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.

President Museveni has provided an update on gorilla and chimpanzee tracking in Uganda during his 14th address of the nation on the state of COvid-19 in the country.

The president said that gorilla and chimpanzee tracking should remain closed to tourist in order to avoid the easy spread of the virus to apes and primates.

“Bwindi for mountain gorillas and Kibale Forest chimpanzees, we do not want the virus to spread to our relatives,” said the president.

In addition to gorilla safaris to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Kibale Forest National Park which protect mountain gorillas and chimpanzees respectively, the rest of the national parks in the country also remain closed to tourism.

The Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC) the national zoo at Entebbe and the Jane Goodall Chimpanzee Sanctuary at Ngamba Island on Lake Victoria also remained closed to all tourist activities.

Unfortunately, both UWEC and Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary have also been affected by the rising water levels from Lake Victoria. Both have had to appeal for funds in order to feed the animals given the absence of revenue from tourists during the lockdown period.

President Museveni also acknowledged the contribution of the tourism industry to the economy of Uganda citing that the industry fetches the country over $1.6 billion per annum. However, the president said that caution has to be taken before tourists are allowed to come back into the country for safaris.

“International borders and airports remain closed to avoid the importation of new cases,” President Museveni said.

The tourism industry in Uganda is one of the most affected sectors by the Coronavirus pandemic with majority of those employed in the sector stuck at home with nothing to do following the suspension of tour activities.

In order to forge a way forward, the stakeholders in the industry led by their trade associations including the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO), Uganda Safari Guides Association (USAGA), and Uganda Hotel Owners Association (UHOA) under their apex body Uganda Tourism Association (UTA) are engaged in several discussions with the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB).

The stakeholders are soliciting for assistance from government and donor agencies for support of employees, rent arrears, rescheduling of bank loans taken by hotels, lodges and tour operators. They are also seeking support to create a tourism fund for micro-credit, loans, social security, and tax benefits for sustainable business operations.

Covid-19 cases in Uganda

As the tourism sector in Uganda is waiting and hoping to resume operations soon, the country has so far registered 264 cases of Covid-19 of which 65 have recovered, 80 admitted in hospitals and no deaths. Some foreigners especially truck drivers from Kenya and Tanzania and a few Rwanda and Burundi nationals who have tested positive in Uganda have been sent back for treatment in their home countries.

Easing lockdown measures

According to the latest communication from the president, the current lockdown measures will be eased starting next week starting with allowing private cars to move on 26 May. Restrictions on public transport will be relaxed on 4 June but this will not apply to the border districts according to the president.

“Private cars will be allowed to move on the 26th May. For border districts, we shall not allow public or private transport. They are on the frontline. They are the ones that can either save or destroy us by allowing infiltration from neighboring countries. For public transport in the districts that are not near the border, this will be relaxed on June 4. During this time, those concerned will discuss with transporters and make sure everything is in order,” Mr. Museveni said in a televised address on Tuesday.

The president said that boda-bodas (motor cycles) should not carry passengers but may continue to carry cargo. On education, he said that officials from the Ministry of Education will on June 4 give guidance on how candidates/finalists will resume studies.

On shops and hotels, the president said that they can resume on May 26 while following social distancing and using face masks. He added that gyms, saunas, and night clubs will still be closed.

Uganda is popularly known as the “Pearl of Africa” due to her impressive natural beauty usually witnessed by visitors during their Uganda safari experiences like game viewing and gorilla trekking. The country is one of the fastest-growing countries in Africa and this is mainly steered by her rapid growing population. Uganda’s population is estimated to be around 42 million after almost doubling in the past two decades.

Commercial wise, the more the population grows in any society, the more services and goods are needed to sustain it and this means availability of business opportunities to those who are ready to exploit them.

