Why damming Isimba Falls will destroy tourism on R. Nile

A tourist bungee jumps at the source of the Nile. Bungee jumping is among the major tourism activities along the Nile.  

In July, the governments of Uganda and China signed a memorandum of understanding to construct a 188 Megawatts hydro-power dam at Isimba Falls in Kayunga District, 40kms downstream from the newly built Bujagali Hydro power Dam.

Following the May 2007 motion passed by Parliament authorising government to guarantee $115m for the Bujagali hydro power project, an Indemnity Agreement was signed in July 2007 between the government of Uganda and International Development Association (IDA), giving a partial risk guarantee on credit extended to the Bujagali project.

In the agreement, the government undertook to set aside the Kalagala Falls site to protect its natural habitat and spiritual values. In addition, the government agreed not to develop hydro power generation that could adversely affect the protection of the Kalagala Falls site without prior agreement with IDA.

Six years down the road, with the Bujagali dam completed and a sustainable management plan for Kalagala Offset developed and in place, a project has been approved that could erode all the efforts to preserve Kalagala falls and its associated natural features and attractions.

Most likely to suffer because of the construction of Isimba Dam is the adventure tourism industry along the River Nile in Jinja and Kayunga districts. The 40km section between Bujagali dam and the proposed Isimba dam site is used by companies running white water rafting and river kayaking trips.

According to the people operating on the affected section of the Nile, there has been very little consultation on the impacts of the Isimba dam and where it was done; many of the companies were not involved. “There was a stakeholders’ meeting about one year ago in which only two companies were invited, Adrift Adventure Company (who never attended) and Hairy Lemon Resort. The meeting had no prior knowledge of the tourism base in Jinja and was more concerned with the farmers or landowners that would be affected. It wasn’t concerned about the tourism industry at all,” says Jon Dahl, proprietor of Nile River Explorers white-water rafting company.

Information accessed by the company at the initial stages of the Isimba dam feasibility study suggests three options were being considered for the dam reservoir size. In the first option, the dam reservoir would back-up to the base of the Hairy Lemon Island resort in Nazigo, leaving the popular river kayaking wave chain, Nile Special, intact. The impact on independent river kayakers would be minimal.

However, commercial river rafting and kayaking operations would be the most affected since the major family rafting and kayak learning sections run from Hairy Lemon Resort in Nazigo to Busana, the Isimba Dam project location in Kayunga District.

The second option suggests the dam reservoir would recede up to the top of the Hairy Lemon resort in Nazigo, flooding the popular Nile Special rapid and leaving the section of water between the flooded rapid and Kalagala falls. This option would have a huge impact on the number of visitors which would affect the kayak community badly.

The third dam option would be flooding the whole section of the river from Busaana up to Kalagala Falls. According to the adventure companies on ground, the impact would be serious, resulting in a complete stop to independent kayakers visiting Uganda, which would be a major loss to river rafting and kayaking companies. In this option, the dam would flood into Kalagala offset, destroying the only viable section for white-water rafting as there are no more rapids between Isimba and Karuma.

End of adventure tourism

It would end adventure tourism in terms of rafting and kayaking on the river causing a major drop in tourist numbers and affecting businesses around and thousands of people who benefit from it. In the July 2013 World Bank Economic and Statistical analysis of Tourism in Uganda, adventure tourism was cited as the third most popular trip activity for leisure tourists coming to Uganda. For the over one million non-residents who visited Uganda in 2013, the most popular trip activities among leisure tourists were; wildlife safari accounting for 39 per cent of tourist visits, gorilla tracking at 26 per cent, adventure tourism at 25 per cent, and backpacker travel at 17 per cent.

As Jeffrey Gettleman summed it up in his 2009 New York Times article, ‘Wild on the Nile in Uganda,’ “Uganda is a wonderful place to experience Africa, and rafting is just a piece of it. You can trek deep into Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and stand eye-to-eye with a 500-pound critically endangered mountain gorilla. 

You can scale mountain peaks in the Rwenzoris (also known as the Mountains of the Moon) and see wild elephants at Queen Elizabeth National Park. You can bungee jump, jet boat and kayak…” A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat designed to be manually propelled by means of a double bladed paddle.

