Joshua Cheptegei has set a new world record after breaking Kenenisa Bekele’s 15-year 10,000m record in Valencia, Spain yesterday.

Cheptegei finished with 26 minutes 11.00 seconds beating Bekele’s record of 26 minutes 17.53 seconds which he set in 2005 and went on to become the world’s longest standing men’s 10,000m record. Cheptegei was taking part in NN Valencia World Record Day, a one-off event in Spain.

This success became Cheptegei’s fourth world record in just 10 months after breaking the 5km and 10km road records in February and December respectively. He also broke another Bekele record at the Monaco Diamond League in August when he ended his 16-year-old mark in the 5,000m by two seconds.

Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey also broke the women’s 5,000m world record with 14 minutes 6.62 seconds beating Tirunesh Dibaba’s record of 14 minutes 11.15 seconds which she had set in 2008. Gidey had won silver in 10,000m at the 2019 World Championships in Doha.

“I’m happy, this has been a long-time dream. It is very big for me.” She said.

Both Cheptegei and Gidey had pacemakers as they took part in The World Record Day organized at Valencia’s Turia stadium where 400 people were present.

Finally tour operators and lovers of Uganda safaris like gorilla trekking, game viewing, bird watching and adventurous encounters can celebrate after it was officially announced that Entebbe International Airport and borders will soon be reopened for all travelers.

After more than 6 months under lockdown, the Uganda government has finally announced that Entebbe International Airport and all borders will officially be reopened on October 1 for tourists and other travelers.

This was announced by President Museveni during his public address on Sunday on the progress the country has made in the fight against the spread of Covid-19.

Regarding the reopening of the airport and borders, the president said: “The international airport and land borders will now be opened for tourists, coming in ad going out, provided they tested negative 72 hours before arrival in Uganda and provided the tour operators ensure that the tourists do not mix with the Ugandans.”

The President added: “How will this be done? The tourist will be driven straight from the airport to their destinations or designated transit hotels that are set aside for that purpose. Business delegations should also be handled in the same way by the local partners. The returning Ugandans, who have negative PCR results, will be allowed to go home. The Ministry of Health will only get their addresses for follow up.”

According to the state minister for Information and Communication Technology, Mr. Peter Ogwang, emphasis will be put on travelers presenting certificates of negative test results for Covid-19, which must be done 72 hours before arriving in Uganda.

The news of the reopening of the airport and borders was warmly welcomed by those who work in the tourism industry whose business has greatly been affected during the 6 months of lockdown. The sector has been counting losses since the airport was closed with many people employed in the industry losing jobs due to lack of income. Tourism stakeholders in Uganda are now optimistic that the reopening of the airport will encourage potential tourists to start booking and coming for safaris in Uganda hence helping to revamp the industry.

The lockdown did not only affect people but also animals including the endangered mountain gorillas especially those in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. in June, it was reported that famous silverback “Rafiki” was killed by poachers who had entered the park to hunt small wild animals. This unfortunate incident was partly blamed on the lockdown that had been imposed which limited the patrolling of the animals hence exposing them to poachers. The killers were arrested and charged in courts of law. On the positive side however, about 6 baby gorillas were born in Uganda during lockdown, 5 in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park while the other was born in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park adding to the growing population of mountain gorillas.

With the resumption of tourism activity in Uganda, travelers will be eager to once again embark on their favorite experiences like gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, game viewing, bird watching, adventures, cultural and historical tours, among others. Some of Uganda’s most popular species among tourists include mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, big game like lion, buffalo, elephant, giraffe, and birds. Non wildlife tourist attractions in Uganda include adventurous encounters like white-water rafting, mountain climbing, kayaking and cultural tours.

How can a country in a ripe political period of elections effectively control the spread of Covid-19 while at the same time fulfilling its political demands? I believe this is the right question to ask in countries that find themselves in the same situation like Uganda today.

