The African Queen boat motors on the Nile in Jinja, Uganda

JINJA - Sixty years after Humphrey Bogart steered her through crocodile infested waters, the African Queen is back plying the Nile.

Lovingly restored, the boat is operated by Cam McLeay, a New Zealand adventurer and Nile enthusiast, and took its first passengers for a ride in December.

"The African Queen belongs on the Nile. So it is so important to have the boat back home over 60 years after the film was made," McLeay told AFP.

In 1950 Bogart and Katherine Hepburn flew into Uganda together with a huge team from Hollywood to shoot the movie of the same name.

The film told the story of a prim missionary and a gruff adventurer, the captain of the African Queen -- two totally different characters -- who in true silver screen fashion end up falling in love despite the odds.

Hepburn wrote a frothy account of the making of the African Queen, which was shot between Uganda and neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo, subtitled "How I went to Africa with Bogart, Bacall and Houston and almost lost my mind".

Based on a 1934 novel by C.S. Forester, the movie was set during World War I in German-occupied east Africa.

"There were actually two of these boats, one of them was in Congo and this is the Nile's African Queen," explained McLeay, who recounts his love affair with the Nile.

"I'm very attached to the Nile. I've traveled the full length of the river, from the Mediterranean to the source in Nyungwe," the father of three recounted. "I've been up and down the river for 16 years."

Back in the 1990s he set up a rafting company in Uganda's Jinja area, and then had an eco-lodge built on an island in the river.

McLeay says he wants his projects to be sustainable -- from both an economic and an environmental point of view.

Recreation of past times

He then started thinking about a river boat to do trips and sundowner cruises for tourists, showcasing the scenery and the very varied birdlife.

"Just on this section here, we have over 100 species of birds. It's just beautiful to be on the river here at the sunset on the Equator," he told AFP.

McLeay learned of the existence of the African Queen when on holiday on Kenya's island of Lamu, where traditional Arabic-style sailing dhows with lateen sails are common.

"I was looking for an authentic African boat to run on the Nile and I was thinking of buying a Swahili dhow," he recounted.

"Then this hotel owner said: 'Why don't you buy the African Queen? She's from Uganda!'"

A week later McLeay had gone to Nairobi and tracked down Yank Evans, a septuagenarian who explained how he had found the hull of the boat abandoned in northern Uganda's Murchison Falls National Park 20 years earlier and had done it up.

When he left Uganda for Kenya he brought the boat with him.

Another five years went by between the boat's return to the banks of the Nile and the start of services on the river.

One of the challenges was to rebuild the steam engine, which was more than 100 years old.

In the movie, directed by John Huston and released in 1951, the boat was powered by a diesel engine that was made to look like a steam engine.

But when Evans restored it he decided to fit a real steam engine and had one air freighted from Britain.

"When we got this boat, the boiler had been sitting around for a very long time," explained Gavin Fahey, the African Queen's captain and mechanic, adding that he had to strip down the engine and re-machine it.

McLeay explains that he has tried to recreate an atmosphere of times gone by on board his African Queen, the time when huge tracts of Africa were -- for Western adventurers at least -- still virgin territory waiting to be explored.

"Gavin wears the same kind of clothes as Humphrey Bogart. We have adopted the fez for the waiters, which is associated with the Sudan, where the Nile makes most of his journey," McLeay said.

"And we are serving gin and tonics, like Humphrey Bogart drank in the movie."

Keeping the engine fed with wood has virtually no environmental impact, McLeay says, since he is using wood left over from a construction project, and he has planted trees to ensure supply when that stock runs out.

"It's probably more environmental friendly then a modern boat," he says.

Rock climbing and abseiling in the foothills of Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda, East Africa

Located at Sipi trading Centre in the foothills of Mt Elgon which has the world’s largest intact Caldera, Robs rolling rock offers an exclusive product that can’t be found anywhere in East African region.

Up and down the rocks of Mount Elgon, is an unforgettable experience during your Mount Elgon or any Eastern Uganda trip. The Eastern region of Uganda is the best for adventurous activities like white water rafting, Bungee Jumping, abseiling by the Falls, rock climbing, cycling, and paragliding among others. A trip to this region will offer you great memorable moments. This is your opportunity to explore the ten years’ experience of community rock climbing in Uganda.

 The project has up to six rock-climbing and abseiling routes from the easiest to the hardest for the senior climbers. A trip to Uganda is incomplete without an experience with Robs Rolling Rock.

The community involved in the rock-climbing is highly trained with reliable up to date equipment of Italian technology.