Following the completion of the Bujagali Dam whose construction submerged Bujagali Falls, kayakers use the stretch of white water from Kalagala or Itanda Falls down to Nile Special, a grade five rapid which is level with Nazigo, about five kilometres above Isimba Falls.

This stretch is widely regarded among the best for white-water rafting and kayaking in the world.
The main attraction is the Nile Special wave chain next to the Hairy Lemon Island resort in Nazigo, Kayunga District.

Nile Special is the only wave of its size and quality in the world that can be surfed 365 days of the year. Adrift Adventures, a white-water rafting company, says on its website, “the water temperature on the Nile has made this rapid in particular a ‘Mecca’ for white-water kayakers.”

Increasingly, people are looking to surf larger waves, like those of the Nile in Uganda and many of the world’s top athletes in freestyle kayaking train in Uganda prior to big competitions.
Kayak the Nile, a kayaking company operating on River Nile, suggests that commercial kayaking accounts for approximately 7500 visits to Uganda per year.

In addition, up to 800 kayakers travel independently to Uganda yearly, with numbers growing as Uganda becomes established as one of the world’s best kayaking destinations. Most independent kayakers stay in Uganda for two weeks or longer, some for as long as four months.

Excluding flights and travel to and from the country, on average, each kayaker could spend at least $500 at a time; totalling to nearly $400,000 brought in by 800 independent kayakers per annum. The 2013 World Bank report on Tourism in Uganda also indicates that leisure and cultural tourists spend 30 to 100 per cent more than other types of tourists per visit to Uganda.

This substantial difference in spending makes these tourists an attractive target in government efforts to increase the economic contribution of the tourism sector. According to the 2012 Tourism Expenditure and Motivation Survey (TEMS) done by the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry, roughly 500,000 foreign tourists spent at least one night in Uganda in 2012, and nearly 75,000 of these were leisure or cultural tourists.

The total economic impact of the expenditures made by these half-million foreign tourists while in Uganda is large; expenditures totalled Shs1.1 trillion and generated Shs2.7 trillion of GDP.
Depending on the dam model adopted for the Isimba hydro power project, Uganda stands to lose most of its revenue from adventure tourism.

It is estimated that up to 100 tourism businesses in Jinja and beyond could be adversely affected directly or indirectly by the dam construction and these include banks, mechanics, boda boda cyclists, supermarkets, clinics, phone companies and farmers, among others.

GOVERNMENT -IDA 2007 INDEMNITY AGREEMENT

(Partial Risk Guarantee for the Private Power Generation (Bujagali) Project)
Between International Development Association and the Republic Of Uganda dated July 18, 2007
Section 3.06. Uganda shall:

(a) Set aside the Kalagala Falls Site exclusively to protect its natural habitat and environmental and spiritual values in conformity with sound social and environmental standards acceptable to the Association. Any tourism development at the Kalagala Falls Site will be carried out only in a manner acceptable to the Association and in accordance with the aforementioned standards. Uganda also agrees that it will not develop power generation that could adversely affect the ability to maintain the above-stated protection at the Kalagala Falls Site without the prior agreement of the Association.

In addition, GOU undertakes to conserve through a sustainable management program and budget mutually agreed by the Government and the Association (no later than expiration of the prevailing sustainable management program or such later date as the Association may agree), the present ecosystem of the Mabira Central Forest Reserve, as well as the Kalagala Central Forest Reserve and the Nile Bank Central Forest Reserve on the banks of Kalagala Falls (as such Reserves are included within the Kalagala Falls Site).

Upon receiving the Association’s notice of a termination (or prospective termination) of the IDA
Guarantee Agreement (whether by the Association’s payment there under or otherwise) which in turn may lead to a termination of the Project or this Agreement, Uganda will enter into discussions with the Association regarding an extension (and the terms of any extension) of the afore-mentioned setting aside of and undertakings in respect of the Kalagala Falls Site (including the Kalagala Central Forest Reserve and the Nile Bank Central Forest Reserve) and the Mabira Central Forest Reserve;

Jinja: A place where adventure tourism comes to life on R. Nile

Nile Cruises are ideal on the flat waters of the river

It is the source of the Nile and some say, the source of adventure. With the long line of adventure activities on offer, there is enough evidence to support Jinja’s claim to adventure fame.

