Katwe Salt Lake – Uganda’s Tourist Attraction
Salt is one of the basic needs in life and it is widely used in Uganda. Lake Katwe salt industry is the main source of salt and income in the country. People around Lake Katwe are still practicing rudimentary mining of salt which helps them to make a living after selling salt and those employed in the salt industry.
At Lake Katwe, salt is mined from January to March and from July to September when there is much sunshine. Salt traders come from nearby markets in Uganda and from other countries like Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan and Tanzania.
It was regarded such an expensive mineral and was exchanged for other item like clothes and even guns which were given the ruler of that time in exchange of slaves.
Salt mining as in western Uganda has a strong history as in 1875, an explorer by the names; H.M Stanley was the first white man to make a written report of the history of salt Exploitation at Lake Katwe during his journey in Africa.
It is emphasised that ever since the colonial times salt production at Lake Katwe has been one of the most important sources of revenue for the local administrations in the area. Nowadays, Katwe Kabatoro Town Council is also struggling to get total ownership and administration of the same lake.
Lake Katwe is the largest salt lake in Uganda and have various types of salt produced from the same lake. It has a circumference of 8 km. 21 streams around the lake pour in fresh water every day from the surrounding rocks.
Not only salt mining, Lake katwe is a source of foreign exchange through tourism. Many tourists are seen exploring salt Lake Katwe salt region during their Uganda safaris through Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of Uganda’s most popular national parks. From there, tourists can move to Kibale chimpanzee forest to trek chimpanzees, nature walks, and cultural walks and so on. They can also decide to go to Bwindi Impenetrable forest or Mgahinga Forest National Park to track Gorillas.
Read MoreKarimojong Warrior Dancers wow Namugongo Pilgrims
This year’s annual martyrs celebrations on 3rd June were led by Bishop Giussepe Filippi of Kotido located North Eastern Uganda. He was accompaned by the diocean choir and a troupe of Karimojong warriors donned in traditional garb in a gallantry of hymn, dance and worship to the delight of Pilgrims.
This year attendance hit the one million mark with President Yoweri Museveni being the chief Pilgrim. Also in attendance was Maria Nyerere widow of the founding Father of The Republic of Tanzania, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere.
The President committed government support to the development of the martyrs shrines into tourism attractions. This will add impetus to efforts by the Uganda Tourism Board in promoting religious tourism that began with a martyrs charity walk dubbed in the Footsteps of The Uganda Martyrs the previous day.
Pilgrims came from as far as Malawi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda,Kenya, the United States of America and Nigeria.
Over 45 martyrs were burnt alive in 1886 on the orders of the reigning kabaka (king) of Buganda following growing dissent in the kings court from the new converts to Christianity at the height of colonial struggle.
Festivities will be held in the same venue on the 18th October to commemorate Golden Jubilee since the canonization of the Catholic martyrs by Pope Paul VI.This shall coincide with the commemoration of the martyrdom of lesser known martyrs Jildo Irwa and Daudi Okello from Acholiland in Northern Uganda who were martyred almost 25 years later in Paimol.
Read MoreEyes on Uganda as it’s Declared a Birding Hub
Uganda has been declared a preferred bird watching destination 2013/14 a development expected to promote birding and uphold the country as a major tourist destination.
The declaration by the government was made after Birdlife International, a global programme on conservation and protection of birds and their habitats, and Nature Uganda announced that there were 34 important bird watching areas in Uganda, with diverse bird species.
“Allow me to declare Uganda a preferred bird watching destination as we begin our journey through the next 50 years as we mark the country’s independence jubilee celebrations,” the Minister for Tourism, Ms Maria Mutagamba, said during the launch of the birding campaign that attracted various birders and guides at Kasenge Forest Resort Beach in Mukono District at the weekend.
Ms Mutagamba said they had been priding in the recent accolades by Lonely Planet, which voted Uganda as the best tourism destination for 2012 and Africa Bird Club, which voted Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Africa’s number one birding site.
