Tourism is one area that Uganda has not exploited well and yet it fits well into community that doesn’t want to work hard! I find it odd, but my own feeling is that we as Ugandans love to have money and good things but we would like to receive them free from the rich, donors and government, The government “etuyambe” syndrome. Tourism is simply a story that tourists are told especially if it’s about history. Many tourist sites around the world in Italy, India and other places continue to attract millions of tourists simply because the story about these places is well told and in many cases mythical. Of course there are other tourist attractions that are physical for instance, Grand Canyon in the US, the mountains like Kilimanjaro, these are physical things that one sees and appreciates. But the ingenuity of good tourism comes out of the ability to make tourists excited about what they don't see!
Busoga was known for coffee, cotton and of course sugar plantations. The Madhvani is also gave the Busoga region its economic muscle. Unfortunately, this is gone! Madhvani is back, but not that exciting one. Busoga is struggling to keep up with its past glory, unfortunately this cannot be easily achieved.
The big population in the Busoga region is leading to more poverty among Abasoga. As people figure out how to make money, the whole country has fallen in the trap of thinking that somebody else will do it for us, if one doesn’t beg, one should steal! This culture has put the entire country on an economic death bed. But tourism is one area that Busoga could capitalize on to revive its future and fortunes with a little efforts and resources. Uganda too, as a country can count it’s blessing through tourism if well managed.
The Speaker of Uganda Parliament, Hon Rebecca Kadaga along with Hon Edward Balidawa Kafufu, spearheaded a drive for promoting tourism in Busoga. We should thank them for the effort. Unfortunately, the infrastructure that was put in place has now gone to waste and there is no visible gain from that infrastructure. Reason primarily, nobody came out to run what has been put in place as business! The idea of business in my view is still foreign to Africans. Hundreds of years of business in the world, Africa has failed to adapt. A business mind would have initiated business in those locations.
Nyenda hill in Iganga district, is one of those few tourist attraction sites in Iganga. On this site there is one Karuhanga from Bunyoro who was buried at the site. A grave is marked so. This is a whole exciting story to tell Why was karuhanga buried here? When was he buried? What is the importance of Karuhanga’s journey from Bunyoro to Busoga? There is also a house that was built by some European. This house has a history, when was it built? who built? and for what reason? All these are exciting stories that can attract tourists to the area. The hill has prayer places. There are people who believe that there are some God in this area and when they pray to them they will solve their problems! This is another story that can be told for tourists. It requires a small investment in improving the site, putting the steps, some chairs, and possibly a small restaurant that operates possibly on weekends. The starting point to develop tourism is infrastructure and then to encourage local tourism. Local tourism is school children going to visit these tourist sites and as a number grow infrastructures improves and this springs off businesses in the area.
The Bishop Hannington memorial site at Kyando in Mayuge district, is also on the same fate as Nyenda hill in Iganga district. Some money was put there to improve it, unfortunately what was done has also a deteriorated. Not because it has been over used, but because it has not been used! Periodically I take my visitors to the place they go and see what the place has to offer. Other than the story there is nothing to see there! But the Hanington story is exciting. How he came, how he lived and where, where he used to read from. I am sure there are better caves and stones elsewhere but this location has a uniqueness about it. A white man coming to an area where there has been no other white man before and doing some activities like preaching that were unique and of course having been killed in the area all adds to this puzzle that defines the place. This did not happen in all other places hence the need to tell the story and attract people to the area. Like Nyenda there is need for some additional improvements at the site. This should be done by the government as part of promoting tourism but should be promoted and managed by the district. I have been at Sezibwa falls they suffer the same problem.
Tourism can turn around various places in the country and improve the economies of different parts of the country and Busoga has all this wealth, source of Nile or other tourist attractions and stories which unfortunately it has not told.!
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