the hill boasts of what could be the smallest chapel in the world, standing at a height of 8ft and a width of about 2.5metres.

The place of worship can only accommodate three people, including the preacher.

“A spear in the elephant”, splits brothers for good

: TIME N O DROPS I T T O ST N U M S MIGRA R NUMBE

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Sights and Jingles

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Apart from its jaw-dropping beauty, the hill boasts of what could be the smallest chapel in the world, standing at a height of 8ft and a width of about

DISCLAIMER here as every care has been taken in the preparation of iew ganda, Assegai usiness olutions td cannot take responsibility of the accuracy of information herein or any conse uences arising from it. he views e pressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Chief editor nor those of Assegai usiness olutions td.

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especially in the wet seasons.

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Contributors

A

lagging o the team

By Solomon Oleny

Advertising and Sales el 25 2005050 0 80 2 2 mail go2viewuganda gmail.com el 25 5282 552

A

TURE

I was looking for

Mountain Rwenzori

CA A A KAKA

In the air MAIN PIC

he Sun

iew ganda is the o cial publication of Assegai Business Solutions Ltd. oli house th floor. umumba avenue Kampala ganda ast Africa . . o 800, Kampala ganda el 25 2005050 0 80 2 2 mail go2viewuganda gmail.com www.viewuganda.ug

Editor in chief Kisamba Andrew mail go2viewuganda gmail.com el 25 02 1 212 esign Agency a y esigns td mail a ydesigns2000 yahoo.co.uk www. a ydesigns.com

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A TREE, BEARDED OLD MEN, UGANDA’S BIGGEST

Queens and Presidential suites in untamed wilderness - MARASA Africa

KINGDOM

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By Marina Nankandi ong time ago, a group of grey bearded old men chose a tree shade as a meeting point. he spot, also covered in grass, was where these elders brainstormed about the issues of their di erent communities. i le did they know that years later, this spot would birth a whole kingdom, writes arina ankandi.

h yes! years ago, it is believed that grey bearded men gathered under this tree shade to discuss issues of uganda. Specifically, they talked about issues like health, wealth and general standards of living. hilst brain storming, they would unconsciously weave strands of grass, which in uganda language spoken translates into kulanga. nd somehow, kulanga would morph into ulange, modern day uganda Kingdom head uarters, and home of the kingdom parliament, also known as the ukiko.

the ulange kind of ukiko parliament which impressed rab traders, explorers and missionary s centuries ago.

It begins

The story continues

he first leader was Kintu, in s, Ssempebwa merrily delves into the path that birthed the uganda Kingdom. e fell head over heels in love with ambi, a young lady who hailed from the geye clan. e goes on, efore him, people lived in what is uganda today but were not united by a political entity. hey were split in clan groups.

ulange. It is not an nglish word, no Sir! ot that it needs an explanation, not in ganda. ulange is a word synonymous with power, call it the axis of ganda s most powerful Kingdom uganda. raditionalist will call ulange the seat of power, where all ma ers uganda Kingdom, are decided. id you know however that ulange, a place looming with spacious structures was once just a tree?

hough rich, the uganda history, according to ohn Ssempebwa, deputy C of the ganda ourism oard , has been watered down. ur history has been passed on in oral literature by the fireside, he begins. Conse uently the narrative always takes twists and turns to suit the times and a particular given audience. owever, the facts remain that the aganda have always had a common ancestry and that it was

Since they all spoke uganda, it was easy to bring the clan heads ataka together, it was easy to debate. he pioneer clans were five, comprising of: fumbe, ugave, geye, nyonyi nyange and jaza, he lists. nce in a while, one of the ataka would emerge as the dominant leader. In fact, legend holds that these fights for leadership were how the first king of uganda rose to the throw.

It is believed that Kintu defeated and chased away emba, and soon word of his military prowess would spread across the clans. o avow his position, Kintu inherited emba s homestead which was located in agalabi. nd since then, every Kabaka king has to symbolically be enthroned there, Ssempebwa, tells of Ssemagulu useum based in utundwe, an out skirts of Kampala City.

Decisions chat with bdu Ssemanda, would indeed confirm that it was the embe Kintu ba le that caused a change in the status uo. hat a meeting was held by the ataka, and the sole purpose was to find a way forward. he venue was agonga in usunju County on nono ill, he narrates. Kabaka Kintu had brought a new governance system where the ataka shared responsibilities with him. here he appointed

Paraa Safari Lodge – Queens Cottage The Queen’s Cottage with is mesmerizing view of the River Nile, provides the ultimate comfort. The ueen s Cottage offers a different world of e perience, charm and e clusivity

his is a spacious, 2 bedroom cottage, finely appointed with lu urious amenities. he ideal elegance and an array of uni ue rustic furniture pieces conjures a spirit of intimacy, whilst the soothing interiors emphasize comfort, space and privacy.

The spacious veranda frames sensational views of the Kazinga Channel and the grand designs of mother nature.

with is secluded location and vantage point. It was originally built for the ueen s visit to ganda before her coronation (hence the name!).

The unique architecture compliments the landscaped environment and fantastic views. he grand balcony does not disappoint, boasting spectacular views of lush vegetation and rich wildlife, as well as the famous River Nile. Additional features include: living room and dining area, mini bar, twin bedroom with an en suite bathroom and master bedroom with king si ed bed.

Full Board Rates from USD 935.00 per night Additional features include satellite television, en suite bathrooms and a kitchenette.

Rates from USD 1100.00 per night

The Queen’s Cottage For those of you seeking the ultimate comfort, the 2 bedroom ueen s Cottage offers one a different world of e perience, novelty and e clusivity. he grand veranda does not disappoint, with spectacular views of lush vegetation and rich wildlife, as well as the meandering Kazinga Channel below. ncluded are all the same features and amenities as in the Presidential Cottage.

Rates from USD 1200.00 per night

Chobe Safari Lodge – Presidential Cottage The Presidential Cottage uests wanting e clusivity and unparalleled privacy can opt for this choice of accommodation, situated on a private section of the property. here is a twin bedroom, a double bedroom and a large living room as well as a kitchen. oth bedrooms have an en suite bathroom. here is a guest bathroom in the cottage as well. ela on the private veranda, overlooking the lagoon where buffaloes and hippos wade in the water. This is an e perience to treasure, with the knowledge that no other guest can do the same. An intimate viewing deck where guests

can spot the many ippos, buffaloes, lephants iraffes gives this Cottage a one of a kind e perience in urchison alls ational ark. op all this off with your own private butler and the Cottage is a must stay at Chobe afari odge. otable guests include egional heads of States, Kim Kardashian est Kanye est.

Rates from USD 1200.00 per night

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A big allo to

Jambo

View Uganda eaders,

e are here again to bring you some more intriguing and insightful articles into what makes ganda one of the most awe inspiring travel destinations in the world. e are very proud to have been part of this great ourney of marketing destination ganda throughout 2018, and the last four years. e have continuously provided you with non stop, updated information about destination ganda through www.viewuganda.ug and www.facebook. com iewuganda on a daily basis. Continue visiting us. n this dition, we bring you ganda s most fascinating sunset spots that may make you wonder off into a painting. Also in ild uest, racing Kanye est s footsteps while at urchison alls ational ark. n ifestyle, we have focused on the genesis of the ourney of even ills and its never ending

magnetic effect to travelers. e also nearthed est ile s ighest oint, ount ati with its breathtaking iriadua alls and the camping e perience therein. ou will also en oy nside the world of ueens and residents as we take a visit to arasa Africa s u ury Accommodation facilities.

Cultural, we discover how ganda s biggest kingdom ukiiko evolved to its current state. e believe that you will have a thrilled ourney through ganda. e thank you so much for your continued support which has enabled us to en oy arketing ganda as one of the best ravel destination, since 201 .

Andrew Kisamba, Chief ditor

“Defining Uganda’s Hospitality since 1969”

Andrew Kisamba

+256 789 493088 | +256 414 259571/1 booking@fairwayhotel.co.ug | www.fairwayhotel.co.ug

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In the a MAIN ir PICT UR

E: La ke Vi ctoria

he Sun

I was looking for

A sun so fascinating that you wonder off into a painting, wanting to clutch onto the feeling for good y iew

T

ganda

he sun. o, actually, sunrise and sun set. es, that s the topic. t might be a common appearance, a routine to be taken for granted until one day, ust one day, it grips you. A sun so fascinating that you wonder off into a painting, wanting to clutch onto the feeling for good. hat folks, that right there, is the magic of the sun h, and boy ganda boasts of varying landscapes and features which offer uni ue vantage views of the un. o, taking to a way of life that involves tracking the sun, ravel ournalist Solomon Oleny, spent the past si years tracking the sun and will spill the tea. e will tell of points where he looked on, spellbound, took his hat off and bowed in respect to the golden beauty that is the setting and rising sun. ostly picking nine vantage points around ganda, he will help where you too can bask in the glory of the rising and or setting sun.

Mountain Rwenzori

A powerful sensory e perience. A kiss by the rising sun. iercing through the dark l

ike a boastful torch only to emerge at the summit of the ountain. he wen ori sun delivers the news of a good day with such primacy. nce tangent to the hori on, it makes sure to blow your mind, lingering yet determined, this sunrise is everything and more t starts out as a small and rosy glow. umble really lowly, it works its rays, slithering to the peak of the mountain, all the way from the hind mountain tops where the clouds dilly dally and places its firm grip to the top. Adorning pride, it lights up the snow atop the mountain with a golden colour and locks it into an embrace than could only be e uated to a mouthwatering ice cream made of oranges. t is not a million dollar view, no t is legendary And see, the reward with summiting wen ori is it offers a chance to see the first rays before they can penetrate through the clouds to the earth the summits are past cloud level . hile the people at the foot of wen ori have to wait till 0am before confirm ing it s a new day, mountaineers atop awake to it as early as 10am 15am,

especially in the wet seasons. ou know, due to their high altitude over 5,000meters above sea level , summits like argherita and tanley are generally cold, sometimes icy, if not frosty. o surprise the sun here is like pure love, gliding its warmth through you.

Lake Bunyonyi

hat could be better than tracking the sun whilst on Africa s second deepest fresh water ake es, after ake anganyika, unyonyi is the deepest lake. ow, beat that he lake, like a gentle valley guarded by hills, has unpredictable weather changes. ne minute it s a hot a furnace with temperatures shooting all the way to 0 degrees, the ne t its cooler than a mortuary. ne thing is clear, the sunrise in unyonyi is all about the chase. npredictable and such a tease, almost hard to tell when it will rise or set, or if it will even surface that day. hould it rise however, looking every bit pampered, well rested, gentle but loud, it will be worth the chase. he beauty it e udes has seen it make it to many a postcard. A blend of serenity of shimmer, dodgy but present, shy and assertive, basically,

memorable. t is no wonder that over 20 powerhouse icons have flocked the scenic attraction that boasts of over 20 islands in the last five years. Amongst many, these include ill gates, uel antana, resident aul Kagame and Alicia Keys.

outhern udan. And with it comes uncontrolled e citement among prey, especially herbivores. uch include the buffaloes, kobs and antelopes all of which spend their nights in fear of being pounced on by predators with sharp night vision, like the lion.

In the air

winging and playfully tearing through the park, the prey trumpets at in oy of having lived to see anoth er day. ometimes, tourists are spoilt for choice should they watch the golden sun melt into brightness or the ubilating wildlife that can t help it spring up on their fours in delight. ut see, the beauty about the Kidepo sun is that it makes uite the entrance and leaves with a bang As the sun begs to leave, the little ani mals run off into hiding awaiting the return of their friend the sun.

As seen above the clouds that hover over ntebbe Airport, sunrise is a breathtaking display of radiant colors. right streaks of red, orange, yellow and green slowly blend with the deep blue backdrop of the sky. he result of this combination is a prism of radiant natural colours. As the sun peeks below the skyline, its rays shine brightly and start to warm the air. he views can t get cra ier as the plane descends underneath the cloud to offer views of a glistening reflection of the sun on the surround ing ake ictoria. t is a charming scene. ellas, if you ever wanted to propose to her, this could be ust the right moment.

Kidepo National Park

15am am, that s its time he Kidepo sun illuminates in this hour, blending into this wild savannah park found at the borders of ganda and

Lake Victoria

ow could this be a list of ama ing sunrises without the awesomeness of ake ictoria eing Africa s biggest freshwater lake, that would ust be wrong ot that it is entitled, ake ictoria, or alubale as the locals might call her, avowals of such an enchanting sun. mbracing the showcase to totally, shade upon shade, making for a buffet of sun

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rise. ometimes too bright, then la y, then shy, then loud you name it o be sure your memory card has enough space before you set foot here. esides having a refreshing bree e that carries pristine air, the lake offers stunning views of birds with impressive plumages. ne such is the Kingfisher, a species skilled at fishing. magine watching the sun rise and be in the presence of the lake s nature. ust imagine that

Lake Albert

ere, the catch is seeing hypnoti ing reflections of the clouds in the water as they paint the skies. hey float like pink feathers from gigantic flamingo birds. o not forget to kick back in the evenings as you rela with a cold beer in hand as you watch the sun take leave. atching it shy away behind the hori ons, you might think its pouring gold into the lake. or an e tra thrill, you can behold it in an evening boat cruise.

