Two men have been arrested as suspects regarding the kidnapping of a US tourist, Sue Endicott and a Ugandan guide, Jean-Paul Mirenge last week on Tuesday in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Sue and Paul were kidnapped by four gunmen on the evening of 2 April while they were having a game drive in the park before they were released on Sunday.
The gunmen demanded a ransom of $500,000 when they called using the cell phones of the victims.
The statement from the Uganda police indicated that the two victims were rescued from the Democratic Republic of Congo through a joint effort from the Uganda Peoples Defense Force (UPDF) and other security agencies.
There are other reports indicating that the US military also helped to provide support to the local forces in form of intelligence, surveillance, among others to rescue the victims.
On Monday this week, Inspector General of Police, Martin Okoth Ochola handed over Ms. Endicott to the US Embassy in Kampala.
The two suspects that have been arrested include Hakim and Kwarishiima. According to sources, the two were arrested from Kanungu district after being tracked using a device that was placed in the ransom money they received before they set the victims free.
A tweet from police on Tuesday said, “The joint security actively investing the kidnapping incident and successful recovery of an American tourist Ms. Kimberly Sue Endicott and a Senior Tour Guide, Jean-Paul Mirenge-Remezo, has made some arrests of suspects, on suspicion of being involved in their kidnap”.
The police spokesperson Fred Enanga confirmed to URN that there were some arrests made in regard to the kidnap though he did not give more details.
“I can confirm that there were some arrests but I am yet to get details. I will brief you when I get the information,” Enanga said.
On Monday the US president Donald Trump had tasked the government of Uganda to arrest the kidnappers and bring them to justice.
“Uganda must find the kidnappers of the American tourist and guide before people will feel safe in going there. Bring them to justice openly and quickly,” tweeted president Trump.
The American tourist and a Ugandan driver guide have been rescued after spending 5 days in abduction. The duo was kidnapped by gunmen last week on Tuesday in Queen Elizabeth National park in western Uganda as they were enjoying an evening game drive in the savanna park.
Kimberly Endicott, 35 and Jean-Paul Mirenge were released on Sunday evening after they were kidnapped by unknown gunmen on 2 April. After the kidnap, the kidnappers used one of the victim’s phones to call authorities and demand a ransom.
Yesterday the officials said that the victims were released unharmed, in good health and in safe hands of the security team.
Following the kidnapping on Tuesday, there was a heavy deployment of security teams including the military and tourism police that worked together to rescue the victims.
Government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo said that they were rescued by the Uganda security forces in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and that they are now in Kanungu district in Southwest Uganda.
However, there are reports that the victims were released after the tour company that had arranged a safari for Ms. Kimberly paid the ransom of $500,000 to the kidnappers as they had demanded.
The US President Donald Trump after learning about the release of the victims took to Twitter the celebrate the good news “Pleased to report that the American tourist and tour guide that were abducted in Uganda have been released. God bless them and their families!”
Although the president tweeted to exhibit his excitement about their release, last week the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated the US government’s policy of not paying ransoms when talking about the incident in Uganda.
“Please remember that any payment to a terrorist or a terrorist regime gives money so that they can seize more of our people,” he said. “Even a small payment to a group in, say, Africa can facilitate the killing or seizure of tens or even hundreds of others, including Americans or foreign nationals in that region.”
Mr. Pompeo said this last Tuesday while at the event of families of US citizens held captive overseas even before the news of the tourist’s abduction was out. He added that he understands the anguish among the relatives of the victims but paying ransoms empowers the abductors and leads to more kidnappings.
Ms. Kimberly Sue Endicott who lives in Costa Mesa California was traveling with another elderly couple from Canada together with their driver Jean-Paul Mirenge. The elderly couple was left unharmed though kidnappers robbed some of their property and also ran away with the car keys.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s second largest national park after Murchison Falls national park in the Northwest. The park is one of the major highlights of Uganda safaris known for hosting a variety of wildlife species including mammals, birds, reptiles, and primates.
Away from the kidnap incident, the park has been very safe for tourists despite being near the border with DRC with numerous rebel groups operating in the Eastern part of the country near the border.
The insecurity in the region has paralyzed safari activities in Virunga national park where two British tourists and their drivers were kidnapped last year and released after two days. The incident led to the temporary closure of the park until February this year when it was reopened.
There has been a massive deployment of security personnel at the Uganda-Dr Congo near Queen Elizabeth National Park as security agencies from both Uganda and DRC intensify the search to rescue an American tourist and a Ugandan driver who were kidnapped in the park on Tuesday evening.