What a conflict of interests here! But can we find an ideal situation for these two essentials to thrive simultaneously? I mean the people to fulfill their constitutional right and duty of electing their leaders and at the same time protect their lives from Covid-19. Well, some countries on the continent like Burundi, Malawi and Mali have shown us that it is possible to hold elections amidst the struggle to control the spread of the pandemic though we cannot tell the extent at which the exercise contributed to the spread of Covid-19 in these countries in the aftermath of the elections.

In Uganda, this discussion is going on fast and thick with a variety of divisive opinions especially driven by different political players from different political groups. Here are some of the major discussion points regarding politics and Covid-19 in Uganda.

Calls for suspension of elections

Following the confirmation of the first Covid-19 case in Uganda in late March, several politicians especially those in the opposition called upon the Electoral Commission (EC) to suspend elections so the country may focus on fighting the new enemy. Others called upon the government to declare a state of emergency in order to be in the best position spearhead the fight against the spread of the pandemic. All these calls were subsequently ignored by both the EC and the government who went ahead to release the election roadmap and measures to control the spread of the pandemic respectively.

Introduction of digital campaigns

After ignoring the calls to suspend elections, the EC went on to declare that campaigns for the forth-coming elections will be conducted virtually using radio, TV and internet in order to limit contact to curb the spread of the virus. This move left many politicians disgruntled claiming that they will not be able to reach all their voters via this avenue since many of them don’t even own a radio or TV set while a few have access to the internet.

Dispersing political meetings

After the declaration of virtual campaigns, all politicians were warned by the EC to avoid holding political which may bring people together and end up aiding the spread of Covid-19. With this declaration, the Police took it upon themselves and started dispersing any such meetings though it left opposition politicians more disgruntled claiming that the Police only targets their meetings leaving those of NRM, the ruling party to go on. This has been advanced to the level of stopping some opposition leaders from even being hosted on radios and TVs with the police claiming that this will attract their supporters to gather outside hence promoting the spread of the virus. On several occasions police has been seen using tear gas and firing bullets to disperse these supports and all this has been done in the name of controlling the spread of the virus, something which has caused a very big controversy. Indeed, in August one of the presidential aspirant Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine took to court senior police officials for illegally stopping him from talking on a radio program in Mbale yet he had already paid for the service.

The saga of NRM primary elections

While opposition politicians have been accusing police of being partial in their operations, the recent saga involving the NRM party primary elections did little to help the situation. The uninterrupted huge gatherings and congregations of NRM supporters during campaigns and polls showed that the government’s covid-19 control guidelines including social distancing remain in theory. Secondly, it also indicated that the police is only bothered when opposition supporters meet as if Covid-19 does not spread among NRM supporters. This has continued to divide opinions regarding whether the government is really serious in its fight against Covid-19. Some opposition politicians have gone on to state that the government falsely used the fight against Covid-19 to intentionally deny them a chance to meet, mobilize and talk to their supporters.

Opposition vows to abuse the measures

After witnessing their NRM counterparts acting contrary to the guidelines of controlling the spread of Covid-19 and the police doing very little to let them observe the measures, opposition politicians have also vowed to do the same. Whether the police will let them do this freely like they did to the NRM members, it remains to be seen. However, one may be left wondering where this leaves the country’s struggle against the spread of the pandemic. It should be noted that Uganda has so far registered over 3,600 cases of Covid-19 and 41 deaths while over 1,600 have recovered according to the Ministry of Health.

The countdown to the 2021 general elections in Uganda continues with the presidential race the most heated up as the country moves into another uncertain political period once again.

Huge number of aspirants

According to the Electoral Commission (EC), so far 36 candidates have picked forms to run for the top most job in the country including familiar figures like Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine the leader of National Unity Platform (NUP) and People Power movement and Mugisha Muntu of Alliance for National Transformation (ANT). Others who have picked nomination forms include former presidential aspirant Maureen Kyalya, Charles Rwomushana, a renowned social critic, Dan Matsiko, former FDC presidency candidate, Charles Bbale, a businessman, among others.