With the above evidence, the following are the best business ventures in Ugandan that can be exploited to benefit from its rapid growing population and the fast-growing economy;

1. Agricultural production

Food is one the primary requirements in any society. With Uganda’s rapid growing population especially in urban areas, there has never been any better time when food is in such a high demand. Entrepreneurs who are engaged in production of different items including those that are cereal based, meat, fish, dairy, sugar and the processed are all in a very good position to make large sums of profits. The trivia is that many people in Uganda tend to shun villages in favor of living in urban areas. This makes the demand for food to be so high in the crowded urban areas since they are few people left in the villages to produce the food. Agricultural based products are one of the few items that have never lacked market in Uganda given the large population in demand. Secondly, Uganda also exports agricultural products abroad which widens the market further for the producers.

2. Restaurants

Just like agricultural products, the demand for ready food in urban centers has got the same or even a higher magnitude. The urban workers involved in both formal and casual jobs all need food starting from breakfast, lunch and supper. When you Set up a restaurant in a busy urban center you can never go wrong. For a more successful restaurant business, you need to be willing to be mobile and take the food to people’s work places to make it convenient for them not to disrupt their work.

3. Pharmaceutical services

Pharmaceutical services including providing medical care, selling drugs, veterinary, among others have got such a huge demand in Uganda. Disease-related problems in humans, animals and plants are one the most common in the country and therefore being at the center of providing solutions to such problems makes you one of the most sought-after entrepreneurs.

4. Transport services

There is no business without people being able to move from one place to another. There is a huge concentration of people in Uganda’s urban centers majorly for employment opportunities. Transport to and fro people’s work places is one of the most essential services needed in such communities. Medium motorists like taxis and boda-bodas can help to do this work well. The continuous movement of people from villages to towns and vice-vasa also presents a requirement for transport services. Buses, and coasters can be the best suited for these longer distances.

5. Education services

The rapid increase in Uganda’s population means that the government can no longer manage to provide education services to all school-going children. This presents a big opportunity for entrepreneurs to offer private education services. although many have ventured into this already but there is still a huge demand especially for better quality education and starting up one gives you an upper hand to succeed over the rest. The ultimate business opportunity in the education sector in Uganda lies more in the tertiary institutions which are still very few in the country compared to the growing number of students who need their services.

6. One-stop shopping centres

With a large population, the need for shopping cannot be over emphasized. However, there is also a changing trend in the people shop in Kampala and other urban centers. Nowadays people prefer to shop in one-stop centers where they can all they need without moving from one place to another looking for different items. Therefore, shopping malls selling a variety of products ranging from foods, medicine and cosmetics to wearing products, home accessories and electronics are given a priority. Convenience in shopping is highly considered these days.

7. Salon services

Salon services are one of the most sought-after in Uganda’s urban centers. Urban women constantly want to do their hair to look good and respectable at their work places. Men are also constantly shaving both their hair and beard which grow at a terrible speed. An adult man in the urban center trims 2 times a month on average and given the large number of men in towns this is a very big business opportunity to salon operators. To compete favorably, a fully equipped urban salon should also provide complementary services like pedicure, manicure and massage services.

8. Tourism

Tourism is one of the most profitable sectors in Uganda. With Uganda increasingly becoming one of the best hotspots for tourists in Africa due to her magnificent attractions like gorilla trekking, investing in tourism is so lucrative. The high influx of tourists into the country calls for local tour operators to arrange for them safaris and other services like accommodation and transport to enjoy their experience in the Uganda. Other opportunities in Uganda’s tourism industry including offering accommodation and catering services like hotels and lodges, transport and guiding services to tourists.

9. Banking and other financial finances

As Uganda’s economy continues to grow at a fast rate, the need for banking services also increases. The formal sector continues to enlarge in the country while workers in the informal sector are also getting familiar with using banking services which widens the market for such services. Banks which can manage offer customers friendlier services like low interest loans gain an advantage to compete favorably in the market. Other opportunities in Uganda’s financial sector include offering telecom based mobile money services, money lending, saving cooperatives and micro finance services.