When you speak about adventure in Jinja, many will immediately think of white water rafting and they would be right. Rafting is probably Jinja’s oldest and widely advertised adventure sport. It dates back almost 20 years to the time when the Bujagali Falls, a series of cascading rapids, was still in place.

Even though the construction of the Bujagali Dam submerged some of the rapids on the rafting circuit, the sport is very much alive, thanks to the amazingly bouncy River Nile that has a string of rapids stretching for miles across Buikwe and Kayunga districts.

After the changes that have taken place on the section of the river between Owen Falls and Bujagali dams, tourism operators are thinking harder on how best to utilize the new expanse of flat water left behind after the flooding of Bujagali Falls.

It is this effort to make use of the flat water that has given rise to the Nile Cruise, a boating experience where tourists are treated to a two-hour ride on a 50-seater double-decker boat as they sip their drinks and watch the sunset.

Extreme sporting

For those more inclined to extreme sports, jet boating might appeal to your wild side. On the few jet boat rides I have taken, I have seen young and old people alike, screaming their lungs out as the boat captain swung the craft this way and that at alarming speeds, narrowly missing rocks. In fact a ride on the eight to ten-seater jet boats often feels like a series of near misses and head-on collisions with small river islands. You get to fly over water falls, spin around and splash but unlike a journey on the bus, there is no getting off before the journey is done.

If you like the feeling of falling out of the sky, sky-diving or however you prefer to describe free-fall, then bungee jumping is the thing for you. The bungee jump is quite literally a cliff-hanger because the platform is suspended over the edge of a cliff at the Adrift River camp near the bottom of Nile Resort Hotel gardens.

Even after the demise of Bujagali Falls, there is still plenty of adventure to be experienced in the area; including a ride on the all-terrain quad bike just like your favorite action movie heroes riding through the jungle.

There are kayaking schools that offer amateur lessons on how to paddle along in a kayak on the calm river waters; mountain biking through the villages neighbouring Bujagali and river boarding, among others.

Approximate cost of adventure in Jinja

White water Rafting

Full Day Rafting – $125 (Shs313,750)
Half Day Rafting - $115 (Shs288,650)
Extreme Rafting - $145 (Shs363,950)
2-Day Rafting - $250 (Shs 627,500)
Bungee Jump - $115 (Shs288,650)

Raft / Bungee Combo

$195 (Shs489,450) – Full day rafting – can only be done over 2 days !
$185 (Shs 464,350) – Half day rafting

Wild Nile Jet

Exploding up the Nile
$75 (Shs188,250) Adult / $50 (Shs125500) Kid (under 12 years)
Ex Kampala, including lunch @ Wildwaters Lodge – $135 Adult / $105 Child under 12 years

Raft / Jet Combo

$180 (Shs451800) – Full day rafting and a jet boat ride
$170 (Shs426,700) – Half day rafting and a jet boat ride

Threesome

Full day rafting, bungee and jet-boat - $250 (Shs627,500)
Half day rafting, bungee and jet-boat – $240 (Shs602,400)

River and Lake Cruise

Nile sunset cruise – $45 (Shs112950)
Nile lunch cruise – $30 (Shs75,300)

A ride in the wild near River Nile in Jinja

I thought quad biking in Uganda would be as ordinary as a boda boda ride — if not more boring — because this was on bumpy and dusty roads in a remote village known as Bujagali in Jinja.

However, when Amos Wekesa, the renowned tourism enthusiast told me his daughter and son were also headed for the adventure, a part of me melted.

I hastily joined the trio on their way to Jinja with fat expectations. There had to be something special about quad biking to compel Wekesa to take his little ones for a weekend, over 40km away from Kampala.

The quad biking arena is nestled at the northern shores of River Nile. Peter Knight, the initiator of this activity in Uganda, was there. He assigned William Okiror, a knowledgeable and courteous guide, to take us through the day.

