wake me up when the weekend is over

kittens think happiness is in their tails that’s why they keep chasing it”But an older wiser cat came along and said to the young kittens, "Yes I too believe that happiness is indeed in my tail but I find that if I go about my business everyday with love, joy and peace not worrying about my tail, happiness, seems to follow me everywhere I go.”Let’s just join hands to thank the almighty for Fridays. After a long week trying to make ends meet and trying with every magic trick to work like a slave not to mention the hopelessness of Monday blues.

Friday feels like I just got a gold bell in my right hand and when I ding-dong-bell, a maid swoops in to attend to every one of my requests. Rumour has it that America has a restaurant called T.G.I Friday's to mean Thank God its Friday. Well I could sing along every second of the Friday too. I only hope I could snap my fingers and appear at any destination of my choice or better still pull a superman act like Walking into a phone booth ,change into my mostly blue superwoman outfit and simply dash away to the next stop which by the way would be France. Oh my, first I would come up with a fancy French name for personal pleasure, just to see how people would react when I introduce myself with that irresistibly romantic accent. Then I would Stay up all night to feed my eyes with the physically well defined men and enjoy French foods like wine, cheese, chocolate, fresh bread though I wouldn’t be able to try out eating frogs or snakes as I have heard people say is a delicacy.  One thing is for sure, I would never move on to the next magical destination without paying a visit to the most popular place in France, the Eiffel tower (La tour Eiffel), which is an artistic location, even though I have always been afraid of heights viewing the city from a birds view...huh! What a sight it would be. I can already see it. I would overcome my fears just to have that mind blowing experience. While at it take lots and lots of pictures just to make you wish you where me.

the Eiffel Tower, a dreamy destination.

My weekend tour wouldn’t be complete without visiting an island that was home of the dobo bird which became extinct about 18years ago and has a motto in Latin that says ”Stella Clavisque Maris Indici" to simply mean "Star and key to the Indian Ocean" this is the one and only Island of The Republic of Mauritius. Here I would try out the French I picked up from Paris as they speak French often though English is said to be the official language. I would slow down, take it easy, and enjoy the sunset, the green carpet that would remind me of Uganda, my homeland. I hear it’s peaceful there, that even the snakes don't bite, although I wouldn’t take any chances with those slippery creatures.  Day dreaming is free so please doing wake me up, at least not before my nightmare starts which is Monday.

Dress according to your mood, try something new, wear the kitenge

All the single ladies put your hands up especially if you’re an African and you own a multi-purpose piece of cloth in form of "Kitenge/Leso/Khanga. A kitenge is an African fabric that most times comes in bright colours with various designs and prints. It comes in handy from being used as a towel, headscarf, wrapper, baby sling or carrier and also housework outfit. Do not get me wrong, we don’t get to misuse our kitenge that’s why we put aside that particular one for special occasions.

A Kitenge comes in various prints and colours

A kitenge is often worn by women wrapped around their heads, chests or waists. They come with variety of similar patterns, printing done by traditional batik methods capturing the bright patterns of the bright sun. As an African woman you have no excuse not to own one mostly because they come in affordable prices and can be found almost anywhere around town.  For the people who are uncomfortable with trying out the whole outfit, there are shortcuts in form of accessories like head wrappers, ear rings, clutch bags and even shoes. These are easily got at the nearest craft shops at the national theatre, and bombo road. During the festive seasons, traders armed with African crafts ranging from shoes, bags, sandals, bangles, dresses and men’s shirts gather around kyadondo road and Jinja road but one has to be fast for they move on to their next destination after a few days. Run now and play your part in wearing the African continent. While at that, capture those awakening moment that makes you realise your true African side. If often we end up mixing English with your African languages for example we take a break from your perfectly tailored sentence and stop to add "Banange" a Luganda expression that could mean "oh my" which is an expression of shock, why not take a day to mix and match our western attires with the beautiful kitenge. Days like Christmas, Easter or even birthdays are perfect to shine in the beautiful kitenge.

What does your city say about you?