Lira

ike a cake plate, the landscape of most parts of ira is so flat. his makes it effortlessly easy to capture asym metrical silhouettes of different ob ects and creatures during sun sets. ven more e citing, most residents hold strong attachments to a simple way of life. As such you are almost guar anteed of walking away with pictures that depict the rich traditional way of life. he indigenous African way of life,

to be precise. t could be the picture of a woman carrying a baby on back while concurrently balancing a pot on her head. t could be the picture of a herdsman leading his cattle back to their kraal or even, kids dancing by a thatched hut.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

he birds have a song to welcome the sun. o windi, has a party going on, call it nature s own party And the sun, shy at first will savor the welcome, teasing, shy at first then slithering through the tall trees like a ueen play ing hide and seek with her king. atching the sun paly in the ungle, folks, what s not to love And the ungle music, a tune soothing, as if nature has a party, a party so real it turns the birds into live bands of sorts. simply must confess, could never cease to be ama ed by windi. ot even after eight years of doing nature photogra phy could throw in the towel. orget the birds for a second, however hard that might be. magine a rising sun in a park that boasts of over half the population of the world s remaining mountain gorillas. magine knowing that a silverback somewhere nearby is waking too to the warmth that is the windi sun. magine that

Bishop Hanington site,

rowing up as a child, ve always known light to be symbolic of hap piness and darkness to be doom. might no longer be a child, but still

Rwen z MAIN ori Nation al PICT URE: Park Kidep o Nat

ional

strongly subscribe to this thought, especially whenever think of day and night. hile most heartwarming things happen during day, heartbreaking tragedies like murder wait for nightfall. hat separates the two time ones is sunset. eholding sunset at the ishop anington ite in uyende mirrors before me 2 th ctober 1885. n this day, life was sucked out of the poor Anglican ishop the same way darkness sucks life from day at sunset. A visit here will leave you in

awe of nature s ability to retell the story of how the ishop was martyred at the orders of Kabaka wanga. t has mastered the art of recapping it in an artistic way, without triggering so much remorse really.

Guide to beholding the sun

he best time to see ama ing sun sets and sunrises is the dry season. t fall in the months of une, uly and August. n the morning and evening

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hours of these months, sunlight takes a longer path through the atmosphere due to the low angle of the sun. ow angles provide a more colourful spectrum of co lours compared to high ones.

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ike other creations of nature, the appearance and disappearance of sunlight doesn t have a fi ed routine in term of time. owever, the most scenic glows in gan da are usually seen between 15 5 am. n the other hand, unset comes through from 15 0pm.

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Sights and Jingles

SmallesteetChurch the world s

smallest Apart from its jaw-dropping beauty, the hill boasts of what could be the smallest chapel in the world, standing at a height of 8ft and a width of about

By Solomon Oleny There are times when you visit a place and it turns out to be a disappointment. Biku Recreation Centre, situated on Biku Hill, 18km from Nebbi town, is not even close to such place.

Apart from its jaw-dropping beauty, the hill boasts of what could be the smallest chapel in the world, standing at a height of 8ft and a width of about 2.5metres.

The place of worship can only accommodate three people, including the preacher.

I will always remember the way I sweated behind the steering wheel as I carefully drove through the bumpy narrow road leading to Biku from Nebbi.

Together with Mubiru, a colleague and Godfrey, a friend, we were on a UN Programme-mission to rediscover Biku.

The damp and heat of February 28th 2015 seeped through my suede jacket, causing my pores to unleash rivers of sweat that soaked my T-shirt.

But I was grateful for the fresh air. It was cooler inside the car. Every progress of the journey drove us to more scenic sights and sounds of the valley rivers along the corridors of Nebbi’s rolling hills.

Sylvester Ochopi, the caretaker, walked to the parking lot to welcome us to rest in the shade surrounded by lush flowers.

He told us that the centre’s history dates back to 1996, when Pastor Song, a Korean, together with his Lordship Henry Luke Orombi, the retired Archbishop of Church of the Uganda, founded it.

“The centre’s ministry is focused on spiritual healing for individuals and church groups. It is hoped that those who come here will be able to meet with God in a special way, receive a vision for their future and to become bold soldiers for the gospel,” Ochopi explained.

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Arguably the worlds smallest church

“Africans like to be on the move, so it was felt that providing nine prayer points would create a comfortable setting for people to pray, praise and meditate on God’s word,” he added.

The hike to prayer points ho n ed us o he rs climbing challenge destined for prayer point one, which sits on the highest peak of the hill.

None of us had climbing gear, but the hiking challenge turned out to be only half sd ul ho h d exaggerated a bit. We made it to the peak within 15 minutes.

At the top, we found a big cross at whose feet four pilgrims were meditating on the Lord’s Prayer.

Opposite was Prayer point two, a Lilliputian building constructed in remembrance of Jesus Christ. To its eastern and western walls are 12 windows reminiscent of the 12 disciples.

grims in of two pil n o ti a g a congre nt leads A celebra church. e mass at th

a holy

Ochopi said it is at this prayer point that pilgrims pray for Uganda’s neighbouring countries namely Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Kenya, for spiritual revival and peace. We got a splendid panoramic view of the roaring Namrwodho Falls, which is home to rear bird species such as the shoebill.

Overlooking the falls are the rolling hills in the Democratic Republic of Congo, whose border is w h n w l n d s n e ro u. o n o r yer o n hree w s l le d ul be use he slope was steeper.

Many a time, we literally sprang from one spot to another downwards, only to step on fresh dung of baboons or step on sharp pointed rocks.

This point was built in the shape of Africa and has two entrances. The building has 10 windows symbolic of the 10 commandments, on which people can meditate while here. It is purposed for praying for all African countries, especially Islamic countries.

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od.

rayer point si was given the shape of an altar, as a testimony to the fact that the church is a living offering to Christ s mission. ough stones on the cross signify that Christians are living stones .

tu e As the sun s rays started to seep through the thick canopies of the forest trees, we strolled to a large tran uil flower garden.

At its three tips were prayer points four, five and si .

Time for a break

church Bethel e h t d lle It is ca hurch. c t s e ll ma s, the s s point r e y a r f the p ll. allest o fa The sm e smallest o h t s i d an

After the first part of the tour, we sat down to rela at the gardens. odfrey and ubiru chose to make the most of this break by tracking baboons and monkeys in the ungle surrounding the hill. gave in to the seduction of the garden s spongy lawns. here was something new and e citing to discover in the gardens at every turn.

rayer point four is shaped like a heart as a sign of esus Christ s love and has a cross made of stones to signify the years of esus life. rayer point five is in the shape of an arrow head to signify the speed of the youth.

The caves

chopi soon led us to the seventh prayer point a round building symbolic of the world. his point is situated behind a towering rock at whose base, a natural open ended cave curves.

rayer point five has windows representing the books of the bible windows at the back for the ld estament and 2 windows on the front for the ew estament. ts three doors are shaped like a man standing, representing those who are e uipped

o give us a pinch of the suffering esus went through in his life, we were obliged to crawl through from one end to another. he terrifying bit of this five minute crawl was the darkness inside the cave, plus the fear that it might collapse and bury us underneath. he smallest church At the eighth prayer point, better known as ethel Church, inspiring architecture ushered our adventure to its clima . ere stands the dwarf building.

At its entrance, there are 12 windows representing the 12 stones on Aaron s breast plate 12 tribes of all the saints . he ceiling has seven beams representing the seven colours of the rainbow, which is symbolic of ods promise never to destroy the earth with floods again like in the days of biblical oah.

One o f the

many medi tating arena s atop Biku hill

hrough its eastern window, could see the cross on the highest peak at prayer point two a view which, according to the guide, reflects the need for Christians to always look up to esus. urprisingly, small as it is, its construction cost up to bags of cement. t was built to last at least 500 years before its foundation weakens.

Adventurers behold across at the highest point of the hill.

The fam ous Na mwrod the Bik ho river u hill.

as behe ld from

earby are two prayer points which are shaped in the form of a womb, and the main chapel, which is basically a vast chapel with a capacity of over 00 pilgrims.

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Wild ue

Tracing

Kanye Westâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Ugandan foot steps hree spacious terraces, fashioned into outdoor sitting arenas make for an enthralling invite. ach designed to help guests e plore refreshment, health and also, satisfac tory spiritual rela ation. y Caroline Ariba

U

ntil pictures started sauntering in, instantly sending a wave of e hilaration across the country, rapper, Kanye est s visit was but a rumour. ot even a video of the rapper naming ganda among the countries he would be visiting was believable. ot in the wake of fake news, no ir. ut alas e came. e saw. e e plored and it was surreal. illiam lwoch alobo, proprietor of eritage oliday afaris provided the ground transport, and he was Kanye s tour guide for the day. e gladly re traced Kanye s ourney through the wild, step by step.

The beginning

At 11am, on aturday, 1 th ctober, the guards at akuba Airport in the heart of ganda s urchison alls a tional ark, would receive news of the arrival of eminent guests. 0 minutes later, four planes would touch ground, one of which was a presidential et.

Kanye est, his socialite and reality star of a wife, Kim Kardashian and their daughter orth est, emerged out of the presidential et. ith them came a 50 man entourage and a vitality that could only be e pressed in the gan dan wild. o this day, if you ask, alobo will main tain that Kanye was definitely seeking inspiration. e didn t even have any

sort of plan, he ust wanted to connect with nature, alobo begins uite empathically. ut the lions, the buffalos, the cats really, these were definitely a must see. hat would define the game drive, or as they call it in the wild the trucking route. alobo would take the esus alks rapper through ueen trucking route, a path bursting with variety. o see the lion, had to take the route which has mating kobs, he e plains.

Chances that you will see a lion here are very high. hese grounds, also known as koblets, often attract many kobs, a specie known to be easy to be prey for the lion.

ut before the kobs, Kanye and team would spot the ackson Arch beast, which the Acholi people the tribe that hosts the park , call Apura. t was the very first animal they would see, as a matter of fact, and uickly, the shy animal would run off into the wild, as if to alert the others. omething wasn t uite right, not for the controversial rapper, at least. e needed ust the right music to set the gear in motion. n the middle of his game drive, he re uested that stop and that a member of his entou rage oin him, alobo narrates. e wanted his ob arley music he specifically want ed to draw inspiration from the song, uffalo

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soldiers. nce they brought the ob arley music, alobo recalls Kanye insist ing that the bravery and fighting spirit line, be replayed several times. e loved that part so much, and coupled with the energies from the wild, he seemed to get really energi ed, he recalls.

Emotions run wild t wasn t the buffalo that set pace for the most emotional stop of the day, albeit very essential to the trip. t was the elegant giraffe that did. According to alobo, in the heart of the game drive, they would come across a tower of at least 25 giraffes. A beaming Kanye would uickly ump out of the truck, drunk in the wonders of the gandan wild, and run towards the tower of giraffes. is face was filled with emotions

and he was ust full of energy alobo recalls. e hoisted the daughter shoulder high, alobo re counts e pressively. A fa ther daughter bond oo ing through every second was displayed for the wild to see. e started running, actually sprinting, so he would touch the giraffe. es, Kanye wanted to touch a giraffe, and he wanted that for the little est as well. oon the entire crew, made up of not ust family, but security and producers too, were running along. e wanted to touch it. e wanted his daughter to also feel it.

Kanye had definitely come to bond with nature, alobo adds. And the giraffes, elegant as always, scam pered away making for what looked like an animal print runway.

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everyone to see, and the tune of ob arley s uffalo soldiers to go with it. he sandy parts of the path would also reveal that hyenas would be somewhere close by.

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Again, you can only trace this if you have good knowledge of the park, no shortcuts here, alobo laughingly boasts. his is why we advise tourists to always come with a guide that has knowledge of the park. he clima omething else would soon catch their attention, a story about a bird. hey were uite thrilled by the Abysinia ground hondel. his bird only lays two eggs male and female, and mates ust once it s entire life, alobo would tell a very shocked Kanye. he entire crew would not stop looking at the bird that seemed content sitting by the tree.

Another bird would soon fascinate the crew the carmine bee eater. hat a beauty they all seemed to e claim. Clad in a tur uoise and fancy orange, this bird knew all eyes were on it and decided to linger, maybe even pause for the camera. Kardashian known for her curves was singing praise of the little show off that now flapped its tiny wings for its audience. irst, the coloration is spectacu lar alolobo e plains. Carmine what a beautiful bird with long tail. e would later point it out on the

Facebook: Royal kuku

re trace ourney, and without a doubt, the maker of the carmine bee eater bird went all out. ut until they came across a pride of lions, Kanye was not done. he lions were well rested when we spotted them, alobo narrates. hese are sometimes playfully, or might have ust caught prey and would be panting e citedly at the feast ahead, but not

on that day. ee, the safari started when it was already hot, and that meant the cats would hardly be hunting. owever, it did not matter to Kanye, he was very contented and said he was now ready to leave the park, alobo concludes. t was a success As the music kept playing, nature gave the visuals to what looked like a very inspirational moment for Kanye. Animals

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Wild ue locked horns, others paired up and matched across the path, going about their business. he affair between the open savannah and the ile engulfing the air and whispered through the wind and whistling of the kobs. Kanye, Kim, orth est and the entire crew would bid their farewells.

Facts about Murchison Falls National Park preading across 8 0 s uare kilometers of mostly open sa vannah, urchison alls ational ark is the biggest national park in ganda. ocated in the orth and orthern part of the coun try, it encompasses Karuma and ugungu ildlife eserves, that are a must see. t gets its name from urchison alls, found on the longest river in the world iver ile. r as the ganda ild life Authority would describe, thunderously e plodes through a meters gorge on the ift al ley scarpment and drops to meters below through a series of cascades from here it becomes a calm river and its banks are crowded with giant crocodiles, buffaloes, hippos as well as wa terbucks.

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And accompanying the scenic waterfalls and the ile is a vege tation comprised of woodland, avannah grasslands plus riverine forest. ts wildlife includes chim pan ees, tree climbing lions plus ganda kobs, plus a variety of bird species among which are the uncommon shoebill. urchison alls ational park which is the country s largest park is habitat to a number of wild African savan nah and divided by the great river ile, A states. he populations of wildlife in the park has greatly recovered from the severe poaching that hap pened in the 1 80s within the verdant borassus grassland ust north of the iver ile you will commonly come across giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, plus a di versity of antelope species during the game drive. abongo orest found in the southeastern part of the park, is habitat to chimpan ees plus other rainforest species. ot to forget that the iver ile it self is habitat to one of the largest populations of hippos and croco diles in the world, in addition to a diversity of water bird species like the most easily accessible popu lation of the uncommon shoebill tork in the world.

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The royal transport glamour Occasionally they carried it by hand especially if the king in question had a fright for landing hard on the ground

By View Uganda

T

oday, transportation is no longer ust about getting from point A .