 Highlights

Abseiling along the 100 meter Sipi falls

Progressing from the easiest to the hardest until you do all the five routes of rock climbing and while taking the breathtaking views of the Sipi falls

Partying in the evening after a successful rock climbing and abseiling.

Coffee tour coupled with village walk to you first-hand experience of these local people.

The traditional delicacy of bamboo shoots that will excites your taste buds, locally known as ‘Malewa’.

If lucky you will get an opportunity to see the circumcision ceremony that takes place every other year.

For bird lovers, Mount Elgon National Park is a good region for bird watching; in 2013 National Big Birding Day, the region emerged top with the highest number species of birds spotted in 24hrs.

Responsible Travel

 Fully locally owned and run.

 Providing local skills to the youth and provides employment to about five guides

 Some of the income generated is used to support local conservation and development projects

Money made from the community village walk shared by families that manage the stopover points and the rest supports other community projects. 

Harnessing wildlife could redeem Karamonja pastoralists out of poverty.

Following the return of peace in Karamoja efforts are underway to make pastoralists, who are settling in the wildlife corridor near Kidepo Valley National Park, to embrace wildlife conservation, writes Gerald Tenywa.

Herbert Banobi, a conservationist, had grown up knowing that cattle not only provide sweet milk, but were also a symbol of wealth.

But when he went to Ilil Ngwesi in Laikipia, Kenya, elders there told him that milk from elephants was sweeter.

He kept wondering how they had got cour - age to milk elephants. but they explained that elephants were more paying than cattle since they attract tourists.

This, according to b anobi, had changed the lives of the pastoralists, who can now afford paying fees for their children in private schools and universities. They have also constructed social amenities such health facilities and a hotel, which has brought windfall profits, which they only dreamt of in the past.

Consequently, NGOs and humanitarian organisations, which used to give people hand - outs in Laikipia have folded since pastoralists have turned to harnessing wildlife for their benefit.

A similar intervention is being introduced in Karenga area in Kaabong district, where pastoralists are roaming on the wildlife corridor connecting Kidepo Valley National Park in north-eastern Uganda to Matheniko and Bokora wildlife reserves in Karamoja.

The corridor has since time immemorial been used by large mammals such as elephants and buffaloes as a migratory route from South Sudan via Kidepo to Matheniko and Bokora wildlife reserves.

“Wildlife pays better than cattle,” says Banobi, adding that tourists pay directly to communities for viewing animals on their land and for services such as accommodation in a hotel where they have a stake.

He was speaking to Saturday Vision from Kitgum during the launch of a conservation and sustainable use of the threatened savannah woodland in Kidepo in north-eastern Uganda.

It was noted that conservation is counterpro ductive if it does not address people’s needs. According to Kaddu Sebunya, a representative of the Africa Wildlife Foundation (AWF), Lakipia’s success in managing wildlife for the benefit of the local people is to be replicated at Karenga.

AWF, an NGO that has spear - headed such interventions in Kenya, Tanzania and southern Africa, has teamed up with the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to ensure that wildlife delivers communities to prosperity. In return, residents of Karenga will keep the movement patterns of wild animals in protected areas free.

Apart from Karenga, AWF is also rolling out the four-year programme around Lake Mburo National Park and northern parts of Murchison Falls National Park.

  Karenga starved of development

Peter Abach, the LC3 chairperson of Karenga, says the area has witnessed decades of battles, pitting pastoralist against each other, in different parts of Karamoja and South Sudan.

Cattle rustling had become the way of life in what could be the remotest and poorest part of the world.

“We have lost property and lives to the rustlers,” says Abach, adding that this has crippled the region, throwing it into a poverty trap, where people earn less than one dollar a day.

“The Government has brought back peace after a protracted disarmament programme and the prospects for development are brighter,” he said.

The main challenge, however, are straying wild animals, such as elephants, which destroy crops such as sorghum.
 “The elephants and buffaloes keep disturbing people. They come when we are about to harvest sorghum and eat most of it. They do not eat simsim, but walking through a garden is enough to cause massive destruction,” said Filister Nakiru, a teacher at Karenga Primary School.

She said compensation had not been forth - coming whenever they report to park authorities.

“When an elephant is killed, they will come and arrest people, but when elephants eat crops or injure people, they do not compen sate them.”

What is at stake?

With the return of peace, Karamoja is springing back to life, with the Government and private sector focusing on agriculture and mining.

This, according to Johnson Masereka, the conservation manager for Kidepo, is likely to put wild animals in a more precarious position. Such activities, according to Masereka, are likely to endanger wildlife, if they are not well planned.

Previously, according to Masereka, human population was low and there was a link between South Sudan and Kidepo, through Karenga to Matheniko- Bokora and Pian Upe.

