It’s a year now since news broke that Uganda, together with a group of investors to refurbish a Uganda flag. Victoria International Airlines, (VIA), which is Uganda’s new national flag carrier is likely to tousle feathers in the market. The company is a joint venture between Uganda and a group of investors from South Africa and Switzerland. The Airline started operating in November 2006 and fly to Nairobi, Johannesburg and Juba. Victoria, which has VB as its airline identification code initially operate two Boeing 737-200s, leased from South African aircraft leasing firm Avstar. The two aircraft have a sitting capacity of 108 with 14 business class seats. VB fly to Johannesburg three times a week and four times to Juba capital of southern Sudan. The Ugandan government owns 20% stake of Victoria with the rest of the stake held by South Africa and Swiss investors. Uganda has not had a national airline since the liquidation of Uganda Airlines in early 2001 and now the dream come true. Visitors from such destinations can now travel directly to Uganda and experience the Pearl of Africa with its safari circuit.
The domestic airline operator has said the industry is ready to provide daylong tourist charters to numerous national parks of Uganda during and after Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The executive officer Eagle airline, added that CHOGM would provide an opportunity for the local airline industry to fully maximize her resources. Domestic airlines offer will make it possible for the delegates to get pleasure from the summit as well as experience Uganda’s tourism.
Domestic Airline is currently working with the government agency responsible for tourism promotion and other stakeholders to develop an inclusive tourist circuit to cater for those delegates who may wish to visit the national parks of Uganda. Apart from tourist’s circuit across Uganda, Eagle airline has plans of widening the domestic schedule network to cover more areas than currently. The airline is planning regional network with scheduled flights covering Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Congo and Southern Sudan said the executive officer. This will be of great achievement to domestic tourists who would love to visit the gorilla region of Rwanda, Congo, and Uganda and will as well help promote domestic tourism among these countries.
Twelve months deadline given to hotels in Uganda under construction, targeting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is closer to an end. The commonwealth summit is only 10 months away. This is the biggest meeting Uganda is to host since her independence in 1962. 3000 hotel rooms are required for the summit.
Hotel owners are reacting day and night to beat the CHOGM deadline. The hotels must be completed ahead of time so as to have testing time, train staff and install equipments like lifts. Kampala has seen a race for hotel construction since it was officially announced at the 2005 CHOGM held in Malta that Uganda would host the event in two years time. Serena hotel will host the opening ceremony. Big media channels such as BBC and CNN will be on hand to cover the event not only to commonwealth countries but also for the rest of the world. Among other hotels Munyonyo commonwealth resort, which is planned for Munyonyo, on the shores of lake Victoria, will accommodate the 53 heads of state coming to Uganda. Travel hemispheres is proud to be associated with these hotels. The blue book is a commonwealth handbook that contains details on specifications that need to be followed by any CHOGM host country.
Uganda and Kenya are in the process of disarming karamoja and Turkana pastoralists respectively. Karimojong comprised of several ethnic groups including the Pokot, Kadam, Pian, Tepeth, Matheniko and Bokora. Others are the Jie, Labwor, Nyakwi, Dodoth and Teuso. Different communities among the Turkana have relations with some of the karimojong ethnic groups. The karimojong and Turkana still owns guns for their survival escalating cattle rustling in the region. Though the disarmament process is on, Karimojong and Turkana who thought it wise to hand over the guns willing to the government, only take back ‘rotten’ guns that are of no use to them and determined to keep their dignity. To them international boundaries are irrelevant so are the laws.
One may ask him or herself how the Karimojong acquired guns? In the olden days rudimentary spears and arrows were used and these were later replaced with home made guns. Civil wars in Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia and Uganda these ethnic groups managed to get guns. Up to now guns are still sold in some parts of Sudan that any body else can acquire. During Idi Amin’s fall in 1979, karimojong also looted guns in the Uganda army’s armory in Moroto.
Karamoja is one of the areas where one of the ten national parks in Uganda is found. This is Kidepo Valley National Park, which is one of Uganda’s most spectacular parks. Kidepo Valley National Park has a wide variety of animal species including Elephant, Burchell’s zebra, Bush big, Rothschild giraffe, Cape buffalo, Warthog, Eland, Duiker Defassa waterbuck, Bohor reedbuck, Jackson’s hartebeest and Oribi. Carnivores include lion, leopard, several small cats, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal and side-striped jackal in the extremely diverse flora. Kidepo Valley National Park is an out standing habitat for over 465 species of birds where ostrich and kori bustard are only found in Uganda. Karimojong culture is also one of the potential unique cultures to be packaged for visitors in the region. The visitors who tour Kidepo Valley National Park remain with a memorable experience of the Uganda’s most diverse park.
By Achen M Stella
The launch of Kampala Serena hotel on November last year is indication that tourism sectors in Uganda foray into a lucrative up market travel circuit.
