Tour operators recall glory of the royal tombs

Amos Wekesa, the president of Uganda Tourism Association, a loose alliance of tourism professionals, yesterday said the destruction of the tombs was “an extremely big loss” for the country.

First stopover
As far as tour operators are concerned, he said, the place was the first stopover for visitors in a hurry or those only interested in urban attractions.

“It was one of the best options,” Mr Wekesa said, pointing out its proximity to downtown Kampala.

Deo Lubega, a tours consultant with Uganda Travel Bureau, a local travel agency, said the site held a special place in city tours. The site has been popular since 1970, when Uganda’s tourism sector was at its peak, a reputation that was solidified in 1971 after the return of the remains of Kabaka Edward Muteesa II, the father the reigning monarch of Buganda, for burial in Uganda.

“Kasubi was the first destination for anybody who was interested in knowing about the culture of Uganda,” said Mr Lubega, who has been in the business for at least 21 years. “Kasubi was a unique selling point. The next was the (national) museum. Kasubi, of course, was more thrilling.”

Tour operators familiar with the history of the mausoleum insist that, while the place was traditionally associated with Buganda, it was impossible for tour guides to tell its story without recalling the histories of kingdoms such as Bunyoro and Toro.

The site belonged to Buganda but the context of its story was larger than Buganda, they say. “You were able to learn about the kingdoms that existed (while at the tombs),” Mr Wekesa said.

Buganda Kingdom literature has described the main tomb house, known in Luganda as Muzibu-Azala-Mpanga, as a good example of Ganda architecture, but it was revealed in the aftermath of the inferno that the edifice’s makers actually borrowed from aspects of modern architecture.

A raging fire destroyed everything except the concrete walls that formed its backbone, as well as the metallic pillars that supported the dome. Stripped of its glorious outfit—the wooden poles, reeds and grass—the structure suddenly seemed modern.

The several huts that exist within the complex, including a gatehouse constructed using wooden columns supporting a thatched roof, are still intact.

But these huts are not nearly as important as the main structure, the destroyed one, which housed the remains of the monarchs.
Buganda officials have not been forthcoming about how much property was saved during the inferno.

The ruined structure, rebuilt in 1882, housed royal memorabilia such as drums, spears, chairs, shields, medals, and photographs of the kings buried there.

Buganda Premier John Baptist Walusimbi has since told reporters that the remains of the monarchs were rescued in time. It was not clear how.

The Kasubi Royal Tombs complex is a UNESCO-certified world heritage site.

“It is a very popular place,” Mr Wekesa said. “There is no question about that. That [destruction] is going to be part of the history. They should instead build a replica (next to the damaged structure).”

Tour fee
Foreign visitors to the place paid at least Shs20,000 for a tour.
It was not immediately possible to establish how much Buganda made annually from tourism activity there.

“On entering the ground, the attention of the visitor is immediately captured by the beauty of the thick-thatched roof which extends all the way to the ground,” says a promotional booklet endorsed by the kingdom.

“Entrance to the Muzibu-Azala-Mpanga is through a low, wide arch flanked on both sides by richly-woven reeds. Its inside is partitioned with a huge bark cloth which separates the “sacred forest” where the four royal graves lie.”

It adds: “The floor is covered with a thick layer of lemon grass and palm-leaf mats. The whole structure is supported by gigantic wooden poles wrapped in bark cloth. This creates a striking impression of harmony and power.”