The hostages were kidnapped at gunpoint by four armed men while on their evening game drive in the park. The two kidnapped individuals were Ms. Kimbley Sue Endecott, 35 an America tourist and Mr. Jean Paul, a Ugandan driver who was guiding the tourists.
According to reports, the kidnappers are asking for a ransom of $500,000, equivalent to about Shs1.9 Billion in order to release the hostages. Together with the two kidnapped individuals, were other two tourists, Mr. Julius Martin and his partner Barbel who were left in the tourist van unharmed though the kidnappers took away the car keys.
The security forces deployed for the hunt are comprised of joint teams including forces from the Uganda Peoples Defense Force (UPDF), Counter-Terrorism forces and Tourism Police. The forces right away started the rescue mission in the area spanning 30 square kilometers between the park and the Uganda-DR Congo border to find the missing tourists and capture the kidnappers.
Uganda’s Deputy police spokesperson Polly Namaye said that they suspect that the kidnappers together with the hostages are still in Uganda. “We want to inform the public and all visitors in the country that the joint security teams have cut off all exit areas on the border between Uganda and the DRC in search for the victims”, he said. He added that although kidnappers had asked for ransom when they called using one of the victim’s phone, police have ruled out giving it to them.
“we are all in the national park and we hope to be successful. We have enough security personnel in the park but the criminals normally use the porous border entries to cross and cause havoc”, said the Kanungu Resident District Commissioner Shafique Ssekandi. He added that Inspector General of Police (IGP) Martin Okoth-Ochola and other UPDF field commanders had also joined the hunt to rescue the victims.
Mr. Ivan Mbabazi Batuma, the chairperson of Kigezi tourism cluster called for increased security in the park to ensure the safety of tourists and other travelers. He said that attacks in the park have become rampant mentioning some of the recent incidents like in January when a resident of Munyaga Cell was kidnapped by Congolese militia who demanded a ransom of Shs2 millions. Later the victim was released after his relatives had paid Shs1.5 millions to the kidnappers.
The chairperson of Kihihi Sub-County where the incident happened, Mr. Nelson Natukunda urged the government to intensify security at the border to stop the militia from DR Congo crossing into Uganda. He added such militia should be stopped from accessing places like Queen Elizabeth National Park where they have continuously committed crimes against tourist and other Ugandans.
The Tuesday incident was not the first to happen in the area. In 1999, the Congo-based Hutu rebels attacked and killed 8 tourists who included Americans, Britons and New Zealanders in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Southwest Uganda.
Queen Elizabeth National park is Uganda’s second largest wildlife reserve after Murchison Falls National Park in the Northwest of the country. the park is commonly known for incredible game drives that allow tourists to see all the African “big five” that include lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants, and the rhinos. The park is the home for the famous tree-climbing lions together with hundreds of other mammal species and birds. On the other hand, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the South of Queen Elizabeth National Park is the home to more than half of the global population of mountain gorillas. The park is well known for breathtaking gorilla safaris in its steep and rugged terrain coupled with thick vegetation.
Visiting to see and track lions is one of the sought after wildlife experiences that bring thousands of travelers from all over the world to Uganda. Over 90% of traveler’s to Uganda wish to see lions on their Uganda safaris. With no doubt, lions rank second to mountain gorilla tracking attracting a high number of travelers from all parts of the world. However, on a sad note, Uganda is facing a rapid decrease of lions nowadays. According to the recent lion census in Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, and Kidepo Valley national parks, Lion population in Uganda has reduced by 33% in the last 10 years. It has been realized that the lion population has dropped from 600 in 2009 to 400 in 2019 in the three major wildlife parks in Uganda. The highest drop was recorded in Murchison falls national park was in Murchison falls national park where lions dropped from 320 to 130 individuals, this is a great loss!
Reasons for the loss of lions in Uganda
Several threats have been pointed for the tremendous loss of lions in Uganda. Among these are:
• Weak legal framework against poaching and wildlife trafficking in Uganda. The law for protecting wildlife in Uganda seems reluctant in some ways. Unlike in other countries, The Uganda tourism policy has not fought enough against poaching and all other illegal activities in national parks, which has continued to affect tourism performance in Uganda.
• Human activities like wire snares and wheel traps have killed many lions. People set snares to capture small animals in the park-like antelopes where lions also fall victims.
• Lion poisoning, by local people, is also a big challenge. Most lions killed of poison by locals in the protection of domestic animals. Last year, over 30 lions were poisoned in kasenyi Queen Elizabeth national park by unknown people which was a big loss to Uganda’s tourism.
