Nambuya travels for pleasure and business

She has been to a number of tourism destinations and she yearns to see more. Sheillah Esher Nakuti Nambuya’s dream is to travel a minimum of 80 countries, and become an authority in the travel business in Africa. She would also like to hike Mountains Everest and Kilimanjaro and also learn about five foreign languages.

The enthusiasm to travel for Nambuya started in 2012 when a friend sold an idea of celebrating her birthday in Kigali. She had got her first job so she asked a friend to escort her. They travelled late with no knowledge of where they were going but were excited to travel. They constantly communicated with their host and when they arrived in Kigali, they enjoyed the birthday party. Later on, they decided to sample the capital’s nightlife.

In Kigali
She needed to capture the moments, so she got to hold a camera for the first time. She snapped away. The streets with only a handful of people, no loud music from bars or clubs like she was used to in Kampala. The roads were well-lit and clean, which provided relatively enough light for her to capture people and moments. There were boda bodas where each rider had an extra helmet for the passenger. With her friends she went out partying and settled for Sundowner, a hangout which was an eye-opener. She thought Rwanda was a strict nation where women were not allowed to dress freely but, many girls came out dressed in short skirts and micro tops.

Business idea
Nambuya who has since visited a number of tourist destinations knew she could make business out of taking people on expeditions, so, she considered registration of Mulembe Krazy Trekkers, a tours and travel company. “It was done in bits and pieces because of the financial constrain. I began doing my paper work from 2013, and finished it early this year because there were many hits and misses through meetings and discussions with lawyers,” she recounts.
Her company name speaks about her roots. She is a Mugisu from Eastern Uganda. “Mulembe is a greeting in Lugisu, to mean hello. “Then Krazy because everyone who came across my page labelled me crazy for pursuing travel, my passion. Most people believed it was a waste of money and time. They probably thought I should be married, not travelling and trekking,” she says.
Nambuya’s young company offers a range of packages from game drives, to hikes and cultural visits. She is looking at offering these to regional travellers and tourists. “We would like to offer affordable packages for locals and non-residents. It is cheaper when done in groups. We are adding Serengeti and Mount Kilimanjaro onto our packages. However, apart from our already packaged activities we also offer bespoke tours,” she explains. She has not got any big clients but hopes for the best as she grows her passion to travel and help others travel. Nambuya began with Shs150,000 which she deposited alongside her papers to a lawyer to show commitment of registering Mulembe Krazy Trekkers. She is now building her website that will showcase Uganda’s beauty and in turn attract clients.

Back in time and top destinations
Her love for tourism, she recalls, began when Nambuya was still a student and a member of Aiesec, a student body, where they would meet people from all walks of life. They would share travel stories among themselves which inspired her.

“Their challenges, their quest to travel the world through saving was inspiring. Even when I go for trips, I meet many travellers. The information they share is inspiring and very useful,” she adds. She has travelled to many places but Zanzibar tops her list of top five tourist destinations, then Dar es salaam, Mombasa, Kidepo Valley National Park and Fort Portal.

“In Zanzibar, people are curious and friendly. There is a festive atmosphere that lifts my spirit. I loved the phrase Hakuna Matata. It befits the environment. Its rich history, and of course the white sand beaches are another story. Who wouldn’t want to visit Zanzibar?” she asks.

Kigamboni is a quiet place and she slept right on the beach where life is slow and this gave her a feeling of being the only one in the world. She woke up to pick seashells on the beach, watching the tide and sunset and sunrise as the breeze blew over. As she crossed back to Dar es Salaam, it felt like a painful slap in the face with all the noise and air pollution from the traffic and the fast pace of people there.

In Mombasa, she has fond memories of taking rides in the tuk tuk, tasting the spiced seeds from the boabab trees. She visited the Old Town too. “Visiting Fort Jesus is like watching your history class come to life. Everything well-preserved and of course the Swahili language and the art of bargaining is just hilarious.”

Oh Uganda

The tourist likens her visit to Kidepo Valley National Park to running away from your normal life to a different wild world characterised with sparse areas of savannah and scenery to die for. “I just loved the scenery. If I were to choose my favourite camping site, I would definitely pick Kidepo. It is far flung but worth the visit,” she adds.
Fort Portal surprised Nambuya for its cleanliness, with clean air and roads coupled with scenic Amabere Ganyinamwiru, the endless slopes of hills and mountain ranges, the crater lakes, and friendly people who are always willing to help. Uganda is still one of her favourite destinations. She hails from an open-minded Christian family who are very supportive of each other. They are three boys and two girls and she is the third born.

Quick take
Does she spend her salary on travel? She says she saved from her salary and other small gigs to be able to experience Africa. She works as Airtel Uganda district distributor manager for Kayunga District.

On Uganda’s tourism sector “We are not doing enough in advertising what we have to the local people. You find most people visiting neighbours instead of places near us. I don’t think we are exploring all other options that we can use to attract tourists. It almost feels like the tourism sector is advertising to itself.”