Getting ready

Okiror gave each of us a helmet and overalls, which I loved to hate because of their funny look. But there was no time to ponder because Okiror shepherded us to the reception for instructions about quad biking. Save for the instruction that warned us against riding the bikes with over confi dence, I do not remember the rest.

There are sculptures of different animals and birds along the track, which adds more beauty to the scenery.

We trooped to the parking yard, where we found over 20 quad bikes to pick from for the adventure. But we had to rely on Okiror for recommendations — he advised Wekesa and I to settle for the manual bikes as the little ones took automatic ones, which are easy to ride.

The manual bikes are more engaging and offer a greater riding challenge. It was not till our engines roared that it dawned on me that quad biking was absolutely different from a boda boda ride. Going by its vibrant roar, I could tell the safari would be so rewarding that I would drop in the fi eld in victorious exhaustion.

The tracks

Our convoy of four bikes was led through three circuits — each at least 100 metres long. One track is winding with sharp corners designed to acquaint bikers with abrupt breaking skills needed in negotiating corners. Circuit two has narrow tracks meandering around a giant aquarium and man-made stream fl owing in concrete channels.

Along its tracks were road bumps and statuaries of different wildlife such as zebras, elephants, all designed to arm bikers with defensive driving skills.

Having passed the test with fl ying colours, Okiror led us to the fourth circuit, which is a long meandering route, probably about 500 metres long, just about the edge of the River Nile. We were allowed to ride through at speeds of our convenience. It was only then that I realised how exciting riding the manual bike was.

Almost all my six senses were engaged — my eyes to admire the breathtaking river, my nose to smell the dust, my ears to pay attention to the engine’s roars and tongue to scream in fright every time I almost rolled over Wekesa’s bike. This gave the adventure a great kick start.

Hitting the road

At last, it was time to hit the road for the real adventure in the neighbouring village, Buwendo. Being below the age of seven, Wekesa’s daughter had to leave her bike and join her dad’s for her safety. “Curiosity always leads minors to try out different things, only to roll over,” Okiror said.

We rode through a four-acre maize field, whose tracks were criss-crossed by daring farm pests such as rats and squirrels. Then there were the cute orange weaver birds that kept jumping from one maize comb to another in search of a bite.

Before we knew it, we were in the heart of a circular murrum fi eld with a circumference of about 100 metres. It is right here that we were to showcase our best biking skills, but oops, we hardly knew any.

For this reason, we spent the next 10 minutes riding in circles as our eyes of envy remained glued on Okiror, who proudly stole the show by pulling daring antics that we only see on sports TV channels.

By the end of this phase, I was choking on a thick blanket of dust, which had fi lled the air — triggered by our rides. This prompted Okiror to lead us to the immediate bank of River Nile for some fresh air. No sooner had we arrived, than one of the bikes got a mechanical problem.

Okiror did not have the spares to right away fi x it, meaning there was going to be plenty of time for us to cherish the refreshing breeze of the Nile. But he called back to offi ce for a substitute bike which arrived in the blink of an eye.

Back on track

We got back on track right away for another phase of the adventure along a narrow and bumpy course. The bumpier it was, the greater the riding challenge became. It was quite fun to manoeuvre over obstacles that looked impossible to trample, such as huge blocks of rocks and medium-sized logs.

Almost every time I accelerated to ride over an obstacle, the bike sprang up and down, tossing me mildly into the air like an underweight baby.

Next, we headed for the fast and furious ride in a rectangular football fi eld. We rode wildly, but kept applying the brakes abruptly. The bikes would spin repeatedly at 360 degrees like the propeller of a plane. In just two minutes, the atmosphere was glowing with hundreds of multi-coloured butterfl ies. It was an electrifying experience.

Just like phase one, this rough ride heated up our bodies, causing sweat to soak our clothes and leave us panting for fresh air. We veered to the nearest water bank which is about one kilometre away from the gigantic Bujagali dam. At this point, we turned off our engines and went for a break. We resorted to gathering shells from the shores.