• Wildlife trafficking has also led to the loss of lions and other animals in Uganda most animals have been smuggled live through Uganda exit points while others have been killed for their products. This was confirmed by Uganda civil aviation who confessed that many people have been arrested at Entebbe international airport carrying animal products. Fortunately, several armed soldiers in uniform and casual attire have been deployed at the airport and all Uganda exit points to prevent smuggling of wildlife out of Uganda.
• Habitat loss is also a big threat affecting the lion population in Uganda. Local people have continuously encroached on lion habitats to expand their land for agriculture and settlement.
• Also, the killing of lions by local peoples for medicine and cultural rituals has also greatly reduced the lion population in Uganda. Some local people believe that the skins of lions cure several diseases and perform other rituals.
• Loss of prey has starved lions in Uganda national parks leading to the death of many. It has been realized that most animals like kobs, which lions feed on, have greatly reduced to poaching and diseases hence causing food shortage for the predators.
The decrease of lion populating has greatly affected the tourism industry in Uganda. The country is facing heavy competition from Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa, which has high lion population. It’s obvious that most travelers choose these other countries with the big game over Uganda, which affects the performance of Uganda tourism.
Contributions of lions to Uganda’s tourism sector
Like said already, lions are one of the most visited wild animals in Uganda. One of the big five is widely known as the giant and king of the jungle with superpowers that when he roars, all other animals in the neighborhood go into hiding. Traveling to see and track lions has presently become a wish for most travelers to Uganda. Every day, travelers flock onto ishasha sector south of Queen Elizabeth national park for tree climbing lions, which rest, relaxed up in the acacia trees. Also, numerous vehicles are spotted in the trails of kidepo valley and Murchison fall national park searching for lions and other animals.
Due to their popularity, lions have become one of the major contributors to Uganda’s foreign exchange earning increasing the country’s gross domestic product. It’s recorded that each lion in Uganda generates about $13,500 roughly 50 million per year for the national economy in terms of Uganda’s revenue. The assessment was based on the fact that tourists are willing to stay longer just to see lions. Among other wild animals heavily trafficked in Uganda include elephants ivory, hippo skins, plus pangolin scales among others.
In generals, lions are one of the major tourism attractions in Uganda. Book wildlife safaris to Uganda; enjoy lion tracking in Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth and Kidepo valley national park for a memorable wildlife experience in the pearl of Africa.
The developing cracks and boiling sound that is emerging from underneath Ngora rock in Ngora district has caused fear among people living near it.
People from about 200 homes around the rock say that they have heard two sporadic sounds and an eruption smell from underneath.
According to witnesses, who are locals living near the rock, they started hearing the noise last week and then they saw running cracks and small pieces of rocks popping out from the mother rock.
Locals are afraid that they don’t know where they will go after being told to relocate by the officials from the Uganda Environment Authority (NEMA).
However, according to some old locals who have been staying in the area for a long time, the similar incident happened on the same rock in the early 1970s and it lasted for more than two weeks but it stopped later.
Figures from the homestead count from Ngora Town Council show that close to 220 homes live within a radius of 500 meters to the rock and this is termed as an eruption danger zone.
Mr. Richard Itulu, the head of Geography department in Ngora High School told reporters that the rock seems to be an active volcano basing on the manner in which it was acting.
“I witnessed it making a sound blast, with some smoke emerging, it seems the heat underground has melted the hard rock into molten liquid which is now causing it to crack, and if it is an active rock, there are chances it may give way to forces underground”, he added.
The environment officials of Ngora district local government have technically advised people living around the rock to take precautionary measures by staying outside the 500-meter radius.
Ngora Town Council officials say that they have no idea where the people around the rock can relocate if it is an eruption building up. There are more than 50 rocks that are scattered all over Nora district according to the statistics at Ngora Local Government.
Government calms tension
According to the statement issued by the Commissioner disaster department at Office of the Prime Minister, Martin Owor, it is normal for gases to come out of a dormant volcano and they are not necessarily a sign of a potential eruption until scientifically proven.
He added that cracks accumulate and emit more heat waves in the dry season which makes the surrounding hotter.
“In the rare situation that a dormant volcano becomes active again, it sends increment signals over a reasonable period of time, there cannot happen a sudden eruption, the people living near Ngora rock should therefore remain calm and continue with their routine activities as scientists’ carry out tests to establish whether the sounds, cracks, and heat are normal occurrences of dormant volcanoes or something new. The population will be advised time to time”, he noted.
The government, in a statement issued by the commissioner in the office of the Prime Minister, stated that Ngora rock (Otukei) is a dormant rock, which during the long hot and dry seasons develops cracks.