Comfort takes center stage. or that, the means one uses matters. sually, Kings use the best there is by virtue of their status. istory has it that the case wasn t different in ganda prior to colonialism. hen, itters were the in thing for kings. or those who have been living under a rock, a litter is a class of human powered transport operated the same way as stretchers. ypically, most took the shape of an open chair or bed sheltered by single

doored umbrellas made of plant fiber or leaves. hey were supported by two parallel handles made of hardwood that don t break easily, like mahogany. pon these ends, the king would be ferried by two or more sub ects depending on his weight. hough most sub ects preferred placing the carrying poles upon their shoulders as it was effective. ccasionally they carried it by hand especially if the king in uestion had a fright for landing hard on the ground in situations where porters miscalculated their strides or slid. ainly used among the ima, ru, Kiga and unyoro Kingdoms, litters were in two types. ne for the rainy seasons and one

The king using litter transport

for the dry. hile the shelter of the former was usually thatched tightly to prevent easy penetration of water. he latter was made of colourful hand woven reeds. o ensure that the King got the best litter there was. owerhouse artists in the kingdom were usually tasked with designing the most durable and colourful samples. rom their collection, the best was picked. n appreciation, its maker was awarded with cattle if from a pastoral tribe. f from a farming tribe, they were usually awarded with chunks of land upon which till. n comparison to the kings, the ueen s litters were more airy with small compartments where their snacks and necessities would be kept.

All said, the culture of using litters was legendary. t deserved to be preserved for eternity. adly, things didn t work in its favour when the wind of change

swept through ganda following its coloni ation in late 1 th century. he influ of ritish colonialists ushered in automobiles which could travel at blinding speeds. his wasn t the case with litters as it was powered by human labour, and thus wasn t time saving when it came to travelling far and fast. or that, many Kings left it in the past and moved on. eferences ribal crafts of ganda by argaret trowel and K. raunholt ango i kara acon ango before colonialism , ather Angelo arantino

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“A spear in the lue elephant”, splits brothers for good Legend has it that around the 15th Century, each Luo family had an ancestral spear it held a very strong attachment to. It was a symbol of leadership and authority.

By Solomon Oleny

S

hortly after driving past akwach ridge, a giant channel that serves as the gateway into the est ile region, the first thing one sees to their left side is a concentration of dilapidated buildings. hese are workers uarters of the now defunct ganda ailways Corporation. ight behind them is ang lee , a bushy spot at the uiet banks of the Albert ile. t is here that the uo brothers ipir and abong separated around 15th century after blood thirsty hatred shattered their once harmonious relationship. nsight into the eparation egend has it that around the 15th Century, each uo family had an ancestral spear it held a very strong attachment to. t was a symbol of leadership and authority. As culture demanded, it used to be passed from by the head of one

The g ipir le ge

ing sw eads be b l a y o The r hter. ’s daug Labong

e d by th allowe

ndar y

spear

being

throw n tow ard

s the

eleph ant

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lue generation to that of another. he practice signified the continuation of that particular lineage. n most cases, this recipient was the first born son of the family in uestion. n the other hand, the second born would be given royal beads, a symbol of grace. hen it dawned on the father of ipir and abong that his time for crossing the great divide was not so far, he called his two sons to his death bed for a last blessing. he biggest highlight of the event was the handover of the family spear to abong as he was the elder son. ipir was given beads, as he was the unior son. n a fateful chilly morning, an elephant invaded a backyard garden belonging to abong, who at the time had gone on a hunting spree. he garden had pigeon peas, a favourite delicacy to the giant mammals. n seeing the elephant, abong s wife made an alarm crying for help. ipir who happened to be at home dashed into the house of abong, randomly picked the nearest spear and speared the elephant enthusiastically. he sharp spear sank so deep into the elephant s body. he poor thing fled out of sight into a distant forest in agony. t turned out that he had been struck using the legendary spear.

According to r. dwin athum alusiga, former rime inister of the Alur Kingdom, this didn t go well with abong who was greeted with the news upon his return from the hunt. is blood boiled with fury. ithout the slightest consideration to the fact that the move was done with good intentions, ipir ordered his brother to follow the elephant and recover the regalia, says athum who also doubles as a lecturer at Kyambogo niversity.

e was to never return in the event that his pursuit ended in vain. ipir s pleas to replace the spear with another one fell on deaf ears. eft with no choice, he eventually submitted to the re uest and left for the forest amidst despair that he wouldn t make it back alive. ee, the forest, as e pected, was a habitat for various beastly predators. enomous snakes, forest leopards, buffaloes and lots more. he more he penetrated deeper into it, the more his legs sustained sores that frustrated his movements. efore long, the sore turned into a serious sickness that threatened to swamp the little life he had left. e was stuck in there for weeks with no one to help him. hen it seemed like it was the end of the road for his battle to keep alive, a miracle happened.

An old kind woman to whom the forest was home came to his rescue. ay after day, she nursed him till he recovered. hanks to this reinforcement, he was able arise to his feet and track the elephant still with guidance from the ood amaritan woman. appily, he eventually found it lying dead in the middle of the forest. espite ipir s return, abong still awaited a ripe opportunity for revenge. is wait wasn t in vain. ne day, one of his royal beads was picked and swallowed by one of abong s daughters. e couldn t be happier demanding for the bead like his whole life depended on it. ipir s cry to make it up to him didn t yield fruit. here was only one way out. e was to slit his child s stomach open, killing her, after which he was to pick the bead. t was a painful sacrifice as the victim was his favourite child. his incident ushered in a turning point for these two brothers and their descendants.

No one with ill- motives has successful crossed â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the axe spotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Afraid that the worst would still await them if they stayed together, the brothers agreed to go separate ways. n this regard, they buried an a e at the the present day ang lee spot, ust a few meters from akwach bridge, opposite the former railway uarters. ang lee translates as the spot of the a e. hile ipir migrated to the present day reat est ile region and some parts of Congo, abong headed to orthern ganda. ince the split, never in history has anyone from the abong lineage successfully crossed this bridge. o be specific, no one with ill motives against the people of est ile has made it across, swears alobo muleme i a spiritualist at the site who has

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lived in akwach for the last 8years. e e plains that when the warrior priestess Alice akwena and her troops attempted to cross over it in the mid 1 80s to terrori e the est ile fraternity, over 0 of her troops mysteriously fell off the bridge and drowned, never for their bodies to be recovered. imilarly when the ord s esistance Army ebels followed suit in late 1 80s, they also lost several of their troops mysteriously, never to be found again. ardly has a year ever gone by without someone drowning at the bridge. hough no convincing answer has been found to this uestion, muleme i suspects that these victims were possibly up to mischief when crossing the bridge.

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By View Uganda

lue

Kisiizi falls

Chances are high you’ve seen Kisiizi falls before—and—vowed not to revisit it because there wasn’t much inviting about it except for its rich history. You were disappointed and bitter because you deserved better as you had traveled for hundreds of miles for. Try walking down that road again and I bet you’ll be left breathless. It has changed out o ll re o n on ro ully fled ed destination to a hub of adventure diversity.

Tucked right behind Kisiizi Hospital, a church founded hospital in the ever hilly u un r sr s s or er execution arena where Bakiiga girls who conceived before marriage met their death. Among the Bakiiga tribe, proper child upbringing is taken with a great deal of seriousness as it’s the basis for continuity. It is partly for this reason that the upbringing of a child was entrusted with a clan as opposed to individual parent. Getting pregnant before marriage was considered proof that a particular lineage had failed in nurturing their little ones. It was a disgrace. It is against this background that any unmarried girl who

got pregnant was punishable by death.

“To be exact, they would be pushed o he l o re n n lley lon wh h flows n e los e w er ll. s over a century now since a victim was executed.” says Moses Mugume, a senior Administrator at the Hospital There is something for everybody. For the adrenaline junkie, a zip lining excursion awaits you. It is a network of four chords suspended over 15ft above the ground.

That might sound like an easy pie, but it is as high as two storied buildings. Let’s put it this way, it’s the kind that will push you to the limits yet keep you begging for more because its gear is as reassuring as the positive energy of the men who man it.

For the love birds or rather nature lover, among the things you should brace yourself for is a bridge(look up its name).

Standing here, you feel every splash of the falls as it takes a plunge. It’s a refreshing splash, but certainly not as rejuvenating as the calls of the birds that keep appearing and disappearing out of site, just like the rainbow that tops its beauty.

For the artist, there are new vantage points from which you can behold the

Tucked right behind Kisiizi Hospital, a church founded hospital n he e er h lly u un r sr s s or er e e u on arena where Bakiiga girls who conceived before marriage met their death.

The juncti on linkin g to Kisiiz gamo- Ka i off Ntun bale Rd of power Hydro

l hospita Kisiizi

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Each of these is angled in a way that will blow you away or rather leave your head bustling with ideas.

And then there is the statue.

It’s a four dimension statue designed to illustrate how the execution used to happen.

Standing at its North, you’ll see how the victim was dragged to the edge by her brother at the orders of bitter elders. In her brother’s eyes, you would see someone struggling on the inside as he is emotionally attached to the beloved soul begging for mercy before him.

All this while, she would be h n o se hersel ree wh le cursing the pleasure that left her heavy with the baby. From the East, you would see her plummet through the air before landing on the rocky bottom of the falls. The force with which she would land was always so strong for her to survive. From the West you see the arrival of the missionaries who came preaching positive change and further ushering the turning point of Kisisizi by putting up a hospital for the community.

Where locals and would be victims of the practice would be nursed and attended to as they gave birth.

What particularly moves most visitors about this statue is how it embodies distinctive

the attraction. The curb is likely to cost you at least 40,000sh.

Be sure to carry with you clothing for cold weather, Kisiizi’s weather can mean to be so nerve wrecking sometimes.

One that boasts of infrastructure that grace tourism sites. That can only be Kisiizi falls.

A history about it being one of the execution arenas where

qualities a statue stands for.

WOW-factor, durability, ability o e or lessly ell s ory.

The project was primarily sponsored by three parties who initiated it in a bid to heighten s ro le n b d o ener e funds from the hospital. The Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, South Korean Government and well-wishers of the hospital.

Ooh, I almost forgot to mention that there are community visits too and medical tourism at the hospital.

Travel tips At the moment, there are not so many facilities at the site as it is a newly emerging destination.

However, the few that are there do not disappoint.

Accommodation costs roughly 20,000sh. In other words, if you wants to invest in Tourism, you can’t go wrong with this attraction. The big news is that our s r o he l e s increasing as it is among the key projects Government is marketing.

For the budget traveler, bus fares to Kisiizi costs roughly 30,000. At the moment, there is only one bus that makes direct trips to the site. If you miss this one, don’t panic. You can still make it by boarding a bus that will drop you at …., the last main trading center from which one can pick a curb leading to

Bakiiga girls who got pregnant before marriage breathed their last.

It is structured in a way that one can carry out a self-guided tour. Right from the main roads, here re s n os s o o er direction all the way to the site.

Better still, most of the game have instructions at their feet.

Front vie wo the backg f the statue with K round isiizi falls in

t –Front pper righ the U , e tu a of the st zi falls in Side view statue with Kisii e th view of

The muse um

constructi on in Late

2016

e site ring th lo p x e s ist tic tour Domes

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excursions not miss when in Destination

Uganda

t s perhaps because of these gifts that we are labeled the earl of Africa. y olomon

U

leny

ganda is a gifted country across all fronts from our diverse culture, our delicious gourmet foods to our creative yet entertaining traditional dances. ur welcoming, warm, receptive people make ganda stand out of the lot. ganda s uni ue, unpredictable, great weather makes us the best place to find yourself on this rock we call earth. t s perhaps because of these gifts that we are labeled the earl of Africa. owever, among the gifts we possess, our holy trinity food people dance makes ganda the most ideal country to visit. ganda is renowned for its diverse food species that sit on tables daily. estau rants knit these food species on their menus because they are hugely de manded by many people. hat makes these foods special hey vary with different cultures. ach part of ganda seems to have its special foods that

which, furthermore, makes the country the place to be especially if you love treating your palate right. rom the central region, astern region, orthern region, estern region to the outhern region, food varies by geography and culture. hese are a mi ture of nglish, Arabic and ndian influences. n the other hand, the dances and traditions too vary with different backgrounds and regions.

Central Uganda he central region of ganda which is predominantly uganda is synony mous with foods like uwombo. t s an indigenous stew that is made of chick en, mushrooms, fish, beef, g nuts, and well wrapped in banana leaves. ou will love it. ow do you eat uwombo on t sweat it uwombo is best eaten with bare hands. imply wash your hands and sit through this dish which is e pertly wrapped hence forming a bow el like form. or a yummier taste, it is accompanied with atooke, a starchy

type of banana which is harvested green and mashed into a meal. t s a delicious combo that goes beyond turning on your appetite it gives the tongue a tickling sensation. As culture demands, you will see aganda women kneel down while serving it or any other food. Kneeling in this part of the country is considered an act of respect for people and submission. t is partly for this reason that women greet anyone senior to them on bent knees. he only time their men kneel is when they are greeting the King, locally known as Kabaka. uwenda utebi is the incumbent Kabaka. uwombo is served in most restaurants in the central region. o downtown of Kam pala and ask for uwombo from one of the restaurants and you will have it for an average of 2 . hey also serve it in the upscale restaurants of Kampala for an aver age of 8. herever you chose to have it, tag along with an e uivalent of the men tioned money in gandan shillings. ost restaurants only transact in local currency. he payment mode is cash, the culture of

transacting using credit cards hasn t yet picked up. ust as food is music to the palate, music is food to the soul. n the central region, the commonest dances are called aakisiimba, ankasa and uwogola. All of these entail wiggling one s waists vigorously like they are possessed by spirits. hese traditional folk dances originated from the palace of the Kabaka over 200 years back. he key in strument used to fire them up is a long drum made of tough skin, of python snakes. hile grooving to them, dancers drape co lourful ra as around their waists to flirter the movement of the waists. ately, such danc es are being revolutioni ed by mainstream artistes like ebe Cool, avio, A i A ion, et al, who have created songs to appeal to the youthful populace of ganda.