Before we knew it, time was up; we had to return to the start point. To give the adventure a memorable climax, Okiror used a return track that cut through the scenic rolling hills of Bujagali and we relished every minute of it.

Lake Victoria’s equatorial island

Lwaji Island is one of the three equator markers in Uganda. Others are found at Kayabwe in Masaka and Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Mariners pose for a picture at the equator on Lwaji Island

From Entebbe’s Aero Beach, it took us approximately 25 minutes to get to Lake Victoria’s Lwaji Island. The winds were blowing mildly and the lake’s waters were tranquil.

Our destination was an island where the equator crosses the lake. The equator line runs through two of the lake’s islands — Damba and Lwaji.

However, before we embarked on our voyage, we had to spend close to half-an-hour waiting for the mechanics to prepare the ferry’s decks. Excitedly waiting with me were the East African Mariners, most of whom seemed very eager for their maiden voyage on Africa’s largest lake. The excitement was written on almost everyone’s face.

Tourists at Kayabwe in Masaka

Apart from the adventure, the mariners also had a worthwhile cause to accomplish that day: they were on a mission to donate life-saving jackets to the island’s fishing communities.

Going by the accounts I heard before we set off, most of the lake’s fishermen go on ill-advised fishing expeditions without life jackets, even deep in the night. When we finally departed, it was an exhilarating experience. It was also fun watching all the revellers on the sandy beaches we were leaving behind as we voyaged farther out.

As we sailed off, the view was beautiful. It seemed only natural when an old gentleman seated at the back of the ferry exclaimed: “God is great.” Everyone seemed cheerful when we caught sight of the first island. Smiles were unlocked, faces lit up and there was an endless repertoire of jokes, coming courtesy of the many happy-go-lucky emcees we had on board.

It was spell-binding watching the varieties of birds chirping and flapping away. We caught glimpses of kingfishers and the egrets flying low on the surface of the water, eager to catch some prey. The fishermen paddled their canoes past us, unconcerned by our presence.

Regardless of their attitude, many people on the ferry entertained themselves by watching the fishermen at work. Lake Victoria has many ring shaped islands that many of the fishing communities inhabit. Many of these communities live in old corrugated iron sheet shelters.

When we went past one of the inhabited islands, a group of six men were taking a bath on the edges of the island. Some even had the nerve to wave at us in their birthday suits. As our ferry cruised past the many islands on our way to our destination, almost everybody wanted to catch a glance of these marvels of nature. It is said Lake Victoria has 84 of them.

The Equatorial Island

We finally reached our destination  — Lwaji Island. Plenty of bird life exists here, going by what we saw when we alighted the ferry. There were many birds flying in and out of their nesting grounds.

What fascinated us most, however, was the fact that this particular island seems uninhabited, save for the few UPDF marine soldiers we found there. Some bits of the island are cleared of bushy vegetation, while the rest is like a garden.

On this picturesque island, one can enjoy a wide view of the lake, the Entebbe Airport runway and the other surrounding islands. The atmosphere and breeze around us was pleasantly refreshing. Here you will be able to spot a tree that has incredibly grown on the island’s rocky surface.

Whether you fancy a quiet place to meditate or if sightseeing is your cup of tea, this island is the perfect get-away. The island, just like the others on Lake Victoria, is of considerable conservation value.

But nothing here shows whether this particular one has been visited of recent. Before our tour ended, we lined up for photo opportunities at a signpost designating the spot where the equator line passes, just like the one in Kayebe, Masaka

Tour operators panic as UWA makes new policies

When elephants fight, the grass suffers, goes an old saying. This becomes more realistic when it is literary played out by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the private sector engaged in tourism related business. The proverbial grass, the animals and related wildlife-based tourism, are suffering. Instead of working together as partners to promote Uganda tours, the two parties are locked in endless conflicts.

As UWA rolls out innovations to improve services to clients, the private sector remains opposed, on grounds that they were not consulted and that what UWA is introducing will ruin their business. “We are going to strike because UWA has refused to listen to  us,” Herbert Byaruhanga, the president of the Uganda Tourism Authority (UTA) told Saturday Vision in an interview.