Ngora rock is located in Ngora district in Eastern Uganda. It is approximately 230 kilometers (140 mi) from the capital Kampala. Ngora is bordered by 5 other districts including; Soroti district to the northwest, Katakwi district to the northeast, Kumi district to the east, Pallisa District to the south and Serere district to the west. The total population of Ngora district is estimated at 180,000 people (2018 estimates).
President Yoweri Museveni has commissioned Shs2 trillion Isimba hydropower dam in Kayunga district. While commissioning the project, Museveni turned on four turbines of the 183MWs dam in the presence of cheering high profile dignitaries that accompanied him.
The construction of the dam took four years and consumed US$ 566 million (Shs2 trillion) of which 85% was a loan from Exim Bank of China.
While commissioning the project, the president asked the people of Kayunga to use the opportunity of such projects to eliminate poverty from their homes. He added that the ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM), which he heads has put in place necessary infrastructure for people to fight poverty in their households.
The president also extended his appreciation to the Chinese government for financing the construction of the project, describing the government of China and its people as friends of Uganda and Africa in general.
After the commissioning of Isimba hydropower dam, Museveni said that his government is now going to embark on electricity and railway.
In his remarks, the president said, “We have also constructed many roads and will continue to construct many more. But now our emphasis is on electricity. And soon every part of the country will have electricity. We will also re-establish the old train transport system and construct a new one. Train transport is more cost effective compared to road transport”.
The 183MW Isimba Hydro Power Project (HPP) is located 4km downstream of Simba Falls along River Nile, 50km downstream of the source of the Nile at Jinja. Kayunga is the nearest town to the project site and its about 21km and 65km from Jinja town.
The 183MW will be produced by four vertical Kaplan turbine generator that will be installed in the power station each with a capacity of producing 45.8MW.
Energy Minister Irene Muloni says the project will increase jobs for youth, increase power export opportunities, lower electricity tariffs and boost industrialization. The 68 cents per kilowatt expected to be generated by Isimba Hydro Power Project is the lowest in East Africa.
With the completion of the project, the installed electricity capacity in the country will gross 1,000 megawatts, a significant increment in the power supply that the government hopes will prompt tariff reduction for large-scale consumers supplied from the national grid.
The Permanent Secretary for the ministry of energy, Mr. Robert Kasanda said that they expect a marked reduction in the cost of electricity when the ongoing construction of the 600 megawatts Karuma dam is completed and followed by the upgrade of the distribution structure of electricity transmission.
Mr. Kasanda added that modernizing the transmission and distribution network of electricity will help to reduce the cost brought about by the energy losses that are accelerated partly by old infrastructure hence leading to hiked power tariffs.
Relief to industrialists
Senior officials from the government predict that the relief from high tariffs to industrialists that will be derived from the increased power supply will enable them to produce goods more efficiently and cheaply hence lowering market prices and stimulating demand to boost economic growth.
According to the Uganda Electricity Generation Company (UEGCL), the electricity generated at Isimba will be sold at about $5 cents per unit and this will be 3 cents lower than what is charged for the power from Bujagali dam.
The spokesperson of UEGCL, Mr. Simon Kasyate said: “The construction and completion of Isimba dam give confidence to investors that Uganda has adequate and reliable electricity to power investment”.
2019 seems to be Uganda’s Year of aggressive tourism marketing. Unlike before, the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) supported by the government of Uganda is investing extensively in tourism marketing. Since the start of the year, different groups of marketers, bloggers, and travel operators have visited Uganda to see for themselves why Uganda was dubbed the Pearl of Africa. Following the visit by over 230 Israelite travelers and 10 Malaysia tour operators, Uganda tourism board has again hosted a team of Bollywood stars and members of travel agents federation of India (TAFI) for 8 days Uganda safari. After exploring what Uganda offers, the Bollywood will promote Uganda’s tourism products in India through filming and photography. The Bollywood stars were welcomed by Hon Kiwanda, the minister of tourism in Uganda and later met president Museveni who urged them to encourage more Indian travelers to come and enjoy Uganda’s beautiful culture, wildlife, and conducive weather.
In their meeting, the movie director, actor, and writer of the Bollywood Mr.Bharat Dabholkar assured president Museveni that the Bollywood want to market Uganda’s tourism products in India. The movie director further promised that the Bollywood want to use Uganda as a premier location for filming Bollywood movies in which Ugandans would also take part. In the near future, Bollywood will bring film travelers to Uganda promoting film tourism to complement other tourism products in the Pearl of Africa. The coming of the Bollywood to Uganda is a big deal for tourism and local people who will get jobs earning them income. Dabholkar together with Uganda’s top film will feature Uganda’s beautiful sceneries, wildlife and people in all Bollywood videos making Uganda known to the whole world. Dahbolkar, however, urged the Uganda government to provide subsidies like accommodation and the necessary equipment for quality food production. The strong relationships between Uganda and India that have resulted in the visiting of Bollywood and TAFI to Uganda is a result of Uganda’s prime minister’s visit to India in 2017.
