Touring Uganda – A few facts to know about Uganda
I can’t pretend to be an expert on Uganda or to have seen everything it offers—I only spent about ten days visiting a handful of places. While I may not have a complete picture, I believe that the experiences I did have reflect some elements that are widely enjoyed by Ugandans.
So, here are a few fun facts about Uganda, the Pearl of Africa.
Uganda is often called “The Pearl of Africa.”
Before researching for this article, I never knew why. It seems every African country has its own slogan, but Uganda’s title dates back to Winston Churchill. In his 1908 book My African Journey, Churchill captured his impressions of Uganda beautifully:
“For magnificence, for variety of form and colour, for profusion of brilliant life—bird, insect, reptile, beast—for vast scale—Uganda is truly ‘the Pearl of Africa.’”
Now you know the origin of the nickname.
Uganda’s national symbol is the Crested Crane—a graceful, colorful bird crowned with a plume, much like Uganda itself is crowned with a pearl of beauty.
Uganda is home to the Source of the Nile River
This is one of the popular parts of the story of Uganda, and I have written about it already in an article shared in the last issue. The Source of the Nile River is located in Jinja, Uganda. And it’s one of the major tourist sites of Uganda.
While I dislike the attitudes of European explorers or spies who come into Africa to “discover” and name places in Africa, as if Africans themselves did not know those places existed or even have a name for them, it warms the heart to know that such places exist in Africa and that they have become real monuments and testaments to the beauty and greatness of Africa within the overall story of mankind. While at Lake Victoria where the source of the Nile is located, you can do fun things like take photos, eat at the various restaurants on the Nile, do a boat ride, or even do a zipline ride along the bank of the Nile River.
No Facebook, please! You can face your books
In my last trip to Uganda, I remembered trying to log on to Facebook to share some content on Msingi Afrika Magazine’s Facebook page, and the site was not available. I tried several times, but nothing happened. I then tried using my VPN, and the page opened. It was then that I remembered reading somewhere a couple of years ago about the government of Uganda banning Facebook in the country.
The Facebook platform was blocked in 2021, alongside other social media sites, ahead of the general elections of that year. The government claimed that the move was necessary to prevent the spread of misinformation and maintain public order. Well, I think we need to be able to differentiate between trying to keep public order from trying to keep the public under the boots.
Anyway, despite repeated calls from citizens, civil society organizations, and opposition parties to lift the ban, the government has remained resolute. According to sources within the government, the decision to maintain the ban is based on intelligence reports indicating that Facebook and other social media platforms are being used to mobilize and coordinate anti-government activities.
There are lots of “what ifs” in this whole Facebook ban narrative, and while I am concerned about how much power a government that comprises a few people has to decide for the millions of Ugandans that Facebook is not good for the nation, I however, could see a good side to the ban. Instead of young Ugandans scrolling up and down on Facebook and getting weird content into their souls, they should sit down and face their books. So young people, instead of crying for the ban on Facebook to be lifted, why don’t you just face your books? All pun intended.
Staple food: Matoke, Rice, Fish, and Posho
I may not sound completely sure about this point, but from what I saw on my last visit, it’s hard not to believe that Matoke (green bananas), Rice, Fish, and Posho (Cassava meal) are staples of the Ugandan people. From every restaurant I visited or even homes that I was privileged to visit within the time of stay, these foods featured in every one of them. And most of the time, these four staples come together as one dish.
Gun-carrying private security men
I am not very sure if I am the one who did not notice policemen on the streets of the places that I visited, or if they just don’t patrol the streets. I just did not see any police, except maybe on the highway when coming into Uganda from the border. What you will, however, see are private security guys carrying guns on the street. They are not policemen, but they carry guns.
Clay brick buildings
This fact may not mean much to many people, but I love this about Uganda, and I also mentioned it in the last article I wrote about Uganda’s architecture.
In a world where everyone seems to be emulating everyone else to the point of foolishness and the loss of originality, Uganda seems to have latched on to its indigenous ways of using clay bricks for its buildings, and I love it. Everywhere you go, you find clay brick buildings.