Eastern part of Uganda he eastern part of ganda is famous of alewa. f you are looking for a fantastic lunch food that will keep you going till the ne t breakfast, you ll be sorry to miss this meal. t is made from smoked bamboo shoots and always served with matooke or

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stiff millet bread. f you are ever in the eastern part of ganda, perhaps visiting t. lgon, visit a restaurant in bale town and ask for alewa. ou will regret why it took you so long to dis cover this delicacy. A plate goes for roughly ,000 ganda hillings. hat s roughly 2. hat s uite an e citing price, but certainly not as moving as rongo, alufuka and amenaibuga, some of the dances in this wing of ganda. hese dances are a sign of unity and friend ship. obody else dances them better than the a soga tribe. till in the ast, the tesot tribe have a popular dance called Akembe. he music for this dance is played softly on melodic instru ments like the thumb piano akogo and the flute. t s soothing and catchy yet entertaining.

Western Uganda estern ganda is dom inated by an egalitarian group of towering tall people with thin necks, dark gums, long soft noses and big hips. he men are agile. he women have an ample girth and chocolate skin comple ions. hey are gorgeous. ost tribes here especially ahiima, anyankole and atoro are mainly cattle keepers. o, everything re garding milk, you can get it from this hilly region. his is the hub of ghee and butter.

Commonly known as the land of milk and honey, you will get foods made out of milk here. ne such is sh aabwe, a ghee sauce made by old women in a room where they have to keep uiet. ee, it is the believed that talking makes the delicacy which is served in clay pots turn out unin viting. n the other hand,

the accompaniments such as buro mingled millet , mingled matooke, cassava, g nuts, are served in hand woven basket plates. sing energy derived from such foods, the anyan kole groove to kitaguriro dance. ou shove your arms in the air and off you go stomping the ground. he dance demonstrates the people s love for their graceful cattle which are symbolic of wealth. he cattle breed has long horns and the hands imitate the long horns. A flute is played through as the dance goes off. his dance always takes place on weddings, parties, and events. f you dig deeper into the outh estern part, in the areas of Kige i, the com monest foods there are rish potatoes and sweet potatoes. eople here are called akiga. hey are re nowned for their unrivalled

strength and power. A power they are more than happy to highlight in their rare danc es like ki ino dance. his dance entails umping and stomp the ground endlessly. t s entertaining to watch be cause there is much power used which makes it more fun. hey also take fermented porridge called nturire. t s a local brew that will make you happy at a sip of it, if you know what mean. f you desire to watch the above dances or any that from any other part of gan da catching up with dere, a professional group of local dancers should be on your bucket list. hey are based in Kisaasi Kampala . n trance tickets to this outdoor music theater cost roughly ,000 gandan shillings 10 . heir shows are held on ednesdays, aturdays and undays between pm 10pm. or details, visit them on ndere.com or call 25 1 22 1 Northern Uganda he commonest food in the northern part of ganda is alakwang. t is the out come of simmering okra, a sour finger like vegetal with moderate heat and later pasting in it peanut butter plus minimal salt. he result is not only a feast for the eye but further a ustification for one to drool. he biting source tastes better when served with millet bread or

sweet potatoes. o say the least, the food is mwwaaaah hh, or as the rench say, h l l urprisingly, it came to table as a last resort during drought periods when there was nothing else to eat. he main ribes from this part of the country include Alur, angi, Acholi and adi. hese people are strong and seemingly thick with a dark color skin comple ion. hey are soft spoken and beautiful to the core. heir main music instruments of preference are drums. he Acholi people have dances like arakaraka that is always performed on weddings and other prestigious cere monies. hey have another popular dance called wola that is always performed by elder men and women. f you are young, you sit and get entertained. here is also the ing ing ance that is always performed by young girls in the region. ere, their movements are meant to im itate the birds. hey dance to attract the young boys who are always watchful of them after coming of age. he Alur otherwise en oy their Adungu dance, a dance named after a traditional guitar made of cow skin and small strands of sisal ropes. he mainly iggle with their elbows. treet food n ganda, we don t wear ole , we eat it but never get any bowl complications after.

hat s because the role we eat isn t the watch but rather chapatti and omelet. any love this street food to bits because its cheesy taste in the mouth is nothing short of incredible. etails about tribes here are close to 5 tribes in ganda. hese fall in four main groups, ilotics, antu, ilo imites and astoral ists. he dominant tribes are those under a kingdom set ting. hese include anyoro, atooro, asoga, anyan kole, agisu, aganda, agwere, Acholi, apadhola, Karima ong and many more. hese people speak in their respective languages. ven though one can easily under stand what another is saying, the languages remain differ ent. or e ample usoga is sound to uganda. his is so because all these tribes belong to different groups and subscribe to divergent traditions. f you come down to ganda, you will easily notice this. here to buy crafts Cultures are also conveyed through crafts made from materials like wood, reeds and local materials. hey mainly found in ational parks and touristic parts of Kampala like craft markets, gift shops, art galleries, hotels and heatres. uch include ational heater, anana oat and uganda oad craft village, et al.

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And yet that is not even the e citing part. ee, the adrenalin rash that is the catch here is no e perience uite like that. mean the riders come face to face with death on a daily, they break every rule possible to maneuver through the tricky Kampala tra c. hey basically live their lives on the edge, and yet here you are clinging onto them for the ride.

Journey,

Best kept secrets orget about the even onders of the orld, Kampala has millions of wonders. verywhere you look is a wonder on two legs, a wonder of a vehicle, wonder of a motorcycle, wonder of a vendor, a wonder of a tra c o cer. owever, the following are the most uni ue to the city and arguably found nowhere where else in ast Africa.

of seven hiLLs

How can we talk Kampala and not talk the Kasubi tombs? ee, Kampala city is hosted by a tribe called the aganda. his tribe has a kingdom called uganda, and their kings are laid to rest at the tombs. o ing with culture, the tombs take traditionalism to the ne t level. mean, com plete with thatch and bamboo, the tombs are a picture of how true gandan royalty should be laid to rest.

et this, for a country with about 0 million people, nearly 2 million reside in Kam pala alone. h, and that is not even inclusive of those that come in for a night or two of party, or purely business.

By Solomon Oleny

L

et s take a walk back into time, shall we he colonial times, that is. o, the year is 1 0 , and a little known place is about to embark on a ourney of its life. Calm, inaudible and home to wild life, this little place located in ganda s Central region is a tale of humble beginnings. he locals called it Kumpala where the mpala are . ow that would later morph into Kampala is not really clear, but historians might argue otherwise. hey insist that it had to be the influ ence from the many tribes that soon stormed this little place. ut why was everyone seeking out Kumpala And that s the story ee, news would soon emerge that the nited Kingdom K , had declared this little place a town o people from across the country travelled to, but never really left it was a magnet of sorts. n 1 , now an established and rather busy town, would grew some more, the administration noticed and it was granted a municipality status. t got

better in 1 2, when ganda attained its autonomy from the K, Kampala, the biggest town then, was declared a city.

Kampala today ou might have heard the phrase, the City of seven hills , mattered in refer ence to Kampala. ell, here is why n its initial growth stages, ganda s Capital city sat on seven hills, you know, now called the historical hills.

And no, they bore no fancy names, typically gandan ulago, Kololo, Kibuli, ubaga, amirembe, akerere and of course Kampala hill itself, now called ld Kampala hill. oday however, the seven hills have had at least 18 hills curved out them. nteresting, ha hese hills are ld Kampala, engo, amirembe, ubaga, akasero, Kololo, Kibuli, sambya, aguru, buya, akerere, ulago, u iga, utundwe, utun go, Kireka, akindye, and anda. ell, if you read closely, you will notice that some of the original hill names still surface that was because the locals chose to keep the names.

et this, for a country with about 0 million people, nearly 2 million reside in Kampala alone. h, and that is not even inclusive of those that come in for a night or two of party, or purely business. hat aside, how about we start with the mode of transportation, this you will agree in not one to forget.

What is a story about Kampala without the boda-bodas? orget your fancy cabs which by the way are available in plenty , the motorcycle better known as the oda boda, is an e perience to write home about. hese guys will ma neuver through anything, to beat the city tra c am and get you anywhere in a heartbeat. And if it is nglish you speak, it will be nglish they will speak, however patched up. ou will be accoded title based on what they think you look like u eyi old man , manager, boss, bebi babe , ugaga rich , et al. he list could go on for days, basically, they will flirter you in the only way they know how.

f still looking for a bit more history, Kampala City hosts the ganda useum, art galleries and even better, the ational heatre, where you will find nothing short of gandan enter tainment. ut before you leave town, you could check out the ndependence monument, a tale of the freedom ganda gained from then colonial master ritain.

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Do you love architecture? mean, the traditional religious kind hen make sure to check out the cathedrals sitting still in some of the original hills. rab a boda boda, make your way up old Kampala, to the amirembe or ubaga Cathedrals. hese, like all the tradition al cathedrals, are the true depiction of ancient and artistic architecture.

Nightlife Kampala s nightlife and places to hangout oday, Kampala is a city that knows no sleep, not even in the night or, at about 8 00pm, many streets in these hills are all lit up and the air coated with all assorted meats. he sound Web: chezjohnsonhotels.com of music booming from a nearby but unseen bar wafts in to punctuate what by now is a silence induced serenity on the streets.

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he same sound will later aggravate to a real concert like cadence as if to evoke a competition of sounds from the neighboring bars. atter of fact, it is like a mini carnival of sorts as the locals race to their favorite hang outs to happen as is termed in this part of the ast Africa. he music will range from the local tunes, to the international you know a fusion that should have all and sundry catered for, in this daily carnival of sorts. he outskirts of Kampala, mostly, those that harbor swanky apartments seem to be the home to the posh bars of town. ou won t be disappointed if you went to ugolobi as bars like a ville, abiiros, and atto atto are armed with theme nights tailored for every personality on every day of the week. rom rock to the cra iest of dance hall music.

And neither will you fail to get your money s worth if you went to tinda as places like ask lounge are armed with such e otic ambiences that will perhaps, embrace and comfort you.

All of them have co y interiors, punctuated with comfy leather couches in appealing colors. owever, the cra y nights of Kampala actually happen at places that wouldn t e actly pass for e otic. laces whose structures seem to portray a shoddy idea of what they will be when they are finished. laces whose unfinished look inadvertently makes them pass for arty anti ue structures. And that s where you meet the archetypal Kampala night life. egends bar in ugogo is awash with corporates every night of the week. hile afta comedy lounge, the home for the rowdy music cli ue, eam o leep, is awake starting onday, well, to onday. he astafarians are a common out here. Club Amnesia is also alive too, with no particular famous theme night.

Clubs like silk, uvnor, industrial area second street and first street pub, anamera, are also a must visit, ma orly, because ganda s celebrities musicians and socialites are regulars at them. t is only in this city that you find the synony mous term of a bar hopper because a happening night is one where night lifers move to at least three bars in one night.

Lake Victoria raditionally known among the antu tribes living at its shores as yan a, ake ictoria is the ultimate haven to cool off steam after a fulfilling day of adventure in the organi ed disor gani ation of Kampala.

Aside from having an endless list of white sand beaches, this gorgeous lake which prides in being Africa s biggest freshwater lake covering a surface area of over 8,000s uare kilometers also comes across as a one stop water adventure destination offering priceless opportunities like sports fishing,

sailing, canoe races, et boats among others, all of which awaken all the si senses. n terms of nostalgic e periences, the pristine lake is adored to no end by lovers for its golden African sundowner and sun rise that effortlessly re uvenate the sense of wonder. hether you watching it at the shores of an island or at the banks, the water is uick to mirror every inch of the suns enchanting reflection. As she the sun buries itself over the hori on, it appears like it pours molten gold into the lake. f you are big one birds, e pect to see over 200 bird species that will spoil your ear drums with their soothing calls and songs. ost sought among these are the African fish eagles and the lusive shoebills both of which e hibit a graceful character to remember.

Old Kampala Mosque ranted, ld Kampala os ue is not the most admirable mos ue there is in the world, nor is it the least impressive. owever, for most adventurers in pursuit for religious tourism, it is ust right offering a sophisticated taste of elegance, architecture and brilliant artistic inscriptions from all the si continents of the world. he construction of the mos ue which has a 200 year lifespan, stalled after Amin fled ganda follow ing the overthrow of his government in 1 . oday, it is one of the largest mos ues in the world and seats up to 15,000 worshippers and can hold another 1,100 in the gallery and over 2,000 in its lower terrace. Aside from offering an impressive history and culture, the house of worship which was named after fallen ibyan resident uama ada has a distinctive inaret which stands at over 100 feet atop old Kampala ill and 1,210 above sea level. rom here, adven turers can get some much

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needed fresh air from the hot day plus the most breathtaking 0 degrees of Kampala and the seven ills of Kampala. o other hill in Kampala offers such.

Travel tip adies, please adorn a long dress and cover the hair when visiting the os ue provided . or a paltry hs10.000 a non citi en can e plore the holy sanctuary.

Namugongo Martyrs shrine Approaching it from afar, your eyes will be treated to whitish pinnacle competing for attention with the co y blue skies in its background. As you draw closer, you are struck with a divine feel of a holy sanctuary overseen by an imposing giant shrine in the shape of an African hut supported by 22 copper pillars.

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his is amugongo artyrs shrine, a Catholic church dedicated to the artyrs of ganda who shed their blood because of the Christian faith on une , 188 , during the reign of wanga, the King of uganda then. ike a typical evine sanctuary, it is overwhelmed from unday to unday by thousands of believers who come to honour and pray to od through the intercession of the twenty two ganda artyrs. n honour of work e ecuted by t.