Those who have picked nomination forms will now embark on collecting the required signatures from across the country in order to be endorsed by the EC as presidential candidates. The EC requires presidential aspirants to collect at least 100 signatures per district from two thirds of all the districts in Uganda. Given the current total of 144 districts in the country, aspirants will be required to present a minimum of 100 signatures from at least 108 districts with each signatory only allowed to nominate one presidential aspirant.

President Museveni who has been nominated by his NRM Party as a sole presidential candidate, has not yet picked nomination forms from the commission. Main opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has also not yet declared their presidential flag bearer with the process of selecting expected to be concluded soon. The FDC was dealt blow last week after being notified that their presidential candidate hopeful Dr. Kiiza Besigye who contested in all the previous four presidential elections will not be running this time.

Digital campaigns

In order to control the spread of Covid-19 in the country, the Electoral Commission instructed all electoral aspirants to campaign through digital means using avenues like radio, TV, social media and internet. Although the instruction was supported by the government and president Museveni, many dismissed it especially those in the opposition claiming that it is a deliberate move to deny them an opportunity to reach the voters while favoring president Museveni using controlling the spread of Covid-19 as a coverup.

Others who complain about digital campaigns claim that most of the private radio stations and TV are owned by politicians who belong to the ruling NRM and therefore they may deny opposition candidates access to such stations. Other challenges include the limited coverage of TV and radio in the country with some remote not reachable on air. It has also been pointed out the method marginalizes voters who do not own either TV or radio by denying them a chance to hear or watch their candidates campaigning.

Adjustments

Upon receiving several complaints about digital campaigns from different groups including politicians and other social groups representing voters, the EC made some adjustments in order to make the system more favorable. Among the modifications revised by the EC, the commission allowed candidates to meet a sizeable number of their supporters who should observe Covid-19 control guidelines set by the ministry of health including social distancing and wearing face masks.

Police partiality in the race

The pronouncement of digital campaigns by the Electoral Commission has led to the intervention of the Police in almost all political activities towards the elections in order to enforce the directives aiming at controlling the spread of Covid-19. However, the opposition has accused the Police of targeting only their meetings while leaving NRM politicians to freely hold their meetings with huge numbers of people even when they are not observing the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) set in place to control the spread of the pandemic. On several occasions, the Police have stopped Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu who is NUP’s presidential flag bearer from appearing on talk shows on radio and TV while giving no concrete reason. The opposition has now called upon the EC to engage the Police and guide them on how to work with them amicably without causing any tensions and to eliminate the partiality.

Single opposition candidate plans still futile

The plans by the opposition to field a single presidential candidate to challenge president Museveni in 2021 elections are still fruitless with many candidates from different parties coming out to express interest. Leading opposition politicians like Hon. Kyagulanyi Ssentamu and Dr. Kiiza Besigye claim that negotiations for a single candidate are still ongoing and it still remains to be seen if they will finally reach a consensus. Other prominent figures in the opposition like Mugisha Muntu of ANT and Nobert Mao of DP have also claimed that they are open for the idea of a single candidate as long as a consensus can be reached.

NUP reaps big

As negotiations for a single opposition presidential candidate are still far from over, many politicians from old political parties have already crossed over to join the Mr. Kyagulanyi’s National Unity Platform. The party has already received 17 Members of Parliament majority of whom have come from DP and others from NRM. They have expressed their support to Mr. Kyagulanyi whom they say that he is the right candidate with the ability to oust president Museveni from power and take the country forward.

Tourism is the leading foreign exchange earner for Uganda through popular tourist attractions especially gorilla trekking but unfortunately the sector has been severely hit by the Coronavirus pandemic. The suspension of international travel world-wide in order to control the spread of the pandemic has left global tourism crippled with tourists unable to move from one destination to the other.

In 2018/19 financial year, Uganda earned Shs5.8 trillion from tourism which made the sector the leading foreign exchange earner for the fifth year in a row. The sector accounted for 7.7% of Uganda’s GDP and created over 667,600 jobs but all this has been undermined by the pandemic.