When contacted, Jossy Muhangi, the UWA public relations manager, down-played the conflict, saying the cat-and-mouse game does not hold water. “I do not think it is a conflict, the terms are always clear,” Muhangi said, in reference to the recent development in which UWA will make gorilla permits accessible online, while booking will be done by registered Ugandan tour operators “We want them to take advantage of modern technology,” said Muhangi, adding that the different time zones mean that intending gorilla trackers would be able to know the number of available gorilla permits, even at night when tour operators are asleep.

Opposing online gorilla permits on grounds that it would lead to loss of employment, according to Muhangi, is counter-productive. He says more intending trackers would be able to see the gorilla permits online and then contact the Ugandan tour operators. “We know that tourism is private sector-led, that is why booking is going to be done through tour operators,” said Muhangi. “As the tour operators make more money from the increased gorilla trackers, UWA will also reduce on the losses incurred through unsold permits,” he said.

However, Byaruhanga cites the loss of business as the reason the tourism fraternity is opposed to online gorilla permit booking. He says when tourists physically contact tour operators to book gorilla permits, they can easily be convinced to visit our other parts of the country. “By taking gorilla permits online, tour operators lose their bargaining power,” Byaruhanga explained. In September, Maria Mutagamba, the tourism minister, set up a committee to resolve the matter.

Gorillas at Bwindi national park

The committee chaired by a  
commissioner in the tourism ministry has representatives from UWA, the Association of Uganda Tourism Operators (AUTO) and the communities, and a representative from the International Gorilla Conservation Program. The committee is chaired by a commissioner in the tourism ministry Mutagamba ordered the committee to find a solution in three months, which elapsed in December 2013.

However, the matter remains unresolved because tour operators did not provide a representative. Apart from the online gorilla permits, the tour operators say UWA is introducing vehicles in national parks, which private sector players say is going to create competition and take away business. They also say the World Bank funded initiative in which UWA is expected to get buses to ply between Kampala and the protected areas, will undermine the earnings of tour operators. “Such services will compliment tour operators,” said Muhangi. “We are not competing with them. The tour operators target high end tourists, while our focus is on domestic and budget tourists.” Muhangi cited groups organised under churches, Rotarians and families as some of the intending tourists who would visit the protected areas.

For long, he said many people have kept away from the protected areas because tour operators charge exorbitant fees. The conflict, which is fueled by greed, ignorance and arrogance, has rolled the names of the top leadership at UWA in the mud. “I do not know what is driving this man (Andrew Seguya, the executive director of UWA) You agree on one thing and he does something else,” said Byaruhanga. When contacted for comment, Seguya said UWA had formed what he called ‘the coalition of the willing’, comprising institutions willing to break boundaries to expedite the fulfillment of Government plans to build infrastructure. He said the Civil Aviation Authority, which is part of the “coalition of the willing” had introduced scheduled flights to the largest protected areas of the country.

Others include construction of tourism roads which will link the protected areas, such as Murchison Falls National Park in northern Uganda and the southern parts of the country, where Kibaale National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are Experts say Kaddu Sebunya, representative of the Africa Wildlife Foundation UWA and the private sector need each other. But the conflicts that have emerged are motivated by fear of the unknown. The conflict is unhealthy, especially for the tour operators because 80% of their business is in the protected areas.

The Government does not adequately fund the Uganda Tourist Board (UTB). Even UWA does not get enough money from the Government and it cannot donate the money it uses for marketing to UTB, unless the law is changed. The private sector should reorganize and engage UWA over strategic interests and reforms. UWA keeps interacting with tour operators and lodge owners in clientele relationship. This should evolve into a partnership relationship. At the moment,  the conflict is unhealthy and it does not help conservation and tourism. Author New Vision

Game Park tourists increase by 17.5%

These graceful giraffes grace on a hot day at Kidepo National Park.

Visitor numbers to the protected areas has increased by 17.5%, the highest rise ever since the creation of the Uganda Wildlife Authority two decades ago, according to Barbra Ameso, UWA’s marketing and research officer.