Charles wanga when still a page in King wanga s palace who spearheaded the e cavation of the legendary Kabaka s lake at engo, a artyrs lake was e cavated ad acent to the shrine. ight at its center is afloating circular pavilion where o cial prayer ceremonies like artyrs day on une are graced by more than 00 priests and a number of ishops. As all this goes on, pilgrims often draw water from the lake and later given testimonies about its healing power. ucked 15 kilometres east of Kam pala, off in a oad, the house of worship which hosted ope rancis enedict in 2015, is the biggest religious tourism attraction in ast Africa. t receives an annual influ of a mammoth 5 tourists from all the si continents under the sun.

Walter boda boda city tours oda bodas, a type of motorcycle ta i, are the biggest means of getting around Kampala. alters boda boda, a city tours company, for e ample, gives tourists adventure e periences that will make for an e ploration of the A of Kampala. alk e ploding landscapes and culture, the little known pasts that have since shaped, you name it, and this reconnaissance will have it. oing by the patience of the folks be hind the handle bars, it is uite easy to tell they are not the usual boda

well known for abusing riding eti uettes. hey are professional biking tour guides, the type that genuinely want you to have a good time that will live with you forever. ith pudding basin helmets fastened around their chins, tourists will slither through the tailless tra c am that has diseased Kampala s roads as their guides waft into their ears nourishing historical particulars about ganda that you can never find in any book.

Among the places to see in the first leg of your day long adventure include the seven hills upon which the city sits, a uent neighbourhoods of Kam pala, the organi ed chaos of Kampala, ahai emple, and addafi os ue in ld Kampala. ampling traditional gandan dishes for lunch will be followed by a second leg of the adventure which is by far a mi of cultural and historical tour.

Among the many destinations on the itinerary include, sampling mwenge bigere a bitter sweet traditional brew made from fermented banana s uice at uganda arliament, the ubiri palace , a visit to Kabaka s lake, the only man made lake in Kampala for an up close with over 200 white egret birds and over 00 weaver birds among many.

Idi Amin Torture Chambers At around 1 00hrs the tour is crowned with a visit to an under ground five roomed arsenal at the ubiri constructed by ictator di Amin, to serve as torture chambers for his political threats most of who were from the tribes of uganda and ango. adly, the arsenal continued to serve as a safe house even after resident Apollo ilton bote ousted Amin and took over power in 1 80.

According to amalie a tour guide at the palace, none of the 200,000 plus victims who were brought here ever escaped death. hile some were

butchered into unrecogni able pieces, others were either electrocuted or starved to death. amalie elucidates Travel tip or a full day s e pedition, 0 should be enough. his covers at least ourism attractions and gandan e periences. he online travel advisories should help with bookings. t helps to tag along with protec tive gear such as umbrellas and rain coats. Kampala s weather is uite unpredictable. he trip gets a tidbit chilly as the bikes accelerate or speed.

Accommodation ike most cities in ast Africa, while most budget accommodations are found in the heart of the town, most high end hotels with the e ception of three star hotels are found in the outskirts of the town, away from the hustles and bustles of the town. n terms of price, while most budget accommodations range between 1 0 depending on sophistica tion of services offered and location, most high end accommodation range between 0 200 per night, full board.

Best time to visit hough the months of an April come across as a favourite of many tourists because the weather is ust perfect for outdoor adventure, Kampala can be visited in anytime of the year.

Dine outs and directions eals in Kampala are e pected to be long but not overdue and it s very common for waiters to hang on. o this effect, don t be surprised when your waiter brings you the bill before you are done having your last swallow. earning some uganda and attempting to use it will win you points with gandan restaurants and get you served promptly. esidents generally speak uganda with a wahili dialect, which can be unrecogni able even to native speakers. a, a shortened

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form of the word wewa, is used when asking for locations of places, structures or destinations.

hopping imilar to the rest of ast Africa, many gandan businesses, shoping places and foreign e change points take a break on undays. his however, is uickly starting to change with the increased inu of tourists in the country. uring the week, many of these open 1MPU #MPDL from 8am and close at 5pm or much 5BOL )JMM 3PBE .VZFOHB later when the sun is burying its self.

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owever, one stop shopping outlets like hoprite, ame, uskys among

others tend to work alittle longer even on weekends. Kampala also boasts of

good coffee shops like Caf avas, Caf

ap, Caffesserie, ood African coffee shop among others. uckily for the typical tourist who can t wait, shopping villages where touristy items are sold inclusive of uganda oad craft illage, ational theater, a nana village and sambya can open at short notice even during unoffcial hours.

All it takes is a serious phone call and condiser it done.

All in all, in any kind of shopping outlet, it s appropriate to greet employees even if you do not buy anything with a humble gyebale pronounced eh bale . hough less formal, yebale should su ce. hat, and a tidbit of humility will open a door to a very kind and courteous.

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This is Namugongo Martyrs shrine, a Catholic church dedicated to the Martyrs of Uganda who shed their blood because of the Christian faith on June 3, 1886, during the reign of Mwanga, the King of Buganda then.

Like a typical Devine sanctuary, it is overwhelmed from Sunday to Sunday by thousands of believers who come to honour and pray to God through the intercession of the twenty two Uganda Martyrs.

In honour of work executed by St. Charles Lwanga when still a page in King Mwangaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s palace who spearheaded the excavation of the legendary Kabakaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lake at Mengo, a Martyrsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lake was excavated adjacent to the shrine. Right at its center is afloating circular pavilion where o cial prayer ceremonies like artyrs day on June 3 are graced by more than 300 priests and a number of Bishops. As all this goes on, pilgrims often draw water from the lake and later given testimonies about its healing power.

Tucked 15 kilometres east of Kampala, off in a oad, the house of worship which hosted Pope Francis Benedict in 2015, is the biggest religious tourism attraction in East Africa. t receives an annual influ of a mammoth 5M tourists from all the six continents under the sun.

Walter boda boda city tours Boda-bodas, a type of motorcycle taxi, are the biggest means of getting around Kampala. Walters boda-boda, a city tours company, for example, gives tourists adventure experiences that will make for an exploration of the A-Z of Kampala. Talk exploding landscapes and culture, the little known pasts that have since shaped, you name it, and this reconnaissance will have it.

Going by the patience of the folks behind the handle bars, it is quite easy to tell they are not the usual boda;

well-known for abusing riding etiquettes. They are professional biking tour guides, the type that genuinely want you to have a good time that will live with you forever.

With pudding basin helmets fastened around their chins, tourists will slither through the tailless tra c am that has diseased Kampalaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roadsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as their guides waft into their ears nourishing historical particulars about Uganda that you can never find in any book.

Among the places to see in the first leg of your day long adventure include the seven hills upon which the city sits, a uent neighbourhoods of Kampala, the organized chaos of Kampala, ahai emple, and addafi os ue in Old Kampala.

Sampling traditional Ugandan dishes for lunch will be followed by a second leg of the adventure which is by far a mix of cultural and historical tour.

Among the many destinations on the itinerary include, sampling mwenge bigere a bitter-sweet traditional brew made from fermented bananaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s juice at Buganda Parliament, the Lubiri (palace), a visit to Kabakaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lake, the only man-made lake in Kampala for an up-close with over 200 white egret birds and over 300 weaver birds among many.

Idi Amin Torture Chambers At around 17:00hrs the tour is crowned with a visit to an underground five roomed arsenal at the Lubiri; constructed by Dictator Idi Amin, to serve as torture chambers for his political threats most of who were from the tribes of Buganda and Lango. Sadly, the arsenal continued to serve as a safe house even after President Apollo Milton Obote ousted Amin and took over power in 1980.

According to Damalie a tour guide at the palace, none of the 200,000 plus victims who were brought here ever escaped death. â&#x20AC;&#x153;While some were

butchered into unrecognizable pieces, others were either electrocuted or starved to death.â&#x20AC;? Damalie elucidates Travel tip For a full dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expedition, USD 30 should be enough. This covers at least 7 Tourism attractions and 7 Ugandan experiences. The online travel advisories should help with bookings.

It helps to tag along with protective gear such as umbrellas and rain coats. Kampalaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weather is quite unpredictable. The trip gets a tidbit chilly as the bikes accelerate or speed.

Accommodation Like most cities in East Africa, while most budget accommodations are found in the heart of the town, most high end hotels with the exception of three star hotels are found in the outskirts of the town, away from the hustles and bustles of the town. In terms of price, while most budget accommodations range between USD17-70 depending on sophistication of services offered and location, most high end accommodation range between USD70-200 per night, full board.

Best time to visit Though the months of Jan-April come across as a favourite of many tourists because the weather is just perfect for outdoor adventure, Kampala can be visited in anytime of the year.

Dine outs and directions Meals in Kampala are expected to be long but not overdue and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very common for waiters to hang on. o this effect, don t be surprised when your waiter brings you the bill before you are done having your last swallow. Learning some Luganda and attempting to use it will win you points with Ugandan restaurants and get you served promptly. Residents generally speak Luganda with a Swahili dialect, which can be unrecognizable â&#x20AC;&#x201D;even to native speakers. Wa, a shortened

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form of the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;wewa,â&#x20AC;? is used when asking for locations of places, structures or destinations.

Shopping Similar to the rest of East Africa, many Ugandan businesses, shoping places and foreign exchange points take a break on Sundays. This however, is quickly starting to change with the increased inux of tourists in the country.

During the week, many of these open 1MPU #MPDL from 8am and close at 5pm or much 5BOL )JMM 3PBE .VZFOHB later when the sun is burying its self.

,BNQBMB 6HBOEB

However, one stop shopping outlets like Shoprite, Game, Tuskys among

others tend to work alittle longer even on weekends. Kampala also boasts of

good coffee shops like Caf avas, Caf

ap, Caffesserie, ood African coffee shop; among others.

Luckily for the typical tourist who canâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;t wait, shopping villages where touristy items are sold inclusive of Buganda Road craft Village, National theater, Banana village and Nsambya can open at short notice even during unoffcial hours.

All it takes is a serious phone call and condiser it done.

All in all, in any kind of shopping outlet, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appropriate to greet employees â&#x20AC;&#x201C; even if you do not buy anything with a humble gyebale (pronounced jeh-bale).

Though less formal, Gyebale should su ce. hat, and a tidbit of humility will open a door to a very kind and courteous.

USPPTIPUFM

www.troos hotel.com

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most sought PuB

BRIsK

Y

By Solomon Oleny ou will fall in love with risk from the first day your taste buds meet its avorful foods or drinks. hey have all it takes to satisfy your gustatory lusts and keep you wanting for more. risk is an all in one eat out, drink out and entertainment hub found in an easily accessible spot in ampewo venue Kololo, one of ganda s most a uent neighborhoods.

It is comprised of an executive cafe where you can have one on one meetings, a vibrant lounge where you can catch up with friends and a restaurant where you can tease your taste buds. ll these se ngs have a relaxing atmosphere and refreshing vibe. risk is topped with timely service as inspired its name. It comes from a word that describes something that is active and energetic. his makes the restaurant a great place to drop by for lunch. ou ll be able to have your meal in time and a er catch up with o ce schedule.

Since its establishment over two years ago, the restaurant has earned its self a reputation for serving food with a consistent enriched taste. ccording to enry

ujuni, the manager, this has been achieved

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e is adorned with fresh owers. he most endearing part of the story is that the so music in the background too measures up to the hype.

by developing a step by step guide to cooking that chefs rely on. s such, the foods have that authentic taste no ma er the chef on duty. ne bite is all you need to appreciate their succulent yama bu et. It features beef steak, goat, fish and pork all of which are served with three spice levels, mild, medium and hot. It costs only , with a so drink. unch starts at .

noon and ends at .

pm.

ike these four meats, the other alarcartes are also made using farm fresh supplies. hey avoid using fat as an ingredient. risk gets cozier at night thanks to its warm lighting and superb interior design which

Brisk Restaurant

Our Services Restaurant, Cafeteria, Bar Contact us Tel +256 393 372 331 Plot 6 Wampewo Avenue - Kololo www.briskrestaurant.com

ven the guitarist is very tasteful.

If you are searching for a charming se ng to have that candle light dinner with her, this might do. She will feel enchanted.

If you love hot beverages, you can thrill yourself with great gandan co ee at the lounge. It a racts mostly company executives as it is uite distinctive from the traditional caf . It is an elegant outdoor living space with deligh ul aromas of confectionery inclusive of cakes in all avours, pies, mu ns and candies. ou ll most likely run into that C you have been dying to meet but haven t registered much luck. on t leave the lounge without exploring its wide selection of cocktails, most of which that are not common in Kampala. ne such is Kavuyo, an iconic tongue teaser served in a calabash. Its a hectic mix of ganda waragi s coconut avour, co ee, passion fruits, honey, orange slice and fresh lemonade. ou will be at a loss of words when it s avours hit your senses. Says illy Kamugisha , one of the regulars I bumped into on the day of my visit. ne of the lounge s biggest assets is that it is well ventilated and doesn t feel stu y. ere, you will come across lots of like minded folks who know how to strike a conversation.

he crowd here is mostly the city s upper crust and corporates who love catching up with friends while listening to electrifying mixes. lthough the lounge is close to the restaurant, it s music doesn t interfere with its peace as it s walls are sound proof.

Best days to be here If you love wines, the best days to be here is Sunday, onday and uesday evening from . pm to . pm. It s a first class ticket for you to have a main course meal with a friend and get a glass of wine as a complementary at only , for the two of you. ednesday is custom made for you and friends who love complementary cocktails. It starts from . pm to . pm. ll cocktails throughout the night are at half price.

For details, visit www. briskrestaurant.com or call 0393372331/0755936644

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The m a show in displa y are casin n g an array a at Balim the cr a afts h nya’s gall ery e ma kes.

e

rubberbracelets Rubber are on The

bracelets

vogue

By Andrew Kisamba

W

What really happens to car tyres when they are not on the tarmac?

Joel Balimanya has the answer. He is an artist. A unique artist with artistry and talented hands. Joel turns car tyres into magnificent, creative materials.

He makes bracelets out of these recycled tyres, thereby contributing to to environmental conservation.

Bracelets that are on vogue. He

doesn’t do bracelets only, because Joel is quite a talented young man. In the process, he makes wall hangings, lamp shades and sandals/gladiators.