Globally speaking, we have too many people talking long stories and speaking lots of Grammar in high and expensive Climate Change summits, which really means nothing in the long run, but fewer people who are doing what is required for mitigating the so-called climate change.
If the building industry that uses cements, steel, and toxic chemicals like paints and other building chemicals amounts to about 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions, why then are we not compelling everyone to start to build their houses with clay or natural materials like Uganda has done and is still doing? If we are serious about climate change.
Don’t forget your Rolex
I am sure owners of Rolex wristwatches will find this one funny. Anyway, Ugandans love Rolex, and I can assume that if you remove Rolex from the life of Ugandans, you just might cause some street demonstrations. However, the Rolex I am referring to is not that super expensive jewelry in your rich neighbor’s collection, but a street snack that you find almost everywhere you go in Uganda.
I am not really sure if Rolex should be called street food or a snack, but Rolex is simply fried eggs rolled in chapati, and it’s quite cheap. One Rolex, made of two eggs and one chapati, can cost between 1500UGX and 2000UGX, depending on which area you visit. To put that in context, 2000UGX is just a few US cents or less than 50 Kenyan shillings.
Rolex is so popular that it’s not unusual to find guys coming from the office waiting for their order of Rolex on the street corners.
Prices of commodities in Uganda sound so high
I remember going to a street food vendor to buy fried chicken, and the vendor told me 3000UGX for one piece of chicken thigh. I almost jumped out of my skin with shock. The guy looked at me, laughed, and then said, “It’s 3000 Ugandan Shillings.” I did a quick calculation in my head and then felt better. 3000UGX is about 100 Kenyan Shillings, so the price made sense. I asked him if he would accept Kenyan Shillings from me, and he agreed. So, I paid him 100 Kenyan Shillings and left.
During my stay in Uganda, I still found myself shocked when getting the price of commodities and how everything just seemed to be in the thousands. You see a small phone in a shop selling for 450,000UGX, but when you convert the amount to USD, it’s quite cheap. Or a packet of noodles selling for 3000UGX.
Spectacular Natural Habitats, Geographical Wonder, and Amazing Ecosystems
Even though I did not get to visit many of these amazing places, I did glean a few thoughts from an article titled: Why Uganda Is Called The Pearl of Africa.
Uganda remains one of the few places on Earth where visitors can come face-to-face with endangered mountain gorillas and 13 other primate species, including the chimpanzee and the endangered golden monkey.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are home to roughly half the world’s remaining mountain gorilla population. Uganda’s diverse landscapes provide rich habitats for astonishing biodiversity, earning it the reputation as a biodiversity hotspot in Africa.
The country boasts over 345 species of mammals, 1,100 species of birds, 142 species of reptiles, 86 species of amphibians, and countless species of insects and other invertebrates. This abundance of life, from the majestic mountain gorillas to the vibrant bird life, is why Uganda is committed to conservation, and its status as a wildlife haven and the pearl of Africa is well earned.
Uganda also boasts the Big Five and other wildlife. Uganda’s Savannah parks, such as Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Pian Upe Game Reserve, Kidepo National Park, and Murchison Falls National Park, offer exceptional opportunities for big game safaris. These parks are home to the “Big Five” – lions, elephants, buffalo, leopards, and rhinoceroses – as well as a plethora of other wildlife, including giraffes, zebras, hippos, crocodiles, and countless antelope species.
In conclusion
If you ask me what my biggest heart’s desire is, outside of “divine things”, I would say my biggest desire is to travel across the various amazing places in Africa and also tell their stories. The beauty that we Africans seek in other lands outside of Africa is right here with us on the continent. We just need to open up our hearts, minds, borders, dislodge the various stupid stereotypes that we have created about ourselves, and for once allow ourselves to enjoy our beautiful continent. The continent of Africa should not be known and enjoyed more by non-Africans than by Africans themselves. It’s sad enough that many of the great tourist places in Africa were named by Europeans. We need to do better to reclaim this continent.
Now, if you would like to sponsor Msingi Afrika Magazine even as we try to visit places in Africa and share stories, or if you are a tour company and you want to partner with us to share the story of your services with our 75,000 social media followers, please send us a mail via: info@msingiafrikamagazine.com
Let’s work out something mutually beneficial for us all.
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