Entebbe to rename roads in bid to boost tourism
Entebbe Mayor Fabrice Rulinda addresses Stakeholders during a workshop at Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre on April 22, 2025. Photo | Eve Muganga
What you need to know:
- By renaming its roads, Entebbe municipality hopes to preserve its history and create a sense of pride among its residents.
The Entebbe Municipal Council is set to rename some of its roads to reflect the town's rich history, cultural heritage, and notable figures.
Entebbe Municipality Mayor Fabrice Rulinda revealed this initiative on Tuesday (April 22, 2025, during a workshop aimed at unlocking Entebbe's sustainable tourism potential.
The workshop, held at the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre, commonly known as the Zoo, brought together key stakeholders to discuss ways of unlocking Entebbe's sustainable tourism potential.
"We have to be mindful of history and why certain things are named in certain ways," Mayor Rulinda said. "Some of the names of our roads are redundant and should really be thought through. We have people who have performed, delivered, and contributed to the growth of Entebbe and Uganda as a whole. Some of these road names should reflect such people."
The proposal to rename the roads is expected to undergo public consultations to ensure that the new names resonate with residents and accurately represent the town's identity. By renaming its roads, Entebbe municipality hopes to preserve its history and create a sense of pride among its residents.
Mayor Rulinda noted that some current road names, such as "Cemetery Lane" and "Busa bwambongo lane," are not befitting and could be used to immortalise notable figures.
"We have some ridiculous names, like Cemetery Lane, Busa bwambongo lane, Queen's road, Gowers road, among others," he said. "Yet, we could have used them to immortalize people. So, we are re-thinking the names to ensure that we give the roads befitting names that promote tourism and the history of our country."
The municipality is currently working on about 24 roads, with infrastructure development being a key driver for tourism growth. Mayor Rulinda highlighted that the construction progress for most of the roads is between 50 to 70 percent.
"If by the end of 2025, we can get Entebbe's road network to 75 percent tarmac, we would have achieved a great milestone," he said.
Other stakeholders at the workshop also shared their insights on sustainable tourism in Entebbe. Ms Fanny Martinez, one of the organizers of the event, emphasised the need for community involvement and product development.
"Entebbe has fresh waters, beaches, and so many activities, but we lack community involvement and product development within the community," she said. "If we could just start developing sustainable products within the community, then this will enhance our tourism potential."
Ms Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, a senior citizen and proprietor of Askay Hotel, highlighted the importance of environmental protection and waste management. "To manage a community to a sustainable level, we have to ensure that waste is well disposed, noise pollution is worked on, and Entebbe is clean," she said. "There are many challenges in Entebbe, especially to do with environmental protection, disposing of waste, bad roads, though some have improved tremendously."