Joel is a soft-spoken lad, slouched in his chair in his little studio at Zainab Plaza on Entebbe Road. His workplace looks nothing, but an artistic studio with car tyres littered everywhere. is finished materials sway admiringly on the walls. And on his desk lays a catalogue of cut rubber, a smorgasbord of irons and tyres. He is making sandals. Classy

sandals in car tyres; they look stylish and trendy and they have these Kitenge fabric attached to them.

How did he start doing this unique idea? “I just picked a rubber and started playing with it,” Joel says. wanted to be different. wanted to do something elegant for the upper class people to buy, he adds. And, indeed, they are different.

They are not your normal sandals. They are not your normal bracelets either. They look elegant and durable. Stylish and unique. I love their uniqueness because you won t find these materials anywhere else. If you do, they don’t match these. And for the trendy, fashion-forward people, these materials are for you.

The Ceramics Diploma holder, Joel started his art business in 2012. The start wasn’t easy as every startup. “People used to ask me whether they cause cancer and they wouldn’t buy them. They don’t cause cancer. We used to even put on lugabile when we were still young,” he explains. He soldiered on, even when people feared them because they might cause cancer. He built his castle out of these tyres and the rest is current affairs. Currently, he owns his own art studio, Zzula Art. Zzula is loosely translated as discover. He discovered art and he discovered how to turn tyres into creative material.

The feedback has been good for him, at least from the time he started. He targets the upscale clientele, the kinds that have an eye for artistic things. In a month, oel makes close to shs2 in profit. ood business. He is not complaining. Actually, he is complaining, because location has been one of the biggest problems he has encountered. “Very few people climb up here to buy my stuff. wish was in an ideal place, like Kampala Road. Plus, being in a country where people don’t appreciate art is also a problem. You are not sure what you will get at the end of the day,” he stresses. Joel has exhibited in primary schools in Germany. His dreams are valid, just like Grammy Award winner Lupita. He hopes to own an art gallery of his own. And he wants to cut through the international market, to sip on the fountain of euros and dollars and pounds.

His pieces are not expensive as you would think.

Artists always have a tendency of hiking the price of their material, but not Joel. Bracelets go for shs10,000 and shs15,000. The sandals are for shs30,000. He is in the future, because these creative, unique, artistic materials are on vogue. It is their uniqueness that sells them out. Their durability cannot be gainsaid. And they are comfy and simple to put on. They stand out, like a sore thumb. They are the pillars of dapperness.

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uneaRthIng west nIle's hIghest PoInt mount watI

mIRIadua

By Fay kakai

falls, aRua

y very first mountain climbing a empt was ount ati, in rua district, est ile. ount ati stands at approximately , meters above sea level and it is believed that back in the day, rebels used to hide in the mountain to monitor advancing government soldiers. oday, the mountain makes for a great hike, a chance to bond with nature and an opportunity to experience very scenic views from the top.

I arrived on a riday just before sunset and set camp right

next to iriadua falls. he falls are stunning and the gushing sound made the campsite feel very homey, as if to say welcome, you are not alone. iridua falls made for a practical camping spot too as the cascading water created a great shower spot that evening. y trip was during the dry season and our guide, erald Iga, insisted that we didn t even witness half the beauty of the waterfall, as it gushes with even more power and vigor during the rains. he next morning, myself and the group I travelled with, begun the much anticipated hike. e drove about one hour from iriadua falls to ount ati and started our hike from the base of the mountain at about am. he climb was a test of perseverance and patience. rekking through savannah grassland and steep rocks, we felt the hot est ile sunrays on our backs and stopped occasionally for rest and my personal energy boost of water mixed with glucose , ground nuts and biscuits. ur guide was very helpful and he led us as we navigated the rocks, at some points on all fours!

It s hard to describe how thrilling and enjoyable the experience of mountain climbing is. s you climb, all vanity

ceases and all dependency relies on your instincts and other ature.

Climbing with a group is a bonding experience like no other. s much as you have yourself, I d say a first timer is more likely to summit when climbing with others. s the great frican proverb goes, If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. ne step at a time as you climb and truly living in the present moment, you never uite know when exactly you will reach the top as it all depends on the group pace. e encouraged and supported each other along the way and through dry grass, through bush and thicket, through the rocks, we kept ascending. he summit was surreal. sense of accomplishment engulfed as I overlooked the vast savannah. t that moment, we were standing at the highest point in est ile! riumph and jubilation filled the air. I rested, relaxed, took pictures and gazed at my surroundings. I was proud of myself, and I knew that very moment would be indelibly etched in my memory. he mountain decent was a shorter expedition though nonetheless challenging. Resisting the pull of gravity, we made our way back through the rocks and eventually onto the mainland. I completed the hike at about pm and headed straight to camp to freshen up, enjoy a bonfire and indulge my palate with local dishes of angara, enyasa and osubi. n Sunday, we made our way back to Kampala. oth fatigued and excited, nostalgia for ati and the entire experience immediately sank in as we set o . n our way,

we stopped at the market to buy some kitenge ast frican co on printed fabric which is much more a ordable in the est ile region than in Kampala city. I still haven t made a dress out of my kitenge, but when I do, I know that I ll have something to remember my first mountain climbing experience and the glory of the est ile.

Footnotes: Catch more from ay Kakai on her website www.khukyenda.com and on social media khukyenda rip taken with our guide

ountain Slayers ganda

erald Iga

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lagging o the team

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N O I T MIGRA MBERS U N E F F GIRA

By Solomon Oleny Did you know that the giraffe population in Africa has taken a plunge? True, experts have since blamed this on the loss of large scale habitat, fragmentation and degradation of their preferred habitat. They have also blamed disease and the evil that is poaching, despite criminalization. The long-neck beauties were estimated to be 155,000 in 1985 but dropped to 97,000 in 2015.

This nearly 60,000 drop was unearthed by International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a body that looks to conserve nature.

Uganda is not foreign to this bad news. See, for over four years now, the population of giraffes in Kidepo alley ational Park has stagnated at a measly 34. Authorities worry that it will get worse especially due to natural causes like predation, a thing that affects all the parks.

animal roping the

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OP R D T O MUST N n an effort therefore to keep the numbers growing, the iraffe Conservation oundation (GCF), an NGO with a foot in conservation and management of Africa s giraffes in the wild, has trans-located 10 Nubian/ othschild s giraffes. hese were moved from the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest national park, Murchison, with a conservation area (3,840km2) to Kidepo. Speaking of the decision to do this, Julian ennessy, irector of C , first explained what they do. She said that their work is inspired by the fact that giraffes face many threats in the wild.

During this event which took place in August-2018, Sam Mwandha, the new Executive Director of Uganda Wildlife Authority A , would a rm that the over $100,000 move was indeed funded by GCF. He then noted that this was not the first time giraffes were being trans-located to Kidepo. He held that move was meant to help stimulate recovery of this rather endangered species.

Located in the far North Eastern part of Uganda, Kidepo a semi-arid park and home to many species. Also bordering

riefing the team

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calves of giraffes over other prey like kobs and antelopes. This is partly because they are easy to hunt down as they are not fast runners compared to small prey.”

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ir ets do the

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South Sudan to the North and Kenya to the East, this park has been known to make the giraffe feel more at home. ulian Fennessy will argue that this is because the park has food in abundance for the giraffe. ood such as, Acacia (Vachellia) and Combretum both of which dominate the savanna systems,” she explains.

recall came at a time when the population had dwindled from over 400 (in 1960s to early 1970s) to ust about 1 0 giraffes in 1 82.

UWA’s Mwandha, is quick to blame this drop in numbers on poaching, a malevolent which thrived in 1980s, when Uganda was struggling with guerilla wars.

No wonder, back in 1999, one male and two females were airlifted from Kenya’s Nakuru National Park to Kidepo. This if you may

A lot was needed to sustain wars and just stay alive, so this beauty became a target of the communities living within the park

he giraffe s predicament

and many a guerrilla fighter. t was a full fledged business their skins were used to make durable sandals, their tails were harvested to make flying whisks for chiefs. wandha notes however, that this is not that much of a threat as UWA rolled out an immense sensitization of the communities. peaking of the giraffe s predicament, Dr. Patrick Atimnedi, the Senior Manager Veterinary Services-UWA e plains the predation effect. hat is now a threat is the abundance of predators especially lions,” he starts.

“They have a strong preference of

According to Dr. Atimnedi, their decision to translocate the giraffes is partially inspired by the need to create a fall back plan just in case any disaster befalls the population that seems to be flourishing in the orthern part of Murchison falls national park. One such thing is the ongoing oil exploration which could cause a spill. It is partly for this reason that over 0 giraffes have been translocated from the same zone of the park over the last three years alone.

It started with the translocation of 15 to Lake Mburo in 2016. This was also in response to the invasion of the A. hockii, a species of acacia trees which was quickly eating up the park and causing an imbalance in the eco-system. The next lot of 37 was translocated to the Southern wing of the park in an effort to boost its tourism portfolio offering. his was back in 2017.

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llan at work

tu e On a good note, having settled into their new homes, both populations seem to be flourishing. or instance, the Lake Mburo lot has registered two new births, both of which were successful. Maybe the 10 transloacted to Kidepo will have new calves. he giraffe numbers must not fall.

ruck on the move

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Dive

into Diani’s

Paradise

First, they will calm your nerves, an art they have mastered to help prepare you for when the adrenaline shoots through your body.

By View Uganda

A

small town subdues the colossal Indian Ocean. Quickly, the untamed ocean turns into a ‘prince’. Diani, a small town in Kenya is definetly where the ocean goes to relax. Here, it magically turns into sparkly clear waters and lush greenery. Oh yes it does! Suddenly, the 10 kilometer stretch is nothing but white sand beaches, crystal clear waters, coastal reefs, palm-tree forests and fresh air. Located far-east of Kenya, it is a paradise! So much so that World Travel Awards even named it one of the five most beautiful beaches in Africa.

Now, beat that!

But you see, to take it all in and have a bird’s view of its unmatched splendor, I would advise you pursue a sky diving challenge with Sky Dive Diani, an aviation agency that offers the adventure all week. Let’s put it this way: the adventure is fun, safe, well organized. But what is an adventure without an awesome dose of adrenaline rush? Nothing, yeah? The crew at Sky Dive Diani know it and boy do they deliver.

What a jovial crew, positive and abounding with aviation experiences.

This team comprising of a pilot, instructors and a photographer will happily welcome you into their world of sky-diving. First, they will calm your nerves, an art they have mastered to help prepare you for when the adrenaline shoots through your body. Indeed, what better way to enable you conquer the adventure, even without prior free-fall experience?

The adventure will start with you being flown to 12,000 feet aboard a powerful Cessna Caravan 208 plane or a twin engine Piper-34 Seneca. Oh, and this will not happen until after you have been briefed by your tandem instructor. Next will be flying at a 500 horse powers, which is piloted by a captain whose experience in handling any possible flight scenario, takes center of the flight.

As the plane climbs to higher altitudes, the 15 minute scenic flight will uncover more magic.

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Do not fret, before the jump, the instructors will make lots of double checks to ensure everything is not only safe but also comfortable for you.

Thereafter, you will make baby steps to the exit point of the plane. Then gently and ever so cautiously, you will be securely attached to the front of your instructor. oom ff you go into the dive towards the earth, a diamond like earth that is the avatar of paradise.

Get this: you might not feel your breath at all as you plummet, but again, don’t fret. It is likely that the dose of the overwhelming adrenaline would have gripped you. Folks, the free fall is surreal. It really does take your breath away, literally! Every sense of your body will be awakened as you plunge at a terminal velocity of roughly 120 mph.

I am talking a stimulation that leaves you smiling, screaming, laughing and for some crying both happy and scared tears. It is everything!

Oh, it doesn’t get done just like that; there is more.

Even scarier, your ears might experience a bit

of pain due to the force of the wind, but that’s the thing. ut uickly it wanes off as everything changes for the better at the sight of the pilot whisking out a parachute at 5,000 feet. Soon, he lets you take control of the chords to steer where and how you want to fly.

Even more awesome is the fact that a photographer is there the whole time to capture it all. I am talking all the wow moments, the magical scenery that peels before you and becomes clearer and clearer. I promise, this is a memory that never leaves. The thought alone, even months later will arouse a gust combination of adrenalin and glee, it doesn’t just go away.

Travel Tip The tandem jump costs $350 and can be done anytime of the year. Photography on the other hand costs $75, covering for videos as well. f you want discounts of up to 0 off, view Uganda is happy to help. go2viewuganda@gmail. com

BRIDGE TRAVEL SERVICES Air ticketing, Car Hire, Tour Packages, Visa guidance, Airport drops / Pickups, Hotel booking, Safaris

Kampala Bpulevard, First floor, Office No. F-21 Phone: +256 787 558 387, +256 702 358 888 Email: mrajab@bridgetravel.net

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Wild Quest

most sought BIRds of

uganda

T

hanks to its location along the e uator tropics, ganda is one of the top countries in the world that o er birdwatching excursions of a lifetime. xcursions that make travellers come alive, leaving them with sweet memories. xcursions that will ush stress out of your system and put a smile upon your face. Solomon leny brings you the top most sought birds of this beautiful birding paradise, ganda, that boasts of recorded bird species.

1.Shoebill-picture by Archilles Byaruhanga It is not served well by good looks. or that, you wouldn t expect this prehistoric bird to be on this list. uess wha !!!! It is not only on featuring but actually topping it. amed a er its massive bill which takes on the shape of a shoe, it has an unmatched perfection at fishing. his is thanks the sharp edges of its mandibles which help in decapitating prey. Its life expectancy is years, just like the average gandan. hat makes this specie distinctive? It has been around for over , years now. Imagine a bird that has been around since the times of King Pharaoh of gypt.

Sadly, this birds population is being wiped to extinction by fishermen. hey associate it to being a bad omen to their fishing expeditions. ccording to ature ganda, there are less than , of them le in ganda.