Who are the Bollywood?
Based in Mumbai Maharashtra India, Bollywood is a Hindi cinema and one of the world’s largest film production centers. Bollywood derives their name (Bollywood) from Bombay the former Mumbai and Hollywood in California and is part of the cinema of India. Bollywood started acting in 1970 when Hindi cinema was facing stagnation and its there that the Bollywood took over releasing their first movie called Zanjeer in 1973 and Deewaar in 1975 achieving progress up to present. Dabholkar, the leader of the Bollywood is a renowned marketing prodigy who has won 14 advertising awards in 17 Bollywood movies that are among others. Through these movies, Uganda will be made known to all people all over the world and all it offers. Other stars in the Bollywood include Shobanadri, Shobhu, Bharata Shah the chairman of TAFI and Sumaji Natarajan of travel masters and one of the member agencies of TAFI.
Places to visit?
The 8 Days Uganda safari will take film stars to Uganda’s top four national parks in the north east, north west, west and southwestern regions of the country. The first park on the itinerary is kidepo valley national park for game viewing and cultural counters with the kalimajongo and IK people. Other national parks to visit include Murchison falls national park; Uganda’s largest and oldest national park, Queen Elizabeth national park and Bwindi forest national park to see mountain gorillas. The four parks are Uganda’s top destinations with high concentration of wildlife, rich history and diverse tourism activities. Uganda is a home to over 50% of the word mountain gorillas residing in Bwindi forest and Mgahinga gorilla national park. This make Uganda a first stop for gorilla trekking safaris in east and central Africa. Also, Uganda’s gorilla permit costs $600, which is relatively cheap compared to $1500 in Rwanda. Uganda is therefore the best place to see mountain gorillas rewarding you with memorable gorilla tour experience with no difficulty. The film stars aim at identifying particular tourism products in Uganda which they can concentrate on and promote in India and beyond. These products must be exceptional and hardly found somewhere else in the world.
Also, the country is home to a variety of birds some of which are not found else where in the world. Birds in Uganda include the rare shoebill, Green-breasted pitta, African green broadbill, short-tailed warbler, Great Blue Turaco, Shelley’s Crimson wing, Standard-winged nightjar, yellow-billed stork, African kingfisher and pelicans among others. The leading birding sports in Uganda include Mabamba Bay wetland at lake Victoria, Bwindi forest, Murchison falls, Queen Elizabeth, Semuliki, Kibale forest and Rwenzori mountains national park among others.
The visit of Bollywood is a great achievement for Uganda Tourism Board and Uganda tourism industry as a whole. The visit is hoped to inspire an increased number of Indian travelers to come and explore the pearl of Africa.
It is now over two weeks since Rwanda closed her border with Uganda blocking traders trying to take their products to the markets in Rwanda and also stopping Rwandan citizens from crossing to Uganda.
The border row started as a minor issue with the Rwanda Revenue Authority claiming that they were trying to expand the border road hence stopping heavy tracks from crossing into Rwanda. However, what was referred to as road works at first, it has culminated into more complicated issues.
There has been a long-standing diplomatic feud between Uganda and Rwanda with both countries accusing each other of interfering in their affairs and now it has been escalated with the border closure.
The closure of the border has so far had far-reaching effects on local communities especially to individuals who used to do business across the border. The most affected include traders and transport agents. Others victims include low-skilled workers like cargo porters and money changers who have been left idle with no work.
When the Rwanda government issued a warning to its citizens not to travel to Uganda, it left those who trade near the border with almost no business. As Rwandese are stopped from entering Uganda, Ugandans are also afraid of crossing into Rwanda fearing what may happen next.
The crisis has also led to the issue of food shortage, especially on the Rwanda side. The Rwandans who live just across the border used to buy their basic foodstuffs like tomatoes, potatoes, and fruits at the border post of Cyanika which is currently closed. They now have to use illegal shortcuts and pathways in fear of arrest by the Rwandan security officials. Those who have been commuting to Uganda for health and education services have also been affected.
The big market days in the border towns on the Ugandan side have also been hit severely without the Rwandan customers bringing activity to a halt.
Bigger businesses have not been spared by the crisis as trucks carrying goods to Rwanda and other countries like DRC and Burundi have either been delayed, diverted to use longer routes via the Mirama hills or completely stopped at some border posts.
The data from the World Bank shows that Rwanda is Uganda’s third biggest market after Kenya and South Sudan importing goods worth about $180m while Uganda imports goods worth $10m from Rwanda.