The animals would move through the corridor in search of pastures and water. Unfortunately, protected areas do not have buffer zones, meaning that the moment the animals get out of that area, they land on communal or private land.

The increase in population is decimating the vegetation around protected areas, according to Masereka.

What has the park done?

How do local communities benefit? asks Masereka.

“Kidepo Valley National Park has not been generating money. People could not go there because of insecurity and poor accessibility. But with more visitors, the park is likely to generate more revenue," says Masereka.

According to the Wildlife Act, 20% of the revenue generated from park entrance fees should be shared with the local communities, and is used to fund enterprises like bee-keeping, among others. A bigger share of the money generated from wildlife, according to Sebunya, would go to the local people at Karenga if they had a lodge and attracted only a third of the visitors staying at Apoka Lodge in Kidepo National Park.

Karenga makes land use plan to re-introduce a buffer zone at Karenga com - munal wildlife area, AWF and UWA officials have engaged the communities through meetings to make a land use plan.

“The land use plan will help us to develop activities which are compatible with wildlife,” Abach told Saturday Vision at Kalenga, adding that AWF is helping locals to add value on land and its resources.

According to Abach, after the introduction of the land use plan, ecological studies will be carried out to identify where elephants pass, water catchment areas, mating and breeding grounds in order to educate locals about conservancies, also referred to as wildlife farming in Uganda’s Wildlife Act.

Also, committees comprising of representatives of the youth, the community development officer, sub-county chiefs and the LC3 chairpersons have been formed to represent the parishes of Karenga and Lobulangit, where wildlife is a constant menace to crops.  

According to Sebunya, a business assessment will also be undertaken to establish the viable enterprises, how they can be developed and expected revenue.

After this, a partnership could be developed, where communities and a private sector player co-invest. In some cases, the communities can be trained to manage the hotel or lodge facility on their own or lease it out to a private sector player.

“We have done this in several countries and it is a viable way of managing wildlife outside protected areas,” says Sebunya.

He says they hope to make Karenga a setting where wildlife can co-exist with other land use practices, such as agriculture, mining and tourism.

BIG POPULATION OF WILDLIFE IN SOUTHERN SECTOR OF MURCHISON FALLS.

 A study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) using Game spy digital cameras around the Ayago water falls area on the Victoria Nile has shown big populations of wildlife in the southern sector of the Murchison Falls National Park than previously believed.

This was revealed by Wildlife researcher for JICA study team, Mr. Tomo Akiyama, on Friday November 22nd,2013 while handing over 65 game spy digital cameras to UWA to assist in research and monitoring of the wildlife in protected areas. Flanked by the team leader Mr. Masaaki Nagai and Mr. Daniel Rutabingwa of JICA, the researcher said there are good populations of lions, leopards, giraffes,and chimpanzees at the edge of the water falls.

Most of the game drives in the park are done on the northern bank .The one and a half study was aimed at assessing the possible impact the hydro power project at Ayago would have on wildlife. The team leader said the surveillance cameras also captured poachers and other illegal park entrants and thus can be good tools for monitoring other illegal activities against wildlife.

The JICA team thanked UWA for the cooperation during the study and promised to offer continued technical assistance whenever required. According to JICA, the cameras gave them an idea on what animals had an impact on the AYAGO project, though it’s very unfortunate that the project was terminated due to political reasons. However they were grateful to UWA for their collaboration and promise to render their collaboration anytime UWA needs it. He further added that the project started with 160 cameras which they used for their survey, research and monitoring of Murchison falls national park but unfortunately lost most of them to poachers, elephants and fires zeroing down to 65 cameras.

Though their study ended midway because of political programmes, they had taken 10,000 photos in a period of one year which they hope UWA will use for the major management of the national park.

Mr. John Makombo who represented the ED, thanked JICA and Uganda Ministry of Energy for the timely donation and promised to put the equipment to good use. He said the cameras will be deployed to monitor bio-diversity and wildlife management and that staff will be trained in the use of cameras and the data. He added that cameras will be handy in the investigation since they can be in position to trace the animals and poachers from the scene to the villages, as well as capture a lot of information and data that will help to enhance the management of the parks.

He also asked for their collaboration especially in the training of the staff on how to use the cameras and how to download the photos from them. The handover ceremony at UWA headquarters was witnessed by the Deputy Director for Legal and Corporate affairs Mr. Chemonges Sabilla, Deputy Director Human Resource Ms Jackie Bakobaki and the Senior Planning coordinator Mr. Edgar Buhanga flanked by Ms Justine Namara, a senior warden Environment Impact Assessment. End