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4.African Green Broadbillpicture by Johnnie Kamugisha

Wild Quest

Where it is found Swampy areas and shallow lakes like abamba Swamp, ugogo Swamp in iwa Rhino Reserve, ake lbert, the lower ile in urchison alls Park and ake buro.

2.Black-breasted Barbet o tourist in their sound mind state is comfortable visiting war torn countries. mong the few countries that have this species, ganda stands out as the most peaceful. he other countries that have it is Central frican Republic and South Sudan. It s plumage is mostly glossy black, with a red belly and a white patch on lower back. here to n

t

Kidepo alley ational Park

reen re ste Johnnie Kamugisha

cture y

hough this species is not endangered, it takes more than luck to find it. It has a broad golden bu supercillum. ccording to erbert yaruhanga, a veteran birdwatching guide, what makes it so had to come by is that it is uiet for much of the day.

In instances when it wants to communicate, it whistles so ly, sometime so so ly for its own ears to hear. s such, one has to scan every inch of the forest canopies before finding them. ven with this maximum concentration, you might still not find them as they have black and green plumage that facilitates their carmou age. ou have to pay extreme a ention to detail before finding it. It is one of the fewer pi a species found on the continent. here t s oun It strictly lives at an altitude between , and , meters. Kibale ational Park is the only reliable site where you ll find it.

amed a er Rudolf rauer, a erman zoologist who collected natural history specimens in the elgian Congo, the reen roadbill is largely bright green with a blue throat and a small bill.

It is threatened by deforestation and habitat degradation. It feeds on seeds, fruit, ower buds, and some insects. he species which

was first discovered in , was never to be seen until . he broadbill also ranks among the five most sought a er species on the continent, especially because it is rare. any birders are a racted to it because of its cheerful character. It has no room for boredom. It shivers and trembles in excitement for much of the day while twi ering s ueakily. here t s oun It is endemic to the lbertine Ri ountains of ganda and emocratic Republic of Congo, like Rwenzori.

5.Great Blue Turaco- picture

by Johnnie Kamugisha It is the only bird with some of their feathers colored by pigments found in no other creature in the nimal Kingdom. hat was the answer I got upon asking ill homson why seeing the great blue turaco was one of his top three moments during a birdwatching tour around ganda in .

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Wild Quest ccording to the K based author of ird atcher s igest, an internationally famed birding book, the beauty of the turaco cuts across to its call as well. t dawn or dusk, you will hear it give loud series of deep, ringing, throaty kok kok kok or a bubbling so er tweet. e spoke with so much passion before adding it is agile at jumping from one branch to another. he only times you ll find it on ground is when it wants to bathe or uench its thirst. engthwise, it is cm in and , g in mass. his makes it a biggest in the turaco family of birds, a reason it is highly poached in frica for its meat here t s oun It is mainly found in pristine tropical forests and swamps inclusive of igodi wetland, abira and udongo.

he ey s r

son n

cture y The or

r n s tion

t close range, this bird can easily be identified by its fascinating black, yellow red plumages, a reason it was among the candidates selected to be the national emblem. espite having lost the race to the grey crown crane, it has a special place in the hearts of gandan birders. hy? It is virtually impossible to come by as it is very shy and elusive. here are only two known photographs of this montane forest. hile one was taken in , the la er was taken in both in Congo . his makes it a trophy bird. here t s oun ainly found in Ruhija, one of the wings of windi Impenetrable ational Park

7.Standard-winged Nightjar It is one of the few birds that lay their eggs on bare ground, and this is what makes the standard winged nightjar a must see. It places its elongated and elliptical eggs in bare ground of bushed grasslands and marshy lakeshores from m.

hen roosting, this medium sized cm long bird turns to variegated grey, with a browner collar. yaruhanga notes that in breeding season, the male develops a bizarre wing ornament consisting of a broad central ight feather on each wing elongated to cm.

In non breeding seasons, there are no plumage distinctions between the male and female. he best time to see them is September to pril, a time in which the weather is not at extremes. here t s oun Standard winged ightjars are resident in orth estern ganda.

8.Short-tailed Warbler lso known as the eumann s warbler, this angel is as small as cm and . g. Small as it is, it sings loud songs tee tiyoo tee , tee tyer tyii , tyoowi tyee , tee teeyoo tyoowi or tay tiyoo tay intermixing with almost inaudible lipsing notes. he result of this spiced mixture is a soothing call that relaxes the mind. he most noticeable feature on its body is a large head with a uni ue striped pa ern. It also has a very short tail and breeds in shrubby thickets especially along watercourses in swamps. rom a far, it is grey brown, and dull greenish from an up close. here t s oun windi

9.Dohertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bushshrike-picture by Mike Gaudaur ike our ag, its plumage has black, yellow and red colours. It also holds strong a achment to family and can t imagine life without the sun, a reason it is mainly vibrant on sunny days. In terms of size, it has cm lengthwise and a body

mass of g. ale ones have a forehead with a forecrown. ther uni ue features include lower cheek, chin and a throat with bright crimson. here t s oun Rwenzori mountains

10.Bar-tailed Trogon-Picture by Steve Garvie rom behind, this particular rogon has a narrow tail with strips of black and white edges. nderneath the tail is entirely stripy. hat s where it gets its name from, bar tailed trogon. hile its bill and feet are yellow, its tail is long and broad.

If you asked many birders to describe it, you hear something along these lines. the male s head is blue black with bronze iridescence below the eye are two yellow or orange patches of bare skin above the eye is a yellow or grey patch. he upper breast is iridescent from violet to blue green the rest of the underparts are red.

Simply put, it s has a fascinating beauty. here t s oun windi especially in a forestry area called uhoma. ou can track them by their call yaow yaow if they are high up in the canopy.

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Mountain Rwenzori

Wild Quest

mountain

of debate

Choose between two mountain giants: Rwenzori and Kilimanjaro! I know, right?

Now thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a debate every mountaineer might wanna indulge in. Not that it is the first it is showing face, this debate has been brewing for a whole five years now, and both mountain giants make quite the mark. Today however, after pursuing both mountains during the dry and wet seasons, our Travel and Conservation journalist Solomon Oleny and View Uganda editor Andrew Kisamba will weigh in.

The hike et s put it this way, while many a tourist will con uer Kilimanjaro in just five days, Rwenzori takes up to eight days. So first: is time of the essence? If it is a huge factor in your expedition, you might wanna keep that in mind. See, Kilimanjaro is formed as a result of volcanic eruptions and therefore boasts of a free standing mountain with miniature ranges.

Paths snaking to its summit make for a gently rising around the slopes of these ranges.

Mountain Kilimanjaro

emergency choppers have to be chartered from ntebbe irport. ote that Rwenzori is a two hours ight away from Kasese, where a hospital awaits. nything can happen in those two hours, right?

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In the meantime, one can argue that save for the introduction of stretcher beds, the solutions can t be counted on.

Wildlife

Wild Quest o wonder this makes for a very manageable hike, in fact, you it can be argued that even the laziest of us can take an e ortless hike on this calm giant.

in time. nd when you reach the top, there is no happier ending than this one.

n the other hand, Rwenzori is no mean fete! nd oh, what a irt!

othing, not even a happy ending should cost a mountaineer their life. ith that in mind, how about we talk safety? ote that what might start as a minor altitude sickness could suddenly turn into a death ticket if not addressed urgently. In fact, a well managed mountain is one with uick emergency rescue systems.

block mountain, formed as a result of upli ing by tectonic earth movements, it is no child s play. verlapping ranges, sti and rugged, it is an a air for the fit. eed I say that the eight days will be some of the hardest you might ever experience?

I must however add: boy it is worth it!

This tease of a mountain knows how to keep the hiker going, working for it and rewarding them just when they might give up. rails slithering through its ranges, places the shaped valleys on display. er the torture of every turn, like the irt that it is, a smile in form of a slope emerges right through the curves. So it s up and down, like a ride of sorts, pushing the hiker s boundaries and slowing down just

Kilimanjaro huts

Safety

Kilimanjaro has three helipads, so should there be a victim of altitude sickness or any fatal injuries, it should be okay. re you budget traveler? on t worry, a rescue trail constructed from the head o ces, carefully placed at the mountain s foot to its second highest camp orombo m , will be available.

Sadly, Rwenzori s situation is still wanting. nd not for the luck of trying, the mountain has one helipad, just the one. Should trouble befall the hiker,

oth giants boast of parks are home to many tribes of animals. his is where the two giants start to compete. See, while Rwenzori has mammals and bird species, Kilimanjaro has species of mammals and over recorded bird species.

Rwenzoriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accommodation

ut here is the catch: what good is it saying a park has animals when it is so had spo ng them? his is what makes Rwenzori tick for wildlife photographers. It is believed that since Rwenzori a racts fewer tourists, the wild life is always out to play, at peace! mong the residents you stand high chances of seeing in Rwenzori is the forest bu aloes, rock hyrax, giant forest hogs, leopards, and bushbuck. he primates on the other hand include black and white colobus, blue monkey, and chimpanzee all of which live in the forest zone of the mountain.

Kilimanjaro on the hand registers over , tourists each year. ood for revenue, bad for the animals. It is believed that the mountain s animals would rather stay as far away from humans and the beaten trucks as possible. cco

o

Kilimanjaroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trails are open, with limited flora and fauna

tion

o be fair, both parks feature well insulated huts between their trails. owever, if variety is what you are looking for, then Kilimanjaro is a be er pick. hey boast of solar each and the tourist does not have to worry about dead ba eries and darkness.

If you are into camping, then you will find the e uipped camp sites to be perfect. he story in Rwenzori changes. he huts are not powered . In their defense: they don t receive su cient sun light. It really is cloudy for much of the day. o not fret however, the accommodation in surrounding areas is everything. lso, if it is natural ambience you seek, Rwenzori delivers be er. In fact, one can contend that it delivers more times be er even without the fancy huts. It is a picture of perfection, swaggering with biodiversity, brightly colored owers, radiant plumage and the soothing serenade of the wild birds.

Rwenzoriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s glacier zone

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Wild Quest e et tion Its wounds healed uite well, the scars shied away, and Rwenzori s vegetation that was smothered by a wild fire in is stands proud. iant groundels lobelia and heather both known to lie in higher altitudes are at home here. t the moorland zone, you will find a variety of lustrously colored plants and moss. beauty kept fresh by the gorgeous crater lakes that lie in open valleys behind dams of glacial moraine. It goes on: Rwenzori is the only place in the world where you can find yperum be uaerti and Sche era polysciadia species of trees. his doesn t mean Kilimanjaro isn t good enough, no Sir! id you know that whilst in Kilimanjaro you can walk through four seasons in four days? eather and moorland zone, lpine zone forest zone and Ice cap.

See, all four! f these, the forest zone m m is like a scene out of a movie. eautifully lit up with owers every bit the embodiment of nature s pageant. rue, it is home to the endemic ower species called Impatiens Kilimanjaro. hen it blossoms, it miens like an inch long tuba and blossoms with red and yellow petals.

Snow and global warming id you know that it snows in

ganda? kay, that s stretching it a bit far, I meant snow at the peak of Rwenzori. So if you are looking to experience fun on snow, Rwenzori is a be er bet. ondly called the frican lps , the mountain has several kilometers of snow covered peaks. h and get this, you don t have to ascend all the way to the highest zone to be able to find it snow, it occasionally falls down to about , meters above sea level. n the other hand, due to its location in a dry belt, Kilimanjaro experiences high levels of evaporation that dry up most of its lakes and rivers. his is especially in the dry months from anuary to mid arch and une. In part, this is as a result of global warming a setback that is uickly shrinking the glaciers at the summit of the mountain. Sadly, all this does is leave bare rocks. ogether, the total area covered by snow is less than five kilometers.

The verdict o find the answer to this uestion, you should first answer one uestion. re you for a tamed or wild experience? o go wild, I would advise that you seek out Rwenzori. ut if you wanna hike and also play safe, Kilimajaro is definitely it.

Rwenzori boasts of lots of crater lakes

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IN KAMPALA

e

Prior to his recent appoint as Executive Director of Uganda Wildlife Authority, Sam Mwandha worked as Country Director and Chief of Party at African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) for nine years. Founded in 1961, AWF is a continental conservation organization whose prime ob ective is protecting large landscapes in a way that benefits wildlife and people alike. While here, Mwandha foresaw the management of pro ects purposed to address inter human wildlife conflicts in ganda. Here are his thoughts on the situation at hand at way forward, as told to Solomon Oleny for View Uganda Magazine.

For over a decade now, farmers living around Lake Mburo N/P have been battling with UWA over human-wildlife onfl s. h s he root cause of this setback?

o

riginally, Mburo was a game reserve before the farmers were allowed to ranch into it.

As such, in as much as the community feels entitled to the land, the wild animals are not aware about the giveaway of their land. They feel it is home as it is where they were born. At the end of the day, this co-existence of wildlife and livestock fuels spread of diseases from wildlife to livestock and vice versa. This is one of the major root causes of the problem. Why? Wildlife is as dear to UWA as livestock is to these cattle keeping communities.

Few months back, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) constructed 10 valley dams for communities around Lake Mburo National

r . he d s wh h measure 50mX50m (width)and three meters (depth) are for harvesting rainfall as drinking w er or le. or over 400 pastoral households live in this community whose population is estimated by o be o er .

Has this development helped in harmonizing UWAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relationship with communities?

Yes it has helped in getting community to appreciate the importance of the park to their survival. Unlike the past, the communities are no-longer poisoning wildlife.

In your opinion, has the introduction of Spot hunting in Uganda been ne e e ool or tackling human-wildlife onfl s

es, spot hunting is ustifiable as it is limited to animals which are not endangered. Secondly, communities are direct beneficiaries of proceeds arising from the activity. It usually takes place in the farms surrounding game

parks, privately owned land to be exact. At the end of the day, a person upon whose land an animal has been killed is entitled to about 20 of the o cial rate charged for the animal in question. This translates to over $200.

That said, I am glad that AWF is looking forward to building on that success by introducing a conservancy. It is a sort of ranching concept that will see AWF engage the community better on how to manage their land for sustainable tourism.