Response to the crisis
While the Uganda authorities are calling on their Rwandan counterparts to let trade return to normal, the government in Kigali is trying to ensure that its citizens do not suffer shortages and high prices.
Rwanda-Uganda relations
The two heads of Uganda and Rwanda are known as long term allies and friends. Both president Yoweri Museveni and his Rwanda counterpart Paul Kagame helped each other to come to power through rebellion. A group of Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) including Kagama fought alongside Museveni’s National Resistance Army (NRA) in the 1980s in a struggle that brought Museveni to power in 1986. In return, Museveni also supported Kagame and his team in their struggle to liberate Rwanda in the 1990s.
Tension setting in
In recent years the two countries have fallen out despite the strong familial and business ties between them. Some of the recent confrontations between Uganda and Rwanda include facing off in a military crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1990s. This standoff originated from the two countries finding themselves supporting rival rebel groups that were trying to oust former DRC president Laurent Kabila.
More than two weeks back the Rwanda Revenue Authority stopped some cargo from Uganda from crossing the border claiming that there was construction work going on at the border post of Katuna though they did not explain why other crossings were halted. Later on, it emerged that the issue was more than mere road works as deeper grievances were revealed.
Rwanda has issued a warning to her nationals not to travel to Uganda saying that some of her nationals have been arrested, detained, tortured and then deported by Ugandan officials without clear reasons.
According to Rwandan officials, more than 900 Rwandans have been deported since January 2018 and they allege that about 106 are still in detention.
Rwanda’s foreign minister Mr. Richard Sezibera has accused Uganda of supporting and hosting rebel groups trying to oust the Rwandan government. He added that Rwanda is not interested in interfering with Uganda’s intern issues.
Response from Ugandan
The government of Uganda has dismissed all the accusations from Rwanda as false. The government says that they have not identified any specific grievances against Rwanda despite the continued circulation of rumors in the local media that Rwanda is trying to compromise Uganda’s security.
Among the specific cases pointed out include that of Uganda’s former Inspector General of Police Gen Kale Kayihura who was arrested in June last year. He was charged with cases that included aiding and abetting the kidnap and repatriation of Rwanda nationals. He denied the allegations and he was later released on bail.
There have been recent cases involving arresting and deporting Rwandan nationals from Uganda after being accused of espionage. The most famous of these is that of MTN Uganda former employee, Annie Tabura who was arrested and deported in January this year after being accused of undermining Uganda’s security. However, Ugandan officials say that all of those who were arrested and detained were taken through a proper judicial system.
As it stands now, the major impact of this crisis is felt by Ugandan traders who are not able to do business in Rwanda and on the side the Rwandans who cannot access food, healthcare, and education that they were previously getting from Uganda.
Uganda is regarded as one of the richest tourist destinations in the world. The presence of abundant tourist attractions in Uganda keeps travelers pouring into this beautiful nation famously known as the Pearl of Africa. Most of Uganda’s attractions come from wildlife and they include tracking gorillas in Bwindi , game drive safaris in more than 10 national parks around the country, bird watching safaris, chimpanzee tracking, mountain hiking, white-water rafting at the source of the Nile, the world’s longest River, boat cruises on various lakes including Lake Victoria, the second largest freshwater lake in the world. Other exciting tour activities in Uganda include cultural and historical tours, among others.
Being such a great tourist destination, this Uganda travel information will travelers who would like to visit Uganda soon or in the future in order to discover the country’s must-see attractions that make Uganda rank high in the tourism world.
Visas
A visa is a requirement for every foreign national who wants to enter Uganda. Since 2016, Uganda made it mandatory for all visitors to apply for an online e-visa before traveling. The current system also allows visitors to buy visas upon arrival at the Entebbe International Airport or at any Ugandan border for those who may enter the country overland.
What you should know about Ugandan visa
You can enter Uganda using either a standard single-entry visa or the East African Tourist Visa. A 90-day visa for both categories costs US$50 and US$100 respectively. However, procedures of obtaining visa keep changing and therefore travelers to Uganda should always check with their travel agents and Ugandan embassies before they travel.
It is also a common practice in Uganda to stamp visitors’ passports for a period of one month or less even though it may be a three-month visa. This is basically done for security and safety reasons and travelers should not be scared as they can always have their visa time extended at any immigration office in Kampala or upcountry. There are no charges involved for these services although travelers may be asked for an official letter from a sponsor or from the hotel/lodge of your accommodation. Travelers are highly discouraged from overstaying their visa time as this will attract a surcharge of US$30 per day exceeded.
