Koboko locals ask govt to develop tourism sites

The tourism potential in Koboko District has remained untapped over the years, with locals blaming the government for not doing enough to improve the sector.

Several tourism sites are in a dilapidated state, have a poor road and communication network, are in bushy areas, and don’t have signposts to direct tourists.

“We have sites like Awude Caves that harboured the ancestors and traditional leaders. We have their tools, crafts, songs, and dressing but this has not been known,” Mr David Wayi, a local tourism advocate, told Daily Monitor on Monday.

Mr Wayi said the Awude caves and Liru Mountain in Lobule Sub-county have different wild animal species. “These are the things that we would wish to showcase to the outside world and urge tourists and students to visit for tours,” he added. It is believed that Awudi caves also have several bird species.

Other sites include the historic Salia Musala tree situated at the Uganda, DR Congo, and South Sudan border, Kizo and Sile caves, Adolomela Falls, Dabaracha Falls, and arts and craft centres.

The secretary for Koboko Cultural Council, Mr Ramadhan Kassa, wonders why these sites remain unexploited.

“Awude caves used to be where our grandparents used to hold their meetings and sleep. They also have different animal species like baboons, monkeys, bats and different bird species,” he said.

Some tourism campaigners have called for joint efforts to market the sites.

“I request fellow artistes to use these sites while shooting their videos such that they are marketed. Even the roads to these sites should be maintained by the local government,” Mr Yuma Justo, a local artiste, said.

Former Miss Tourism West Nile 2022, Ms Frida Lenia, said the district lacks exposure and advanced technology and a poor community mindset towards tourism.

“Otherwise, once explored and exploited, these sites could generate income to expand on the district’s revenue base,” she said.

Koboko has a meagre Shs2.5m in the annual budget for promoting the sector, according to the district tourism officer, Mr Derrick Tumusiime.

“We have been able to document and profile the different sites and organise promotional tours to the sites. We are trying to engage the private sector to promote tourism but we still face challenges of underfunding,” Mr Tumusiime said.

Tourism has remained the leading forex earner contributing to 7.7 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

Funding. “We receive a quarterly release of Shs650,000. This is insufficient for the sector. So we lack necessary tourism gadgets like laptops, and cameras, and some communities are hostile to sites. Some sites are being destroyed, especially the falls, animal species, and the trees,” Derrick Tumusiime, district tourism officer

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