However, regardless of all this, there is still hope that the sector can be revived and people earn big again from it if the government can put some efforts in domestic tourism. Government and other tourism agencies like the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) are urged to use the Covid-19 pandemic as a pointer and realize that this is the best time to tap into the potential of domestic tourism.

It is shame that out of the 7.7% sector contribution to the country’s GDP, only 1% was realized from domestic tourism. But this can potentially change if the government can change its approach and focus on how to get something from the current tourism environment in one of its best performing sectors.

Domestic tourism should be the answer during the off-peak season in order to sustain the industry and this is exactly what Covid-19 has brought. The pandemic has not only deprived Uganda’s tourism of the peak season but also brought the worst season in the industry.

UTB should now devise ways how it can make the most of domestic tourism emphasizing on key areas like product development since most tour operators have been selling similar products over the years. A boost from domestic tourism could be a big relief in such a time where most workers in the industry have lost jobs and income due to the suspension of international travel.

Domestic tourism could still flourish even under the current health measures against the spread of the pandemic as the cost of testing tourists would be too much minimal compared to the revenue generated.

Other ways in which UTB can encourage domestic tourism include considering giving some incentives to a company that can decide to take its employees on a tour in one of the national parks or gazetted tourist centers. Government should also consider ways in which it can entice companies to go to the country’s tourist destinations like national parks.

Packages for local tourists

For a long time, there has been a mentality that tourist attractions are reserved for foreign tourists but it is high time this changes especially with circumstances like Covid-19 and its negative impact on the industry.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has designed attractive tourist rates for domestic tourists with the locals paying far much lower than their foreign counterparts. Even with some premium packages like gorilla trekking where foreign tourists are paying as high as &600 per person to see the gorillas, locals including East African citizens are charged only Shs250,000 per person for the same activity.

Other tour activities that domestic tourists can exploit at cheaper rates include game drives in Uganda’s beautiful and large parks like Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, among others. Some of the attractive wildlife species in these parks worthy your visit include big mammals like lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, hippos, among others. Other species include birds, primates like chimpanzees, monkeys, and baboons. Non-wildlife attractions include adventurous encounters like white-water rafting, kayaking, bungee jumping at the source of River Nile at Jinja, which is the longest river in the world. Others include mountain climbing at the Rwenzori, the third-highest mountain in Africa and at Mount Elgon at the border of Uganda and Kenya.

The Covid-19 pandemic has taken its toll on almost every sector in Uganda and the tourism industry has not been spared too. However, with the rest of the sectors already open for business or about to do so, tourism seems to be left alone to bear the long-term negative effects of the pandemic. The closure of tourism has culminated into far reaching effects like loss of foreign exchange revenue, loss of jobs and income to those employed in the sector and also exposed wildlife to risks like poaching due to reduced monitoring during the lockdown.

Government intervention

In response to the above challenges and in a bid to save the tourism industry from a total meltdown, the government has responded by easing some of the measures on the sector to allow some tourist activities to take place starting with local tourists. Local tourists are now free to visit savannah parks and other tourist centers in the country provided they observe the standard operating procedures put in place to control the spread of Covid-19. Only parks that protect endangered species which are highly susceptible to human viruses like mountain gorillas and chimpanzees remain closed to protect these apes from contracting coronavirus. These parks include Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Southwestern Uganda which protects almost half of the global population of mountain gorillas, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Kibale Forest National Park which protects the highest population of chimpanzees in Uganda.

According to the Ministry of tourism, already 260 tourists including locals and foreigners who have been in Uganda since the lockdown was declared who had made bookings prior to the closure of parks have reported at Queen Elizabeth National Park following the easing of the measures. The park is endowed with a rich diversity of wildlife including amazing mammal species like the tree-climbing lions, leopards, Uganda cobs, hippos, elephants as well as rich ecosystem composed of savannah, forests, lakes and wetlands.

Government plans to open the airport for foreign tourists

According to tourism minister Tom Butime, local tourists are now free to visit the parks as the government plans to open the airport for international visitors too.