What is being done in other areas where hun w ldl e onfl s still present like Kidepo National park and Murchison falls N/P?

Around the two parks, AWF has been working with communities to grow chilli as a human wildlife conflict mitigation measure since end of 2014. Chilli was particularly chosen as it is a repellent for wildlife when burnt with dung. That aside, communities realize alternative sources of livelihood through the sell of the produce. Over the years, the initiative is empowering locals.

One such is George Oyur, a father of three in Nora village(Murchison). He has been able to build himself a permanent house

What could be biggest limitation facing the tackling of hu n w ldl e onfl s on the part of the community?

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of well researched measures for each reserve that is affected. or instance, about six years ago, trenches were dag along the Northern boundaries of Murchison falls N/P to stop elephants from invading farms of neighbouring communities. However, it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until chilli growing was introduced in the area that elephant invasions started going down. If such complimentary measures are introduced in the other affected areas, the problem will be half solved, at least, at last.

Kibale national park bee project and trenches

Communities believe NGOs like AWF have so much money, so much that it can t be finished. As such, they always want to milk them dry by seeking allowances for attending training which are purposed to empower them. This in turn slows down the progress of the projects.

What do you propose as a way forward to inter hu n w ldl e onfl s n Uganda?

No solution can single handedly tackle the conflicts. ach solution has its limitations. This calls for a combination

Features

s

Interview with the Executive Director of Uganda Wildlife Authority

in a space of two years. This success story has been of profound inspiration to many locals in his village.

Secondly, AWF has also trained wildlife scouts who scare off wild animals from invading community land. This is usually done under the guidance of UWA rangers who foresee the protection of both the wildlife and scouts.

Address

Mr Sam Mwandha

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A-Z about Entebbe Express Highway, Uganda's most most beautiful road

I

t is the first ever toll road in ganda. Simply put, it is the first time gandans will be directly paying to access a road. his amazing km of express highway to the airport town of ntebbe, has created uite the buzz. nly matched by the ew inja ridge, the ntebbe express highway is as breathe taking as it gets. he road whose completion gandans witnessed in une of is not just a transit process. It is a fortifying journey laced with pictures ue swamps, rolling hills and the dazzling waters of ake ictoria.

Supervised by eijing xpressway Supervision and was executed by two Chinese firms, o ac onald and China Communications Construction Company CCCC , it is uite the piece. Solomon leny, on a voyage to see what lay beneath this beauty brings us the whole picture and more.

ote that this comes at a time when ganda is fast becoming a prime travel destination, especially for eco tourism, meetings, incentives, conferences and many events. his growth in exodus in and out of ganda has prompted the expansion of the airport.

In fact, Civil viation uthority notes that upon its completion in , it will be able to accommodate over illion tourists compared to the . . nd naturally, this would call for the establishment of a road network to ease congestion in key urban areas by acting as a bypass and a distributor road. his is actually how the ongoing construction of orthern ypass . km was birthed over five

KAYIGA

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years back. hen came the major one of them all: the . km ntebbe xpress ighway, complete with a branch o to unyonyo.

More about the Entebbe express highway ithout doubt, the la er is the second most beautiful piece of ganda s growing stock of infrastructure. hat is a er the ew inja ridge, which by the ways is still undergoing final touches.

It covers . Km starting from usega Interchange to pala Interchange bayita babiri and Kajjansi Interchange. It is joined to the busy Kampala ntebbe road and unyonyo, which is home to

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Tracing the beginning ntebbe, a district whose feet remain planted on the shores of ake ictoria, is home to over , people. very bit the cosmopolitan se lement, accessing this scenic town has le many a people drained from all the tra c. See, besides hosting the country s international airport, ntebbe boasts of a ractions like: white sand beaches, resorts and ganda ildlife ducation Center. ut that s not all national and international o ces like State ouse, the presidential military barracks and the ase are in ntebbe. hile this should be a good thing, ntebbe s teensy roads can t handle the enormous in ow and out ow of people in the town. his results into endless tra c, impaired movement and naturally a ects delivery of goods and services. nd experts will also argue that this inade uate axle load control will lead to fast deterioration of roads.

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Architectual Planning Brickwork Roofing Windows & Daws installation Finnishing & Designing Plumbing & Tile Fixing Terrazo Painting Compound Designing Fencing

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u ganda s biggest international convention center. he express highway is a state of art infrastructure with a lane dual carriageway comprising of . Km, the highway features three bridges and a tolling station section. orth every bit of time, the highway, according to the state inister for orks, en dward Katumba amala, took five years to construct. uring this time, it created employment opportunities for over , gandans. he construction which cost , was funded with a loan from the Chinese overnment through xim ank who contributed and an additional by the overnment of ganda. en. Katumba then goes to explain that the loan is to be serviced using revenue generated from the road tolls, at a yet to be determined amount. his toll fee will be established a er enactment of the Road oll ill. onica zuba tege, ganda s cabinet inister for Roads and orks, notes that the development of the express highway is part of overnment s commitment to

develop the road infrastructure, improve transport connectivity, e ectiveness and e ciency. he target is to have the average paved road density at K per S .

K .

She adds that the main strategies will include: evelopment of highways connecting ganda to foreign countries and the major productive centers within the country. he other priority is improving road infrastructure leading into economic zones like the reater Kampala etropolitan rea and other urban areas. It is expected that km of roads will be upgraded from gravel to paved standard by , the inister also a Civil ngineer, adds.

ene ts ro

the e e o

ent

Speaking during the launch of the road in une this year, an event presided over

by President useveni, the Chinese ice Premier Chairman, ang ang told of his delightedness at how much the express highway will boost industrialization in ganda.

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o expound on the importance of this highway, inister zuba observed that the roads sector carries over of passenger and freight tra c, making it the most dominant mode of transport. he national road network , km, of road network , carries well over of the total road tra c. Roads are the primary means of accessing markets and social services health, education among others . ood roads like ntebbe xpress ighway would therefore ensure that citizens can access these services and markets safely and e ciently. In addition, good road infrastructure also supports the primary growth sectors of griculture, il and as, ourism and inerals, she explained.

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ang then explained that it will reduce the time goods spend in transit from ntebbe to Kampala from two hours to a mere minutes.

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It gets be er: President oweri useveni also once stated that cameras would be installed to monitor the road and help reduce cases of vandalism of road accessories.

Travel Tips nsure that you have working car lights as the road doesn t have street lights yet.

Should your car break down, the road

does not have places to cater for such emergencies. either does it have fuel stations, should you run out of gas. o parking, no residential places, no breaks, it is express. he points through which the road connects to the Kampala roads are a mess during rush hour. his could easily add one more hour to your travel time. aybe try traveling between am and pm when tra c is less. he le and right lanes of the road are separated by permanent barriers which stretch for miles. here are very few turns in between to get back onto the lane of your preference in case you make a mistake. ou would have to carefully look out for signposts to enable you plan your journey be er. lso, note, the road is out of bounds to the boda boda cyclists. his can be uite a bit to take for the gandan, but important to know.

Summarily, the ganda ational Roads uthority R notes that they are working round the clock to find long term solutions to these challenges. In other words, double check your car for any mechanical faults before se ng foot into the road and oh, ensure the gas is all filled up.

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The spacious veranda frames sensational views of the Kazinga Channel and the grand designs of mother nature.

with is secluded location and vantage point. It was originally built for the Queen’s visit to Uganda before her coronation (hence the name!).

The unique architecture compliments the landscaped environment and fantastic views. The grand balcony does not disappoint, boasting spectacular views of lush vegetation and rich wildlife, as well as the famous River Nile. Additional features include: living room and dining area, mini bar, twin bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and master bedroom with king sized bed.

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Chobe Safari Lodge – Presidential Cottage The Presidential Cottage Guests wanting exclusivity and unparalleled privacy can opt for this choice of accommodation, situated on a private section of the property. There is a twin bedroom, a double bedroom and a large living room as well as a kitchen. Both bedrooms have an en-suite bathroom. There is a guest bathroom in the cottage as well. Relax on the private veranda, overlooking the lagoon where buffaloes and hippos wade in the water. This is an experience to treasure, with the knowledge that no other guest can do the same. An intimate viewing deck where guests

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lue

a tRee, BeaRded old men, ugandaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s BIggest

KIngdom y

arina ankandi

ong time ago, a group of grey bearded old men chose a tree shade as a meeting point. he spot, also covered in grass, was where these elders brainstormed about the issues of their di erent communities. i le did they know that years later, this spot would birth a whole kingdom, writes arina ankandi.

h yes! years ago, it is believed that grey bearded men gathered under this tree shade to discuss issues of uganda. Specifically, they talked about issues like health, wealth and general standards of living. hilst brain storming, they would unconsciously weave strands of grass, which in uganda language spoken translates into kulanga. nd somehow, kulanga would morph into ulange, modern day uganda Kingdom head uarters, and home of the kingdom parliament, also known as the ukiko.

the ulange kind of ukiko parliament which impressed rab traders, explorers and missionary s centuries ago.

It begins

The story continues

he first leader was Kintu, in s, Ssempebwa merrily delves into the path that birthed the uganda Kingdom. e fell head over heels in love with ambi, a young lady who hailed from the geye clan. e goes on, efore him, people lived in what is uganda today but were not united by a political entity. hey were split in clan groups.

ulange. It is not an nglish word, no Sir! ot that it needs an explanation, not in ganda. ulange is a word synonymous with power, call it the axis of ganda s most powerful Kingdom uganda. raditionalist will call ulange the seat of power, where all ma ers uganda Kingdom, are decided. id you know however that ulange, a place looming with spacious structures was once just a tree?

hough rich, the uganda history, according to ohn Ssempebwa, deputy C of the ganda ourism oard , has been watered down. ur history has been passed on in oral literature by the fireside, he begins. Conse uently the narrative always takes twists and turns to suit the times and a particular given audience. owever, the facts remain that the aganda have always had a common ancestry and that it was

Since they all spoke uganda, it was easy to bring the clan heads ataka together, it was easy to debate. he pioneer clans were five, comprising of: fumbe, ugave, geye, nyonyi nyange and jaza, he lists. nce in a while, one of the ataka would emerge as the dominant leader. In fact, legend holds that these fights for leadership were how the first king of uganda rose to the throw.

It is believed that Kintu defeated and chased away emba, and soon word of his military prowess would spread across the clans. o avow his position, Kintu inherited emba s homestead which was located in agalabi. nd since then, every Kabaka king has to symbolically be enthroned there, Ssempebwa, tells of Ssemagulu useum based in utundwe, an out skirts of Kampala City.

Decisions chat with bdu Ssemanda, would indeed confirm that it was the embe Kintu ba le that caused a change in the status uo. hat a meeting was held by the ataka, and the sole purpose was to find a way forward. he venue was agonga in usunju County on nono ill, he narrates. Kabaka Kintu had brought a new governance system where the ataka shared responsibilities with him. here he appointed

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lue the first cabinet with the pioneer Katikiro being Kakulukuku from the ugave clan. ne look at the post emba uganda ukiko, Ssemanda agrees that Kintu was more progressive, as he boosted the number of pioneer clans from five to more than . Ssemanada believes that Kintu paved a way for growth that would see his predecessors thrive and uganda grow even bigger. ut see, it was not just numbers, it had to be structures too, mostly defined by the exposure the kings had. he ulange where we are standing today, was the idea of Kabaka uteesa II who saw a similar building in Ireland, Ssemanda states. e asked why uganda cannot have a similar structure for the ukiko, in , the idea was born.

So in ulange stood tall and proud an architectural splendor, put together by Kob and Power architects, and constructed

by Singh and rothers. he tiles were imported from elgium and the timber came from within uganda and Congo. y then uganda had masazas counties, the local government had ministers and clans. hese he maintains, were all handpicked by the Kabaka. uganda was a force to reckon with and would soon be seen as a threat by the gandan government.

Indeed, the post Independence Prime inister, r. pollo ilton bote I, would soon abolished kingdoms and Kabaka Sir dward uteesa II had to run into exile. ashir uwonge, an authority at the kingdom, says that upon chasing the king to exile, the bote regime renamed the ukiko, Republic ouse. It was then made to serve as the head uarters of the army. ven a er Idi min ada toppled bote,

the ukiko continued serving the same purpose, recalls uwonge. In fact, began expanding it to contain the armed forces but le this expansion incomplete. his expansion would only be completed upon the re establishment of kingdoms, it was! oday the ukiko up and running. bdu Ssemanda interjects, he says that the ukiko continues to be very relevant in the issues concerning uganda. his role he says, mostly became clearer when Kabaka Ronald utebi was enthroned in uly of . er the grand ceremony in agalabi, uganda started demanding for the return of bya e uganda kingdom property among which was the ulange, says Ssemanda. oday, it is the place where the amulondo throne is placed when the Kabaka is in a endance. here is a door reserved for the Kabaka and the ataka strictly. rdinary mortals use another one. he ulange today ake a casual glance at the ulange today.

Spectacular, right? It certainly is an archetype of elegance and class exuded by the kingdom s ancestors. he walls, an artistic showcase of the totems of some clans. walkway meant for royalty, guided by the red carpet, e ortlessly blending into the shimmery seats, made from fine timber. oven within this elegance is a clear agenda: the ukiko exists to addresses cultural and livelihood issues. It tries to steer clear of political issues, save for the occasional jab, the Katikiro prime minister , Charles Peter ayiga, will throw at government for oppressing the uganda subjects. liminating poverty is a big deal. Programs to encourage co ee and food crop planting,

or generally commercial griculture, are on. In that same bowel is the campaign by the ukiko to have land owners registering their land to avoid illicit grabbers. o wonder this kingdom remains a oat at time when foreign cultures and languages are threatening the frican culture. ashir uwonge is uick to list the ways in which the kingdom has remained relevant. e says that besides the projects, the subjects are encouraged to speak their language and also carry on traditions. e have kwanjula traditional wedding , our luwombo cuisine stews steamed in banana leaves is popular even among travelled aganda and none aganda, he boasts. ny wonder that the tunic is soon becoming a national frock.

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