Ameso attributed the high increase in the numbers to the solar eclipse, an event that attracted many tourists to Murchison Falls National Park.

“Uganda has unmatched attractions like the Mountain gorillas,” said Ameso, adding and the accolades lavished on Uganda by travel magazines including the Lonely Planet catapulted Uganda into the global spotlight.

 Kidepo Valley National Park in the north eastern part of the Uganda was last year listed by CNN among the top 10 parks in Africa.

The windswept Kidepo has large herds of buffaloes and a wide uninterrupted landscape surrounded by Karamojong pastoralists who have a rich culture.

Ameso said the visitor numbers increased from 182,149 in 2012 to 213,949 which amounts to 17.5%. She also said that foreigners contributed 43% of the visitors and the rest included Ugandans and East Africans.

Murchison Falls National Park attracted the highest number of visitors, followed by Queen Elizabeth National Park. Though visitors going to Kidepo have increased, the most pristine park came third after the most popular parks, Murchison and Queen.

Lake Mburo National Park in Mbarara, which is being developed into a suitable product for domestic tourism, was the least visited park.

The top wildlife agency is working with Africa Wildlife Foundation with the support of USAID to increase the visitor numbers at Mburo.

UWA, which was established in 1996 after the merger of the colonial set up Uganda national parks and the Game Department, manages 10 national parks and 12 wildlife reserves located in different parts of the country.

On Trip to Kidepo Valley National Park

Kjong Uganda safaris give you a chance to visit the most isolated and magnificent national park Uganda and is ranked among the Africa’s finest wildernesses.

Elephant crossing

Kidepo Valley National Park is a completely different world. Vast plains, inspiring views from every vantage point.  With a lot of wildlife as you drive into the park. Kidepo offers breathtaking open savannah which is surrounded by spectacular mountain landscape nowhere to be seen in Africa!

 

Kidepo zebras feeding.

Our clients take pictures of the Karamanjongos  as our Tour Guide look on

 Kidepo valley national park is also surrounded by interesting traditional and ancient tribe like karamonjongo’s and the iki and this will give visitor to have cultural experience with Karamonjongo people, you will have an opportunity to visit there traditional home stands called the mayattas.

Market day

We have five day tour that will see you visit Kidepo and this unique tribe of Uganda.

Pope Francis to Visit Uganda

Pope Francis will in October this year, attend the celebrations to mark 50 years since the canonization of the Uganda Martyrs, the Prime Minister, Amama Mbabazi has said.

Mbabazi was speaking during the consecration of Bishop George Bagamuhunda, as the 5th Bishop of the Anglican Kigezi Diocese at St. Peters Rugarama on Sunday.

Mbabazi said the Government and the Catholic Church had invited the Pope to attend the golden jubilee of the canonization of the Ugandan martyrs and the Pope had accepted the invitation. But the Vatican is yet to confirm officially.

The Prime Minister Hon Mama Mbabazi  confirmed that  Pope Francis will be  Visiting Uganda this year. As Ugandan am  very great full about his visit and we at Kjong safaris ltd we welcome the Pope to Uganda and all the people who will be traveling with him.
This is good news to Uganda as Nation and to the tourism industry this very good opportunity for us to show what Uganda has to offer to the world.

Uganda is truly the Pearl of Africa and while in Uganda you will have an opportunity to visit all these and much more.

Gorilla safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

wildlife safaris in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Comfortable accommodation while on safari

Ngamba chimp sanctuary ranked best in Africa

Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary Island has been ranked as the best chimpanzee sanctuary in Africa by Jane Goodall, a United Nations ambassador of peace.

A powerhouse primatologist, ethologist and anthropologist, Goodall is also the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute.

She says she based her ranking on the kind of attention and care accorded to the primates, which are highly threatened by extinction.

There are 29 chimpanzee sanctuaries in the whole of the African continent. Two of these were founded by Goodall under her Jane Goodall Institute. She has been supporting the other 27 through funding.

Found majorly in the tropics, you will find these sanctuaries in Uganda, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, DR Congo and Rwanda.

There are also some in South Africa and Sudan.