“Those who had booked and are here in Uganda can now go the parks. We are working hard to see that the airport is opened so that other tourists who had booked come,” said the minister. The minister also encouraged tourists to follow the guidelines from the ministry of health to stop the spread of Covid-19.

“There is already an intervention from the government to assist the tourism sector, especially the hotel owners, but we shall have to encourage domestic tourism and when the airport is opened, we hope to receive foreigners as well,” he added.

Importance of the tourism sector

According to Mr. Butime, Uganda earns about $1.2b annually from tourism and the ministry had anticipated that the country would earn $3b annually by 2025 but these hopes have been shattered by Covid-19.

What Uganda’s tourism sector has to offer for visitors

Uganda, popularly known as the “Peal of Africa,” has got a variety of amazing attractions to offer to her visitors ranging from wildlife safaris to cultural and historical tours. Of recent, gorilla safaris to see the endangered mountain gorillas in Bwindi and Mgahinga national parks have been the most popular in Uganda attracting the highest number of tourists and earning the industry the highest revenue. Other popular safaris in Uganda include game drives for wildlife viewing in vast savannah parks like Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park and Lake Mburo National Park. These parks protect a variety of species include mammals like lion, leopard, antelopes, giraffe, buffalo, elephant, zebra, primates like chimps and monkeys, birds including Rift Valley endemics, among other species. Uganda also offers adventurous experiences including mountain climbing to the snow-caped top of Mount Rwenzori, the third-highest mountain in Africa, white-water rafting, kayaking and bungee jumping at the source of River Nile, the longest River in the world, among others. Cultural and historical tours are also popular in Uganda including visits to historical sites like Kasubi tombs, the burial site Kings of Buganda Kingdom, Namugongo Shrines, where the martyrs who were murdered by Kabaka Mwanga for their Christian faith were buried, among others.

Some travellers who have Uganda have had a chance to interact with some communities in the country while on their Uganda safaris and they can ably say that they culturally differ from one another. Uganda has got over 50 tribes living within her boundaries. The diversity of Ugandan tribes does not stop in their number but also in their behaviour and culture. The tribe diversity in Uganda ranges from friendly and gentle to hostile and aggressive.

Some tribes in Uganda are regarded as friendly and welcoming while others are known to be extremely hostile and this determines how they interact with others. The major distinguishing feature between these two categories is that those considered to be hostile are located in remote areas far away from the capital Kampala while friendly ones live near the central region

The friendliest tribes in Uganda include the following;

1. Baganda

The Baganda who live in central Uganda in districts around the capital Kampala are considered to be one of the most friendly and welcoming tribes in Uganda. This is based on historic records where the Baganda were one of the tribes that welcomed European visitors including explorers, missionaries and colonialists whereas other tribes had turned hostile to them. Through their king the Kabaka, the Baganda gave a warm welcome to these new comers and the good relationship between the two groups paved way for benefits like formal education and trade to the local people. Up to today the Baganda are still very friendly and welcoming with several incoming groups who come both to visit and stay in the region finding it a home away from home.

2. Batooro

The Batooro who live in the western part of Uganda in districts like Fort Portal, Hoima, Kyenjojo, and Kabarore is another tribe considered to be very friendly and welcoming. Their soft speech and gentle approach to almost everything makes them highly loved and admired by other people.

3. Banyankole

The Banyankole who live in southwestern Uganda very close to the Batooro in terms of culture wile they also speak to each other while communicating in their respective languages. Like their counterparts, the Banyankole are also gentle and soft-spoken people who are always welcoming to visitors. They are always jolly and interactive and they easily make friendship with people from other tribes. The Banyankole are commonly known for their love for cows and milk which they freely share with their guests and loved ones.

4. Basoga

The Basoga are the immediate tribe next to Baganda towards the eastern direction occupying districts like Jinja, Iganga, Kamuli, Bugiri, among others. Basoga are known to be friendly and warm people who are so welcoming to others. Basoga are also to be very entertaining people who love to exhibit their joy to visitors through their amazing traditional dance and songs.