The minister said the accolades provide an important avenue for showcasing Uganda’s rich bird diversity, accounting for 10 per cent of the world’s total bird species and 50 per cent of Africa’s bird species population.
Tourism boost
The executive director of Uganda Tourism Board, Mr Cuthbert Baguma, said as the year closes in, it was important to start promoting the country as a major bird destination.
Mr Baguma said they were forming a crisis management committee to respond to all negative publicity on either social media as well as other media outlets.
UWA Launches New Tourist Activity in Mount Elgon
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has introduced mountain bike-riding in Mount Elgon National Park as a new tourist activity.
The assistant warden at the national park, Mr Stephen Nyadru, while speaking at the launch on Friday, said the move is aimed at attracting more tourists. He said activities will include traversing of rocks, washouts, and steep declines, on dirt trails, logging roads, and gravel roads that wind along lazy streams through forested valleys or trails that climb up steep mountainsides; and other unpaved environments.
“This is the first time we are introducing this form of tourism. We feel that after climbing the mountain, usually tourists remain dull during descending so this will be able to give them another exercise down the hills as a modern form of tourism in Uganda,” said Mr Nyadru.
He said the specific advantages of mountain bike-riding combines pleasure of being in the mountains with the health advantages of altitude and gradients, significant level of physical exercise and the possibility to cover longer distances.
The tourism official said the new activity complements other old tourists attractions.
They include scenic peaks, gorges, hot-springs, magnificent waterfalls, caves, and flora & fauna.
Others are the talking tree along in Kapkwai, and the caldera and crater lakes/pools. The Mt. Elgon area conservation manager, Mr Adonia Bintorwa, said on the first day of launching, the park earned Shs12 million from Ireland bikers – Concern Worldwide – who were on a tri-adventure of Mt Elgon.
Mr James Mcmanas, the expedition leader of about 17 bikers from Concern worldwide Ireland, said mountain bike or mountain bicycle (abbreviated MTB) created for off-road cycling, makes Mt Elgon now a place to go for all bikers
Upcountry Tourism Sites in Uganda to be Developed
The ministry of tourism plans to develop potential tourist sites upcountry. The plan, according to the tourism state minister, Serapio Rukundo, involves establishing world-class facilities for visitors.
The minister, who was inspecting prospective sites in the countryside, told Arua district local leaders on Wednesday that he was waiting for approval from the finance ministry to start implementing the project.
He explained that the plan would be supported by the government’s increased funding to the road sector to link major tourism sites across the country.
“While the Government is working on the roads, we have asked them to work on what we have prescribed as tourism roads. So that when a tourist leaves Kampala, they can traverse the country without necessarily going back to the capital,” Rukundo said.
He announced that the ministry had set aside funds to establish at least 10 five-star hotels in different regions and also procure 100 tourism vehicles under a private-public partnership arrangement.
Rukundo said they were also in talks with the finance ministry to waive taxes on cars, which will be bought and given to private tour operators under a hire-purchase system.
Rukundo added on that the Government would ask established hotels such as Serena and Sheraton to open more facilities upcountry. He noted that the country had been divided into tourism zones, the first being Kigezi, with scenic sites at Lake Bunyonyi, Bwindi forests for gorilla tracking and Ishasha, with its tree-climbing lions.
The second zone, dubbed the Rift Valley Zone, covers part of Queen Elizabeth national park and the Semiliki reserves. The third zone stretches from Murchison Falls national park through the West Nile region.
The other zone covers the eastern region, with Mt Elgon as one of the main attractions.
Kampala is being developed into a short haul base. Tourists based in Kampala will be able to visit the rhinos and hippos in Nakasongola district or the Ssese Islands and return to Kampala the same day, the minister explained.
Rukundo said that there are also plans that are underway to reintroduce rhinos in the 164 square-kilometer Ajai game reserve.
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