With the aim of the hotel management expanding both in other parts of the country and else where in the world, sites are being identified for possible construction of lodges in some of the major parks. Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the parks identified. Queen Elizabeth National Park encompasses a wide variety of habitats ranging from savanna and wetlands to riverine and lowland forest. In this wonderfully diverse ecosystem, water is what seems to dominate the landscape, with250 kilometers of shores. Queen Elizabeth has more species of mammals compared to other parks in Uganda with 95 recorded species including both savanna and forest species. There are elephants, buffaloes, hippos, mongoose and warthog. 10 primates species including chimpanzee, black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, retailed and vervet monkeys.
This means that this investment will help to produce a magnificent multiplier effect as its impact ripples thorough tourism industry. This will help increase on anumber of accommodation facilities in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Ssezibwa falls is a magnificent beauty out of harass and activity of Mukono town in a cool and charming environment.
Ssezibwa falls is a historical site located at Kayanja 10 kms off Kampala Jinja highway. Ssezibwa is a luganda word meaning ‘some thing endless’. The falls formation is fascinating oral tradition dating as far back as the 16th century. The sounds of hissing waterfalls welcomes you here, the environment in ssezibwa has natural colour. Climbing the diamond –shaped edge rocks is a fascinating adventure. A lapse in concentration could land one into the hands of the falls. At ssezibwa falls tourists enjoy bird watching and hunting. There is also music, dance and drama. Ssezibwa falls is one of the places contributing to Uganda’s pearl of Africa that one cant just miss.
President Yoweri Museveni officially announced that Uganda will host the Commonwealth Heads of States and Government Meeting from November 23 to 25 2007. The same time the secretary general of the commonwealth Don Mackinnon made the announcement in London. The theme for the summit will be transforming commonwealth societies to achieve political and human development. The commonwealth is a multi-racial grouping of countries formerly linked to Britain that use English as a common language. Museveni gave assurance that by June this year, the 4,000 beds required to accommodate CHOGM guests will be ready. He further added that all the hotels in Uganda that will host guests will be required to have stand by generators to counter any power shortages. Museveni enumerated the benefits of hosting the summit, including giving Uganda an opportunities to inject its ideas into the bigger group of 53 countrie, publicizing Uganda as a tourist destination.
The fond to supply vehicles to be used for commonwealth summit has not yet been awarded said the spokesperson for the National Task Force. The procurement process for transport for commonwealth heads of government meeting (CHOGM) guests, delegates and security is still going on and no contract has been awarded to any company for the supply of vehicles. The government has carried out an analysis with genuine suppliers and agents of vehicles, of particulars and factors, on the basis of an affordable option of either rental or backing, which option was not attractive to some dealers at the initial stage.
Tourism industry in Uganda stands great deal to benefit from CHOGM. Besides improvement in infrastructures, tourism bill is to be enacted, and more employments to be created. Following the indications about Queen Elizabeth National Park and other site in major national parks being identified for possible construction of lodges by the management of Serena hotel Kampala, tourism facilities will as well be improved due to CHOGM.
Gifted by nature a Uganda’s brand initiated dubbed Uganda shifted to another level with the elections of a steering committee. This follows a grand launch by Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni in 2005 at Speke resort, monyonyo. After a highly billed six month CNN campaign that placed Uganda on the international scene, gifted by nature climbed another level. Gifted by nature is an incorporation non-profit company seeking; to promote Uganda natural and human endowments, the tenderness and hospitality of its people, the entrepreneurship and versatility of its workforce and the tourism and investment opportunities of the Uganda.
The name gifted by nature originates from the pearl of Africa’s rich biodiversity ranging from extremely diverse flora and its supreme scenery to a variety of animal species equally abundant including many which are not found nowhere else in the world. As the name suggests Uganda has it all. A tour to Ugandan national parks will introduce you to the really gift of nature with an unforgettable familiarity.
In 1964 after independence, Uganda was a popular tourist destination in East Africa. However, it later demoralized during Amins regime. Restoring Uganda to its former glory was made possible with improved structure, security and aggressive marketing. In 1960s, the main attractions were game viewing, mountaineering and sport fishing. Uganda to today is the place to be, nature walks, quad bike riding, white water rafting, all game parks activities and religious tourism is one of the attractions in the country. Namugongo Martyrs shrine is a beehive activity every early June for religious tourism. Places like Ngamba island in Lake Victoria, Uganda’s current sanctuary for chimpanzees are one of the places for a must visit. Bwindi impenetrable forest, a world heritage site, is a magnificent green wrap of forest commonly known for mountain gorillas. Rwenzori and Mt. Elgon for mountaineering, do you need to view the big five come to Uganda in places like Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison fall, Kidepo Valley etc. what about Kibale forest for a lot more of chimpanzees. Uganda to day is one of the places for tourism in the world.