5. Bateso

The Bateso, also found in eastern Uganda in districts like Kumi and Soroti are known to be calm and friendly people. They are also very social in their nature which makes it so easy to make new friends from wherever they are found. One of the major characteristics associated with the Bateso is their communal gathering I the evenings to share their favorite local brew known as “Kwete.”

On the other hand, there are also some other tribes in Uganda that are regarded to be less friendly and they are generally feared by others who consider them to be socially aggressive. They include the following;

6. Karamojong

The Karamojong are one of the most remote tribes in Uganda living in the north-eastern region in districts like Moroto, Kotido, Napak and Kaabong. They are regarded as hostile basing on their history of fighting with their neighboring communities like the Maasai across in Kenya due the vile of cattle rustling that take place between these two communities. The Karamojong are known to be very protective to their cows and this makes them to be hostile to anyone they may consider to be a threat to both their animals and the land they use to graze them.

7. The IK

The IK are neighbors to the Karamojong though they are far fewer than their counterparts and also live high in the mountains away from the surrounding Karamojong community. Their extreme remoteness makes them highly feared by other people who assume that they may be very hostile to anyone who tries to go to their community since they also don’t show up in communities outside their territory.

8. Bakiga

The Bakiga are one of the most popular tribes in Uganda for both good and bad reasons amazingly. They live in southwest Uganda in districts like Kabale, Rukungiri and Kanungu. They are very social and friendly but on the other hand they are also regarded as one of the most hostile, arrogant and aggressive tribes in the country. Their aggressive lifestyle and nonsense approach to matters makes them to be feared by others in the communities where they live.

9. Bagisu

The Bagisu live in the far eastern part of Uganda in districts like Mbale, Kapchorwa, Bududa and Manafwa. They are feared basically because of their scary traditions like the circumcision ceremony locally known as “Imbalu” through which all Bagisu male males who are juveniles are circumcised. This ceremony is done traditionally using traditional tools like knives and it is compulsory for every male who reaches the required age. It is very painful according to those who have undergone through it and it makes the Bagisu highly feared by other tribes who consider them to be brave and fearless.

10. Bakonjo

The Bakonjo live in the far western part of Uganda in districts like Kasese and Bundibugyo near the border with Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They are one of the most feared tribes in Uganda basically depending on rumours that they practice too much witchcraft. It widely believed in Uganda that the Bakonjo posses charm that they can use to turn anyone into anything they want including madness and death. This makes them to be highly feared by other tribes something that has existed for ages.

Recently the two leading opposition figures in Uganda, Lt. Col. Dr Kiiza Besigye, the president of the People’s Government pressure group and Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, the MP for Kyadondo East and leader of the People Power pressure group met and discussed several issues.

One of the key issues discussed by the two leaders is the coming together of opposition political parties to form an alliance in the forth-coming elections with the major aim of defeating President Museveni. Mr. Museveni has already been declared by his party, National Resistance Movement (NRM) as their flag bearer in the 2021 presidential elections. On the other hand, Bobi Wine has also already declared publicly that he will challenge President Museveni for presidency in the same elections.

A good starting point?

The duo have been hailed for coming together to create this alliance as many see it as the only way they can mobilize enough support that can help them to defeat Mr. Museveni. According to Mr. Kyagulanyi, they decided to work together as the leading opposition figures in order to show their supporters that they are one with the same goal which should encourage them to also unite. There have been a few differences among the supporters of both camps with some claiming that Dr Besigye has failed to defeat Museveni on four occasions and therefore should step aside and leave Bobi Wine to contest this time. However, those supporting Dr. Besigye claim that he is the main opposition figure who poses the biggest threat to Mr. Museveni and therefore he should be allowed to challenge him again. It is this kind of division among opposition supporters that propelled both Bobi Wine and Besigye to come together to show the supporters that they are one according Mr. Kyagulanyi.

Same old story?