Walking around town and this not so perfect gentleman in an amazing land cruiser throws an empty mineral water bottle out of his car window, to think it missed me by just inches. I could not believe my eyes, which type of home did he come from? on looking around, I realized that my city was bruised with garbage at every street corner, on the dustbins and open spaces nearby. Unlike the city centre which has been wiped cleaned by Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA), the outskirts are characterised by water drainage littered and over flooded with a likeliness of sewage over flow. Buvera's or plastic bags are also dancing around the streets, different toxins from different places ranging from second hand cars, boda boda's or motorbikes which are the most common means of transport, and dusty walkways. All these pause as a health hazard caused by us who choose to walkway or drive away.

one of the slums found in the outskirts of Kampala

We should stand not to leave all this work towards National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) but wake up and play our part from simple acts like throwing garbage in the dustbin. Kampala should be among the most beautiful and strategically built cities in Africa with all basic requirements, medium height buildings standing on rolling hills. Kampala grew into a capital accidentally a century ago under the kingdom of Buganda and forever remained the largest domestic market with highest population in Uganda. The word Kampala was derived from a Luganda word ”Impala" a type of antelope which used to graze on the slopes of the hill near Mengo Palace. The name "Hill of the Impala" given specifically to the hill on which Captain Fredrick Lugard a British administrator established his camp. The fort at Kampala hill was what it got to be called the now old Kampala. Like Rome, Kampala was built on seven hills with an appealing mixture of delightful valleys and swamps. We call for a caretaker among each and every one of us to take care of this “Antelope”, the same way, we plan each day to wake up and have a bath.

The Scope: Education & Unemployment

The Scope: Education & Unemployment:   “streetology” is an urban slang used by the youth to refer to job hunting, hustling, moving from door to door, emailing your curriculum ...

Education & Unemployment

 “streetology” is an urban slang used by the youth to refer to job hunting, hustling, moving from door to door, emailing your curriculum vitae to various job openings, making endless photocopies and passport photos that are never returned when you do not get the job. And then you realise that looking for a job is also a full time job. Unemployment according to international labour organisation (I L O) 1982 (resolution) is a situation where a person is without work though he/she is available for work or actively seeking for a job. Job hunting becomes a marriage of complications often associated in most developing countries, in finding that job searching is not often based on merit but maybe whom you know in the company to push your CV or how much you are willing to part with before being granted the job or if you are willing to spread your pretty legs for some horny administrator taking advantage of the jobseekers hustle.

Makerere University produces thousands of graduants every year

 Months ago in Kampala a group of grandaunts had a protest over the unemployment issues fully dressed to kill in their graduation gowns but they ended up being detained for demonstrating without permission. They were under some sort of "Unemployed Graduates Movement" a pressure group agitating for job opportunities and reforms in the employment sector. The group were on their march to "The ministry of Gender and Social Development "to express their discontent. Most youth are held back from jobs due to lack of hands on experience. To wake up and realise it wasn’t a nightmare but reality and cannot find the ability to start begging the government for help. But instead start running miles away from everybody who attended your graduation party mostly if still on the street 3years past your party. Should we question our Ugandan education system that draws us more to jobseekers for white collar jobs instead of job creators or as educate us more with practical courses that blend us easily with the labour market, Or should we begin to question what we really learn from school? For with school you learn then do tests while with LIFE you find the tests then learn. Would it have been better for our parents to send us to school to learn the basics, make a few friends and then mould us into developmental super kids so independent fashioned to create strategic designs towards service delivery from a much tender age, instead of investing so much hard earned money in educational institutions? Or are we at a point of staging out our own crucifixion like Man-Man a character from MIGUEL STREET a novel by V.S NAIPAUL who spent the whole day writing a single word. For example when he spent the whole day writing "SCHOOL" around the block he never got past "O" but simply repeated "O" over and over and over again. So imagine we join him in writing "O" over and over again until our children are done with education, with decent qualifications and jobs. Then measure the social content that lives most unemployed with the lucky few finding potential in anything that can make them earn a living. This lingers a danger of majority of unemployed Ugandans around the clusters of poverty and fear of failure.