Other entry requirements
Today it is a requirement for every traveler entering Uganda to present an international health certificate, which shows that the entrant had a vaccination while entering Uganda or they may upload it while applying for a visa online.
Transportation to Uganda By air
Uganda being a landlocked country, the most obvious means of reaching from distant locations like Europe and North America is by air. The most convenient and cheaper route to reach Uganda from Europe or North America is that via Nairobi, Kenya. From Nairobi, you can choose to enter Uganda either by air or overland. Several airline companies like Air Uganda and Kenya Airways conduct flights between Entebbe and other regional cities including Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Juba, and Kigali. Travelers from Europe can find cheap tickets to Africa in London where there are some travel agents that have specialized in flights to Africa like Africa Travel, Trail finders, and STA. These are respected travel agents who are well known for cheap flights worldwide.
Overland
Overland, travelers can enter Uganda through one of her five borders with her neighbors, Kenya (East), Tanzania (South), Rwanda (Southwest), Democratic Republic of Congo (West) and South Sudan (North). Majority of Uganda’s visitors enter and leave the country through her borders with Kenya and Tanzania. However, the number of visitors entering and leaving Uganda via the Rwandan border has also steadily increased due to the attractive mountain gorilla safaris taking place in both countries near their border in Bwindi Impenetrable national park (Uganda) and Volcanoes national park (Rwanda). Crossing Uganda’s overland borders is strictly for travelers with proper documents. It is also advisable to exchange money at the border into or out of Uganda to allow you carry out any transactions that you may need while inside the country.
Transportation within Uganda By air
Most of the hot spot destinations for Uganda visitors are less than six hours of driving from the capital Kampala. Few visitors consider traveling within Uganda by air. Kidepo Valley national park in the northeast is the only destination usually reached by air more often than by road due to its remoteness. For air travel enthusiasts, Fly Uganda, Aerolink, and Eagle Air are the three operators currently offering scheduled and chartered flights to various tourist destinations within Uganda. Each operator has a minimum number of passengers for scheduled flights and the flights are subject to diversions to other destinations.
Self-drive
Though not commonly used by travellers in Uganda, self-driving also gives such a good experience in Uganda given that the country’s major roads are generally in good condition by East African standards. There are decent highways that run from Kampala to all the major towns around the country. The unsurfaced roads tend to be dusty and muddy during the dry and rainy seasons respectively.
Travellers on self-drive in Uganda should always be mindful of reckless driving especially from minibus-taxi drivers who don’t even fear to overtake on blind corners. The allowed maximum driving speed in Uganda is 80km/h in the open roads and self-drivers should always be comfortable to slow down where need be.
It is a great idea for those who want to rent a self-drive vehicle to first check it over carefully and to do a test drive before taking to the actual trip. You will be able to find out whether the vehicle has got any mechanical issues after a few meters of test drive even if you may not be so knowledgeable about the working of the engines. Get to know where the filling points for oil, petrol, and water are and ensure that all keys are functioning in their respective positions. In Uganda driving is done on the left-hand side of the road a system inherited from the British custom. The key documents required while driving on Ugandan roads include the vehicle registration book, vehicle certificate of insurance (third party) and a driving license.
Mountain biking in Uganda
Travellers who love mountain biking can also enjoy a memorable experience as the country is relatively flat and compact. There are no new-quality bikes in Uganda so it is better to carry one with you provided you get a flexible airline that allows carrying bicycles. If you prefer to buy one locally, there are some good imported secondhand bikes sold in Kampala at around US$80. Buses carry bikes on the roof at an extra cost.
Road and water transport
Road transport dominates Uganda’s transport sector given the low activity of passenger rail and ferry services. There is a new passenger ferry between Entebbe and the Kalangala/Ssese Islands and some local boat services connecting to various fishing villages of Lakes Victoria, Kyoga, Edward, and Albert.
Buses
There are coaches taking passengers to all distant towns in the country and they are Uganda’s safest form of public transport. Buses travel at an average speed of 100km/h and the charges range from as low as US$5 to US$10.
Minibus-taxis (Matatus)
Matatus are the most commonly used means of road transport in Uganda. They have no scheduled departure time but they live immediately they get full. On busier routes, a matatu can get full within 5-10 minutes. Charges tend to be slightly higher than those of bigger buses though they allow more flexibility. Matatus in Uganda are licensed to carry 14 passengers and its customary to pay shortly before arriving rather than on departure.
Boda-boda
These are motorcycles used for getting people around in Uganda. They are referred to as boda-bodas because they were used as a means of smuggling goods from border to border. They are commonly used for suburban transport and for accessing shorter destinations where public transport doesn’t exist. Boda-boda fares are negotiable and most trips go for as low as half a US dollar.