Speaking at her 80th birthday which was held at Lake Victoria Island, Goodall said she observed that the 47 chimpanzees on Ngamba Island were loved and treated with so much care like no other on the planet.

Jane Goodall mingles with the chimps at Ngamba sanctuary

“For the last couple of years, I have been moving from one sanctuary to another across the continent, but never have I seen chimpanzee caregivers treat the primates with so much care and love before.

“They have fully acknowledged the fact that chimpanzees are man’s closest relatives and treat them with so much love and attention. I am overwhelmed,” she the delighted octogenarian.

The sanctuary’s top ranking is seen as potential pull for the local tourism industry.

According to Lilly Ajarova, the sanctuary’s executive director, Goodall’s recognition of Ngamba as the top sanctuary in the continent could be a positive turning point, which could attract more tourists.

“Owing to the fact that Goodall is an inspirational figure who commands over 10 million followers worldwide inclusive of tourists and conservationists, her credit of Ngamba is destined to fire up its annual tourists turn-up from its annual 4000 to 5000 to nothing short of an impressive influx,” she says.

Ajarova is quick to add that, this will play an instrumental role in the conservation of the primates whose population across Africa country is dwindling at a high as many people continue to hold them in captivity and degrade their habitat.

River Nile explorer arrives in Kampala

KAMPALA - Levison Wood, a British adventurer on a mission to walk the Nile River across six countries, arrived in Kampala on Sunday.

Levison entered the city at the Kibuye roundabout, accompanied by a guide, a group of bikers, a film crew and Police.

“We made it!” he shouted as he waved and stopped to take pictures with fans who surrounded him.

The 31 year- old explorer started his journey in Nyungwe Forest in Rwanda on December 3, 2013 and followed River Kagera, believed by some as the source of the Nile.

Throughout his journey on foot, Levison will cross six countries which are Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt.

He aims to be the first man in history to walk the whole length of River Nile.

A writer and photographer, Levison co-founded Secret Compass, an exploration and adventure travel company that explores some of world’s wildest places. 

He has worked in over eighty countries and led teams across every kind of terrain and environment.

Levison was inspired by Africa from an early age, when he met painter and conservationist David Shepherd at a book signing.

Moved by Shepherd’s paintings, Levison grew up wanting to travel the world, documenting the wildlife and people he encountered.

In December 2013 Levison embarked on one of the world’s last great expeditions, attempting to walk the entire length of the River Nile.

He will be walking 4,250 miles across the six countries from source to delta through varying terrains over one year.

His expedition will be filmed for a four-part documentary to be aired on Channel 4 in the UK and Discovery Animal Planet in the USA 2014.

During his stay in Kampala, Levison will be blind-folded to take part in a boxing match with a blind boxer on Friday. He will also hang out with young people.

He says his expedition along the River Nile and subsequent activities will help change the narrative about African as a ‘continent of beggars.’

He will then walk to the source of River Nile in Jinja.

A travel note shows that Levison has a degree in History, and started out as a student journalist covering the invasion of Iraq in 2003. A year later, he was hitch-hiking from England to India, via the Caucasus, Iran, and Central Asia, where he lived at the mercy of Afghan gun runners and tribal warlords.

When he returned home, Levison was accepted into the Royal Military Academy Sand hurst and was commissioned into the Parachute Regiment.

He spent several years as an Officer, leading several large expeditions including jungle trekking in Colombia and mountaineering in the Nepalese Himalayas.

In 2010 Levison left the army and worked for a charity project delivering ambulances to Malawi, driving the vehicles through 27 countries overland from London. Since then he has pioneered expeditionary travel in a number of post-conflict zones and remote areas.

He trekked to the source of the Oxus in Afghanistan, rafted the River Nile, has taken television crews into the wild bushland of South Sudan, completed a record breaking walk across the entire island of Madagascar and climbed unnamed peaks in the Zagros Mountains of Kurdistan.

Levison has dedicated his time to raising funds for a range of charities, often using his expeditions to bring much needed help to organisations in the field as well as in the UK.

His Nile expedition will raise funds for a variety of selected charities including Tusk Trust, AMECA and Space for Giants