Katwe, The Garden Of Salt

There is a story that speaks of a king who threw a great feast to show off his beautiful princess. He asked for a moment in front of his merry guests to show off his daughter n asked her how much she loved her father the king. She simply answered “more than all the salt in the world”. The king got mad and ashamed and threw his daughter the princess out of the palace having been compared to simply salt. One day after many years, she sneaked into the palace and as the king wined with his guest, she begged the cooks to cook the food without salt, so when dinner was served and everybody began to eat, they all asked for salt. The king realised and out of anger, asked that the head chef be beaded. At that moment, the princess appeared in rugs and reminded her father how he disowned her for comparing her love for her father the king with the love of salt. The two broke down in front of the guests n cried and forgave each other and lived happily ever after.

But for Lake katwe located in Western Uganda, kasese district, .Salt is much more than a happily ever after ending for the miners or seller and buyers or a big smile for the chef that has all his food and spices blended up with salt in one amazing meal. Lake katwe is the salt "garden in Uganda”, an environmental economical approach towards life. It’s a semi-arid region and soil does not favour agricultural activities apart from salt farming or mining from the 60% salty water carrying 3types of salt mined. 1) Crude salt for animal leak. 2) Edible salt or Sodium chloride. 3) Unwashed salt. These are mined from small "plots" which are called "ponds”about 10 by 12 feet or wider and 3 to 5 feet deep. Around the lake shores privately owned by individuals or families and even end up inherited from one generation to another. Mining in the centre of Lake Katwe is only done by licensed individuals who extract rock salt from the middle of lake as licensed by "The Association For Rock Salt Extraction”Which enables an orderly approach without causing extinction, the so called win, win approach to both the environment and society.

a miner in lake Katwe, the lake is too salty to support any animal or plant life

The women scrap the bottom of the garden to scoop the salt as use feet to crash salt to form fine crystals than wash the crystals forming edible salts .both men and women mine the salt as a 3days a week job or a daily for the brave. To extract about 1000kgs per day of salt about Ugandan shillings or USD 1.50, The salt farmers face environmental challenges and mostly medical challenges with the nearest hospital, kilembe hospital being miles away. Health challenges like uterus complications among the women due to regular contact with salty water around the female reproductive organs and the male itch cause of contact of salty water around the male reproductive organs that causes wounds. All theses have no permanent solutions so far. The lake got its name after a community known as "aha katwe" settled around it hence named it "LAKE KATWE" so next time your children demand for salt or your searching for salt, ask yourself where your salt comes from.

Namugongo Shrine

The place came to be called a shrine because of the martyrs that laid down their lives for their Christian faith 128years ago. Located 15km east of Kampala city, the two churches, one catholic and the other Anglican, stand 500m of each other. Every 3^rd June, this suburb becomes a common destination for believers from as far as Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda with some walking hundreds of kilometres. It`s story began 128years ago when kabaka Mwanga put to death his subjects for following a foreign religion. Namugongo derives its name from the word mugongo which means “the back” because the people who were ordered to be killed by the king were dragged on their backs before they were executed in that location.  
When the Christian missionaries arrived in Buganda, they found a centralized system of government were a hereditary ruler known as the kabaka ruled over everybody and everything in his kingdom. They worshiped small gods like the god of thunder, god of rain, god of the sky and others, and the kabaka was the religious head. Sir Henry Morton Stanley who was the first to arrive in 1875 found this backward. He couldn’t resist but introduce Christianity in Buganda kingdom. He was later joined by Alexander MacKay in 1878 and the white catholic father Lourdel Monpel in 1879. The two Christian groups started spreading the good news with their first target being the royal servants of the king. The then kabaka Muteesa 1 didnt mind having his workers attend catechism however, trouble started brewing for the white fathers when kabaka Muwanga took over the throne after the death of Muteesa 1 in 1884.

namugongo catholic church

Unlike kabaka Muteesa 1, kabaka Muwanga still exercised pagan activities like pray to the small gods. This made his converted servants minimise and lose respect him, which made him furious. He was advised to get rid of the missionaries before his whole kingdom converts to Christianity and turn against him. The kabaka asked all the converts under his rule to denounce Christianity or face death which they refused to do. The king had no choice but to order for the execution of the converted royal servants to act as an example for the rest.