Despite the coming together of the two main opposition politicians, there are still many especially from the ruling party (NRM) who are downplaying the impact this alliance may create. Most of these claim that it is not the first time that opposition politicians are coming together to defeat Mr. but all the previous alliances have been fruitless. They point out to the previous presidential elections in 2011 and 2016 when the opposition tried to unite but failed to agree on a single candidate who could stand against Mr. Museveni

Given that previous unpleasing history associated with opposition alliances, it is a clear indicator that both Bobi Wine and Besigye have a lot of work to in order to succeed where they have been failing before.

Some of the major issues the opposition has to address before the general elections include the following;

Uniting all opposition antagonists

Although Bobi Wine and Besigye are the two leading opposition figures who are coming together, there are still many other prominent leaders in the opposition who are yet to agree to the cause. This has been the biggest challenge for the opposition and the cause of the failure to come up with one candidate in the previous presidential elections.

Mobilizing for support countrywide

It is commonly said that the main support for the opposition in Uganda is much concentrated in the central region especially in the capital Kampala and its surrounding areas. This has been evident in the previous elections where the opposition sweeps almost all the elective positions in the central but lose miserably in upcountry including in at presidential level. In response to this challenge, recently appointed a team of regional mobilizers to help popularize the People Power movement in different parts of the country.

Enforcing free and fair elections

For so long the opposition in Uganda has complained about irregularities in the general elections including rigging the presidential results. Such cases have been reported to courts of law but unfortunately the opposition has been successful to get a ruling that overturns the results. Enforcing free and fair elections is one of the biggest tasks the opposition is facing and they have to get a way of doing it if they are to consider becoming victorious.

Winning more parliamentary seats

One of the major long-term challenges the opposition in Uganda has faced is lack of numbers in parliament. This has been so detrimental to the opposition that they hardly get any bill passed in their favor. On the other hand, the ruling party has used their majority number in parliament to get a lot of bills passed in their favor including the removal of presidential terms and presidential age limit in 2005 and 2017 respectively in order to make way for President Museveni to continue standing for elections.

It is almost 3 months since the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) announced the closure of all national parks to tourism to control the spread of Covid-19 to the animals and also protect those working in those parks. The tourism industry has suffered heavily during the lockdown due to lack of business that used to sustain those employed in the sector in different categories like tour operators, hotel operators, tour guides, rangers, among others.

The Coronavirus pandemic has not only affected those employed in the tourism sector in Uganda but also the travelers and tourists who were forced to cancel or postpone their trips following the declaration of the lockdown. Some of them could not be fully refunded their monies while those who decided to postpone their trips now face uncertainty over the visiting dates since the tourism authority has not yet fixed them.

New hope

Following government move to start easing lockdown measures, last week UWA also announced that it has opened savannah parks for tourism though under strict measures to control the spread of the pandemic.

“This is under strict laws in order to prevent the spread of the pandemic,” said UWA executive director Sam Mwandah.

Wait continues for gorilla safaris

UWA announced that at the moment, only savannah parks will be open for tourism while primate parks that protect apes like mountain gorillas and chimpanzees will remain closed till further notes. This means that popular safaris like gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a home for Uganda’s mountain gorillas and chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest National Park are still on a stand still. Primates like gorillas and chimpanzees are very prone to contracting viruses from humans which may be very devastating in their communities and this is why authorities are very cautious before they can allow such safaris to resume. Both gorillas and chimpanzees share about 98 percent of the Human DNA and this explains such a close genetic relationship that exists among these three species of great apes

Green light for safaris in savannah parks

On the other hand, tourists are free to visit savannah parks which keep mostly mammals and birds and enjoy the wildlife experiences once again. Tourists will be able to enjoy activities like game drives, bird watching, and boat cruises, among others in their favorite savannah parks like Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo National Park and Kidepo Valley National Park. Some of the common species that can be seen in these parks include over 500 mammal species that include lions, buffaloes, elephants, leopards, antelopes, zebras, giraffes, among others and over 1000 bird species.

Safaris to be conducted in compliance with lockdown measures

UWA announced that although they are opening tourism activities in savannah parks, all trips will be conducted in compliance with the measures set by the government to control the spread of Covid-19.

