Faith-based tourism set to blossom

It has been quite a year for Uganda’s religious tourism. From the Martyrs Day celebrations that attracted more than three million pilgrims from within and outside Uganda, to the Eid al-Fitr celebrations that drew a large influx from abroad, this year’s papal visit will be a record-breaking visit in Africa, with Uganda becoming the fourth most visited country by a pope on the planet.
It will be the third time for the East African country to have a chance of hosting the Pope. Uganda first hosted a pope in 1969, five years after the martyrs were canonised. Pope Paul VI visited the various places from where martyrs were killed and also other holy sites. The second Pope to visit Uganda was Pope John Paul II in 1993. Few countries in Africa have hosted a pope at least two times and these include Angola, Cameroon and Benin.

“Tourism is one of the major drivers of developing economies and faith-based tourism is one of the products we have seen grow in numbers and impact on the Ugandan economy,” Ms Maria Mutagamba, the minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, says.
“The Pope’s visit will not only enhance the Catholic faith, but will also socially boost Uganda’s profile as one of the major faith destinations globally. Economically, the visit is expected to benefit ordinary Ugandans marketing to the pilgrims,” the minister adds.

What it is
Religious tourism, also commonly referred to as faith tourism, is a type of tourism where people travel individually or in groups for pilgrimage, missionary, or leisure (fellowship) purposes. The world’s largest form of mass religious tourism takes place at the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. North American religious tourists comprise an estimated Shs32 trillion of the industry.

Some of the most famous holy cities are Mecca, Madinah, Karbala, Jerusalem and Varanasi. The most famous holy sites are the Kaaba, Rauza of Imam Husain at Karbala, Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, The Western Wall in Jerusalem and the Brahma Temple at Pushkar.
Uganda, too, has got many religious sites which have attracted and continue to draw more tourists into the country. Some of these include the Martyrs’ trail, Bishop Hanington monument in Busoga, the Bayudaya group in Mbale.

Kigungu landing site

It is the site where the first Catholic missionaries landed in Uganda. Every February 17, Catholics make a pilgrimage to Mapeera-Kigungu to commemorate the arrival of the religion in Uganda.
More than 130 years ago, the first two French missionaries landed at this Entebbe site, off the shores of Lake Victoria. They were led by Rev Fr Simeon Lourdel and Brother Amans, later nick-named Mapeera and Amansi by the locals. It is marked by a monument and two sculptures depicting the missionaries on their knees. The monument reads: “On this spot landed the first Catholic missionaries of Uganda on the 17th day of February in the year of our Lord 1879, Reverend Simeon Lourdel and Brother Amans of the society of the white fathers.”

The Bahai temple
The Bahá’í House of Worship in Uganda, named as the Mother Temple of Africa, is situated on Kikaya Hill on the outskirts of Kampala. Its architecture and gardens are such an attraction. Its construct started in 1958. The temple attracts an estimated 50,000 visitors every year.

Martyrs Shrine
Uganda Martyrs Shrine is a Catholic church dedicated to the Uganda Martyrs. The Shrine’s conical pyramid structure stands out in Namugongo, Wakiso District. It is renowned for its 22 more than 100 feet long copper pillars that support it. Built in form of an African hut, the church has a capacity of 1,000 seats.
Pope John Paul II, during his six-day visit to Uganda in 1993, elevated the shrine to a rank of a minor Basilica. It is currently undergoing renovation for the November papal visit.

Munyonyo Shrine
Munyonyo Martyrs’ Shrine is administrated by the community of Conventual Franciscans (Greyfriars) of the Mary Immaculate Mission in Uganda.
It is the site where four of the famous Uganda Matryrs Andrew Kaggwa, aka Andrea Kahwa, St Denis Ssebuggwawo, St Pontiano Ngondwe and Mukasa Musa (Moses) were killed. It is currently undergoing construction for a facility similar to the shrine at Namugongo.

Gaddafi Mosque
Famously known as the Gaddafi Mosque, the colourful structure with its magnificent features of art, was built and designed based on a mixture of Arab, European, and African cultures. Built on Old Kampala Hill, the mosque can be viewed from all corners of Kampala. It was completed in 2006 and opened in 2007. The second biggest mosque in Africa, its construction was greatly financed by former Libya leader Muammar Gaddafi. It is also the headquarters of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council. Foreign tourist have to part with Shs10,000 for a guided tour of the majestic structure

Polish Church
Built between 1943 and 1945 by Polish refugees who had been rescued from occupied Poland and settled here during World War, the church in Masindi, is European in style, with Polish Stations of the Cross. The inscriptions on the front are in English, Polish, Runyoro and Latin.
The cemetery near the Church of Mother of God in Murro Masindi, was tidied up a few years ago by the local parish priest, Fr Joseph Ndiraba Abooki, as it was very overgrown. The church, also called “Matki Boskiej Czestochowskiej” stands to this day. The local people, not being able to say the Polish name, call it the Church of Mother of God.

Mackay’s cave, Nateete
The cave, a seemingly insignificant structure popularly known as Empuku ya Makayi, features a colourfully sculpted painting of a white man preaching to several Africans. That man is Alexander Mackay, a pioneer Missionary of the Church Missionary Society, who in the 1800s, fostered the growth of Christianity and formal education in Buganda.
Subsequently, Mackay dug a cave about 150 metres below his quarters where he would hide to teach Christianity and formal education.
Just below the cave is a spring dug by Mackay. This is where he could fetch water and was also a source of water for the surrounding villages as he watched over them from the wall engraving.

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