10. Information Technology

Technological advancement in almost all economic activities has become inevitable in Uganda’s businesses. There is a growing need for businesses to go online, international or online marketing, building of information systems, and use of advanced information devices like computers. Therefore, experts and companies that can help such businesses solve this technology gap are highly needed in Uganda’s fast-growing economy.

11. Betting

Like in any urban society with many youth, betting is one of the major habits popular among them. Over 70 percent of Uganda’s population is made up of young people below 30 years. With the existing challenges like lack of employment, majority of these young people tend to turn to betting in order to make a fortune. Several betting companies have been started in the country but it seems there is still room for more given the presence of a large customer base.

The Uganda government is discussing the best approaches to follow when easing some of the lockdown measures that were put in place to control the spread of Covid-19 in the country.

President Museveni declared some tough measures on 18 March this year in an attempt to stop the spread of Corona virus in the country. These measures included closing of all schools, places of worship, and banning of public gatherings like concerts and political rallies. Others included banning both public and private transport and closing all non-food shops across the country.

In addition to the above measures, the president also ordered a countrywide curfew starting from 7pm to 6am. Since then, the country has been under a lockdown with people encouraged to stay at home and avoid all unnecessary movements.

Distribution of relief food

After declaring the lockdown, the government announced that it will be distributing food to the vulnerable groups of people in the two business districts of Kampala and Wakiso. The program started from Kampala in some of the most vulnerable communities spreading to other parts.

However, the mechanism used to distribute food has been criticized by people saying that it is too slow and some have also complained about the quality of the food distributed.

Plans to lift the lockdown

On Tuesday, as the president was addressing the nation on the current status of Covid-19 in the country, he hinted that the cabinet is discussing how to ease on some of the measures of the lockdown.

“When we announced the extension of the lockdown staying at home, we said it would end on May 5. But before that, our people are studying the situation intensely. We shall give you the new guidelines before the date of May 5 comes. We shall tell you what next. But what we shall give you will be determined by the study not suppositions, not just imposing things on the situation but on the studies being carried out quietly to know where we are in terms of the sickness.” Museveni said.

The current state of Covid-19 in Uganda

Uganda has so far confirmed 79 cases of Covid-19 of which 52 have recovered. Majority of the cases that have been registered lately of those truck drivers from Tanzania and Kenya who transport cargo into the country. Uganda has recorded the fewest number of Covid-19 cases in the region with neighboring countries like Kenya on 374 cases, Tanzania 299 cases, and Rwanda 207 cases.

Museveni’s stance on truck drivers

During his public address on Tuesday, President Museveni said that “it is absolutely suicidal to ban cargo”.

Following the recent trend of the Covid-19 cases in Uganda showing that the latest cases are coming from truck drivers from Kenya and Tanzania, many Ugandans have raged calling upon the president to stop them from entering the country. However, in his speech the president encouraged Ugandans to be patient with the situation.

“Until the train is fully operational, I appeal to Ugandans to swallow your anger and employ ‘amagezi’ (wisdom). Stopping cargo is not only suicidal but also unnecessary,” he argued.

“I say it is suicidal because, if we stop cargo, how will our coffee, and cotton, tea, milk, cement from factories and food move?”

The president also pointed to the revised directive that long-distance trucks must have only one occupant, the driver, as opposed to the initial three and he said that is safer.

On the impact of Covid-19 on Uganda’s economy

While commenting on the negative impact Covid-19 may impose on Uganda’s economy, the president dismissed what the doomsayers are saying. He pointed at other sectors of the economy that are doing well like manufacturing.

“Tourists are not coming …but manufacturing is going up. For example, the price of sanitizers, soap has gone up because people use them to clean hands regularly,” Museveni argued.

“The price of coffee has improved because when people stay at home they grow more coffee,” he added.

“We need to adjust for the economy to grow, for the tourism sector will boom when you handle the manufacturing side well,” Museveni said.