“Trips to the parks are to be carried out in compliance with the laws stipulated by President Museveni and the Ministry of Health for vehicles transporting passengers. Groups of more than 25 passengers will not be allowed in but given an option to split into smaller groups. Events like weddings in the park, which are in vogue and Saloon vehicles are now prohibited,” added Mwandah.

In addition to observing the government-set measures, UWA also listed several guidelines that will be followed by tourists who wish visit the savannah parks. Some of the guidelines include the following;

All tourist will go through mandatory screening for Covid-19 before they are allowed to enter the parks

Mandatory hand washing at the entrances of national parks

All tourist vehicles will be required to carry half of their normal capacity

Tourists are encouraged to carry their own sanitizers and face masks

All those tourists who will be observed to have persistent cough during briefing will be isolated immediately and will not be allowed to visit animals

Tourists are required to maintain social distance before, during and after their activities in the national parks, among others

The ongoing lockdown brought about by the global pandemic of Covid-19 has painfully restricted people worldwide from traveling to their favorite spots be it for business, social and leisure purposes.

Likewise, in Uganda, the pandemic has limited people from traveling to some of the country’s popular spots for their well-known routines like beach life, adventure, leisure, cuisines, among others.

Here is the list of places for such lucrative activities in Uganda that are very famous among revelers and travelers.

Kampala

Kampala is Uganda’s hub for almost everything including business, entertainment and accommodation. Kampala dwellers usually hangout in the city’s very many hotspots like bars, clubs and pubs to enjoy nightlife after spending their day while hustling to make a living. in Kampala, you get exactly what you ask for with each reveler able to find a hotspot with packages that correspond well with the size of their wallet. Right from the city center to every corner and suburb of it, it’s just music and jamming every evening as revelers try to shake off the day’s stress while warming for that of the following day. This all-inclusive lavish nightlife makes Kampala one of the best if not the best hotspot for revelers in the country.

Entebbe

After enjoying all the fun that Kampala has got to offer, Entebbe provides the most immediate alternative for more fun-filled experiences but this time with a different version. The most attractive encounter at Entebbe for revelers is the beach life presented by the various beaches available at this famous peninsular along the northern shores of Lake Victoria, the second-largest fresh-water lake in the world. Unlike in Kampala where revelers flock clubs and pubs each night, majority revelers go to Entebbe beaches over the weekend usually starting from Friday to Sunday. At the beaches, revelers enjoy a variety of fun-filled activities like swimming, boat cruises, sand bathing, beach soccer, among others which are followed by a variety of foods and drinks to crown the evenings. Of course, cuisines like fish prepared in all formats dominates the menu and then a range of others can be added.

Jinja

The leisure life at Jinja does not differ much from that of Entebbe given that both are water-based outing places. Jinja is another adventurous hotspot located on the northeastern shores of Lake Victoria famous for being the source of the Nile, the longest river in the world. Majority of the revelers who got to Jinja mostly are attracted by adventurous encounters like the visiting the source of the Nile, white-water rafting in the bubbling waters of the Nile, bungee-jumping, kayaking, boat cruises, among others. This amazing hotspot is also surrounded by beautiful resorts and gardens where visitors usually go to relax, eat and drink after quenching their adventure thirst at the source of the Nile.

Fort Portal

Fort Portal is located in western Uganda and it is the gate way to Uganda’s tourism hub known for its abundant wildlife species and many other physical attractions like mountains and the Rift Valley. Fort Portal is mostly attractive because of its stunning environment made of beautiful natural attractions like wildlife, crater lakes, mountains, among others. Travelers who go to Fort Portal mainly aim to see these outstanding attractions and to relax in the cool environment with the beautiful sceneries.

Mbarara

Mbarara is located in the southwestern part of Uganda and it is commonly refereed to as the capital city of the region. The city is so cool and its visitors usually enjoy its calm environment while shopping is also one of the main agendas in the city. A short trip to Lake Mburo National Park from Mbabara for incredible safari activities like horseback riding, game viewing and boat cruise also makes the town more attractive.