Prime
Kagulu Hill tourism site receives facelift
People walk on the newly-built staircases at the 3,600-feet Kagulu Hill at the weekend. They will be officially commissioned on August 20. PHOTO/DENIS EDEMA.
What you need to know:
- President Museveni pledged to develop the Hill as one of the tourism sites in the country, with Shs2 billion earmarked for the cause.
- Other tourism sites in Busoga include Bishop James Hannington Memorial Shrine in Mayuge and Matia Mulumba.
The government has started rehabilitating Kagulu Hill in Bugabula Sub-county, Kamuli District, in Busoga Sub-region.
Newly-built staircases have been erected on the 3,600-feet hill at Shs450m and will officially be commissioned by Kyabazinga William Gabula Nadiope IV on August 20.
The [Busoga] Kingdom minister for tourism, Ms Hellen Namutamba, in an interview at the weekend, said: “The Kyabazinga will be the chief climber and will officially commission the staircases alongside his subjects on August 20.”
Ms Namutamba added that among the invited guests are the First Deputy Prime Minister and minister for East African Community [EAC] Affairs, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, officials from the Ministry of Tourism and Uganda Tourism Board, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Members of Parliament, and dignitaries from abroad.
Ms Namutamba said among the activities to mark the day is a free medical camp for the community, which starts from Thursday to Sunday.
The exercise will culminate with the crowning of a new Miss Busoga tourism queen and the queens from each of the 11 chiefdoms.
Mr Stephen Kawube, a resident in the area, urged authorities to make the site more attractive by building more accommodation facilities.
“Let the structures be completed and given a facelift other than waiting for the annual hill-climbing event,” Mr Kawube said.
Mr Dan Sezire, a boda boda rider, accused the local leaders in Busoga of failing to embrace and appreciate nature in the Sub-region and urged the leaders to work as a team regardless of their different political affiliations.
The hill is significant because it is said the installment of the Kyabazinga is carried out on its top. It is also widely considered to be one of the first settlements of inhabitants of Busoga, when they moved from Bunyoro under the leadership of Prince Mukama.
Background
President Museveni pledged to develop the Hill as one of the tourism sites in the country, with Shs2 billion earmarked for the cause. Other tourism sites in Busoga include Bishop James Hannington Memorial Shrine in Mayuge and Matia Mulumba.
Former President, Idi Amin, had in the 1970s embarked on constructing staircases on the southern side of the hill to enable easy access to the top and have a clear view of the surrounding regions and water bodies.