Booking gorilla permits
Gorilla permits allow you to trek the endangered mountain gorillas in Uganda. Due to the popularity of this activity given that it is regarded as the best wildlife experience in the world, it creates such a huge demand for gorilla permits and they are always limited in availability. Remember that each gorilla group in Bwindi is tracked once a day by a group of 8 trackers and for just an hour due to conservation reasons.
Although today Bwindi has got about 15 gorilla groups that have been habituated for tracking, permits are still scarce on market. It is therefore highly advisable for travelers interested in trekking mountain gorillas in Uganda to book for permits in advance.
an advance booking of 3-6 months or even a year can allow your tour agent to arrange your permit with the local tourism authority in time so that you don’t find any problem when your trekking date falls due.
Gorilla Permits can become completely unavailable in the peak seasons of June-September and December. This is because these are dry seasons when trekking can be done with less difficulty given the absence of muddy and slippery conditions in the jungle. Consequently, the majority of trackers go on to book permits for this period hence creating that scarcity.
Your tour agent will also arrange for your accommodation, transport and will always advise you accordingly regarding other necessities include applying for a visa, what to pack for your trip, the Dos and Don’ts regarding your trip to ensure that you have a successful wildlife encounter in Ugandan. Among the credible and experienced tour agents in Uganda that we can recommend arranging for you a successful trip include Gorilla Trek Africa and Africa Adventure Safaris Limited.
Apart from trekking mountain gorillas where you need to book the trekking permit in advance, other tour activities do not necessarily require advance bookings. Uganda has got many wildlife reserves including 10 national parks where a variety of tour activities take place at the same time. These include game drives, birding, chimpanzee tracking, nature walks, boat cruises, among others. This means that any number of visitors interested in these activities can be easily catered for without causing any commotion.
The Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) has today released the results of the 2018 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE).
Mr. Daniel Odongo, the executive secretary of UNEB said that a total of 99,672 candidates sat for the UACE exams in 2018 as he presided over the official release of the results at the Office of the President in Kampala. At least 95, 839 have qualified for the award of the UACE, which represents an improved performance of students compared to the previous year (2017).
36,656 students were able to obtain three principal passes, 26, 467 got two principal passes, 20,413 attained one principal pass while 12, 303 attained one subsidiary.
Last year, 1,489 students failed the exams compared to 1,141 who failed in 2017. Those who failed will have to resist the exams in order to qualify for the UACE award.
In terms of gender based performance, Mr. Odongo said that female candidates performed better than their male counterparts at the principal level pass in Arts, Physics and Agriculture. However, male candidates were also better in Biology, Chemistry, Art and
General Paper. Out of the total of 99,672 candidates who sat the exams, 53,359 were male and 41,313 were female.
Better performances have been registered in History, Economics, Entrepreneurship Education, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Arts than the previous year, 2017. Performance in Geography also improved at the A-pass level, however there was a decline in Biology, Agriculture, Literature in English and CRE according to Mr. Odongo.
Candidates from the main traditional schools and a few well established private schools have registered good performance compared to their counterparts in ordinary schools. Mr. Odongo also added that these candidates demonstrated adequate knowledge of the subject matter.
On the same note, Mr. Odongo also said that at least 91 candidates will not receive their results after they have been withheld by UNEB due to malpractice. He said that this number of candidates represent 0.09 percent of the total candidates from 21 centers.
“The most common forms of examination breaches have been external assistance”, said Mr. Odongo.
Mr. Odongo said that candidates with withheld results either received external assistance, substitution of scripts, smuggled unauthorized material into examination rooms or impersonated. The affected subjects connected with malpractice included Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry.
The board will accord a fair hearing to the affected candidates before they make a final verdict.
The examination board has consequently withdrawn the center number (U2804) that had been allocated to Seesa High School, Kakungube in Kasanda South, Mubende district for allegedly violating examination regulations at both UCE and UACE levels.
The examination board has consequently withdrawn the center number (U2804) that had been allocated to Seesa High School, Kakungube in Kasanda South, Mubende district for allegedly violating examination regulations at both UCE and UACE levels.
Meanwhile, the UNEB chairperson, Prof Mary Okwakol has passed a serious warning to schools and head teachers who issue fake UACE results. She says that these results are purported with the intention of pleasing candidates and parents but warns that such schools risk having their examination centers being canceled.
“It has come to the attention of the board that some head teachers issue fake results which they purport to be UNEB results with the intention of falsely pleasing parents. The board strongly warns those engaged in this illegality that they risk having their examination centers withdrawn”, said Prof Okwakol.
