Boosting tourism in the east

The average tourist planning to visit Uganda will have heard about the rich wildlife offerings in the national game parks, especially in western Uganda.

History will place Jinja somewhere in their books, owing to the renowned source of the River Nile. Needless to say, Jinja stands out as the prime tourist destination in eastern Uganda. It boasts of exciting adventures such as Quad biking, bungee jumping and water rafting. Lately, attractions such as the Kagulu Hill challenge have been hyped to promote tourism in the region.

Tourism in eastern Uganda has embarked on a journey to overcome a past that was marred by insecurity.

“Compared to the western region, the east suffered setbacks due to the historical colonial reasons and political instability, particularly in Karamoja and Gulu. This limited its attraction to tourists,” says Herbert Byaruhanga, the President of Uganda Tourism Association. He singles out Kidepo Valley Nation Park as one of the areas that suffered this misfortune.

According to Steven Wasswa, the chief executive officer of Kakungulu Safaris, a tour and travel firm based in eastern Uganda, today, the region is a tourist hub given the attractions in other districts such as Mbale, Tororo, Karamoja and Kapchorwa, among others, as well as the deliberate efforts to promote them. Many of the promotion drives spearheaded by tourism associations and enthusiast are being pegged to activities and causes so as to encourage local tourism.

Most recent is the Tororo Rock hike by Eastern Entrepreneurship and Tourism Network (EETN), which is a cluster of companies run by young entrepreneurs keen on driving entrepreneurship towards developing tourism in the eastern part of Uganda.

The second of its nature, the hike, set for tomorrow, is aimed at popularising Tororo Rock, the district’s prime tourism spot as a must-visit location. The chief hiker, Tourism minister Maria Mutagamba, will be joined by corporates. The cause attached to this promotion drive is transforming the look of Salvation Army School orphanage located in Tororo, by painting it using the proceeds.

Stephen Asiimwe, the chief executive officer Uganda Tourism Board, argues that when it comes to Tourism, we should not scale it in terms of the western part or the eastern part, as all regions make up Uganda. However, enthusiasts such as Mackay Mbeingwa, a member of EETN, believe some areas could do with the boost, especially media-related. “Tourism sites in eastern Uganda need a lot of media publicity. If the media can always write about these sites, I am sure we shall get more tourists coming into the country and in particular the eastern part of Uganda,” he said.

With the recent race to make all parts of Uganda tourism hot spots, decentralising of the promotion has been taken on by the different bodies.

The event
Location. Tororo Rock lies 5km south east of Tororo Town, 48km from Mbale and 210km East of Kampala. The rock summit commands a view of Tororo Town and surrounding areas. It has narrow tracks, grass, bamboo and different varieties of bushes.

Activity. There will be a group of 27 beauty queens from the Miss Tourism pageants; the aim of the hiking is to raise funds for painting Salvation Army School orphanage in Tororo.
Payment. The hike is open to all Ugandans. Participants from Kampala will pay Shs60,000, which includes transport to and from the venue and meals. For participants not paying for transport and meals, the hike will cost Shs25,000.

Other tourist attractions in eastern uganda

Busitema Forest

Busitema forest is home to baboons, monkeys, birds and various tree species. The forest is shared by Bugiri, Tororo and Busia but the biggest part is in Tororo. According to John Baraza, a local tour guide in Ndaiga village in Tororo, about seven visitors, mostly from Kenya and neighboring countries, look for tour guides to take them to the forest. The visitors who go to his office always sign a visitor’s book and he has so far registered more than 300 people forest since the beginning of this year.

Mountain Elgon

The mountain is found in Mbale on the border of Uganda and Kenya. Its peak is called Wagagai. It is 4,321 metres high and it is the 17th highest in Africa and the 4th highest in Uganda. It has got caves, including Ngwarisha, Makingeny, Chepnyalil, and Kitum. Locally grown Bugisu Arabica coffee can is also found on the slopes of the mountain. Coffee tours are organised through guides with knowledge of coffee farming, processing and roasting.

Imbalu cultural ceremonies
The Imbalu culture is also another activity that attracts tourism in the Bugisu region. Imbalu is a cultural practice in Bugisu, which involves circumcision of boys as a way of turning them into men. Today, the Bagisu treat imbalu as a special ceremony which distinguishes them from people from other tribes. The tradition happens mid every even year and it attracts many people from different places.

Sippi falls
Sipi Falls is a series of three waterfalls in Kapchorwa District, northeast of Sironko and Mbale lying on the edge of Mt Elgon National Park.

When one hikes around the falls, they get a nice view of the Karamoja plains, Lake Kyoga, and the slopes of Mt Elgon. There are a number of activities, lodges and backpackers/campsites in the area, offering a range of accommodation to the tourist who always come to visit the falls.