The killings started as early as May 1886. Whoever was found practicing Christianity was hacked or speared to death with the climax of the holocaust taking place in June. On the 2^nd of June, all the servant boys and their converted counterparts were rounded up and subjected to physical and mental torture by the kabaka`s guards. They were forced to cut and gather reeds and on the next day, with their hands tied behind their backs and feet fastened, they were rolled in the reeds and set ablaze. Every 3^rd june, Christians make a pilgrimage to this shrine to ask for blessing and pray to saints. Given its history, it has also become a tourist destination   

A dark day for Flight MH730

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on Saturday 9th March 2014 mysteriously went missing with 239 passengers on board. The plane apparently went off the radar with no distress call made. Although explosion and crashing have not yet been ruled out, no debris or the black box has yet been found. Authorities have discovered that two people boarded that flight with stolen passports one being one Iranian Asylum seeker who goes by the name Pouria Nur who was on his way to meet with his mother in Germany, the other man is still unknown.

The story behind the disappearance of this plane become more mysterious on Monday 10^th when several relatives of the passengers on flight MH370 Malaysia Airlines claimed they were able to call the phones of their lost relatives. Although the calls went through, there was no answer on the other side. The phantom calls have increased anxiety for the grieving relatives who have been staying in Beijing Hotel for the past 3days in search for answers to what happened to their loved ones. Hopes have been shifted to technology to track down the phones by GPS signal, however, the numbers have been handed over to china by the Airlines since the plane disappeared somewhere around the sea in china.

relatives have been staying in Beijing Hotel as they wait for answers

Relatives are accusing the Airlines for not telling the entire truth especially since the spokesman Ignatius Ong claims one number failed to go through yet initially it was called three times at different times and it went through each time.

The search has been expanded from between the sea of Malaysia and Vietnam to the land. There is speculation that the plane could have made a U-turn back to Kuala Lumpur.  Lt. Gen. Vo Van Tuan, deputy chief of staff of Vietnamese People's Army, said authorities on land had also been ordered to search for the plane, which could have crashed into mountains or uninhabited jungle He said that military units near the border with Laos and Cambodia had been instructed to search their regions also. As the search continues, the fate of the Boeing 777 still remains a mystery.

Uganda&culture

Uganda is occupied by over 50 different tribes with each having unique foods, dress codes, folk songs, and dances. This can be a potential attraction in the tourism industry. A large percentage of the tourists visiting Uganda are mainly interested in animals in the national parks completely ignoring the many colourful cultures and norms of the Ugandan community. There are various interesting cultural practices which if brought to light, can earn income to benefit the community, for example the famous Imbalu practiced by the Bagisu in Eastern Uganda where a boy is publicly circumcised during a ceremony in order to undergo a transition to manhood.

Bwola dance perfomed by Acholi men

Uganda has different unique dance and music instruments like the drums, adungu (Eight stringed African guitar) and the Lukeme, a thump piano which is very common in Northern Uganda. Slowly by slowly, these instruments and dances are dying and fading away mostly because of the influence of the western culture in this current generation United Nations Educational Scientific and cultural organisation (UNESCO) and the ministry of culture are putting an effort in conserving and protecting them. The ministry recently announced that it had received an amount of 540million from UNESCO to compile a documentary on culturs that are on the verge of extinction if not jealously protected like the IK, which is the smallest tribe in Uganda, the Tereit Ndoboros, the Acholi in northen Uganda and the basongora in kasese. According to the minister of culture, Ms Rukia Nakadama, the exercise will bring together knowlegable elders from these affected cultures and also archaeologists who will work hand in hand to devise means of how best they can preserve these cultures.

The ministry is moving in the right direction although much work is still needed for example improving infrastructures like roads, accommodation and most importantly security.   

Silverback Laid to Rest

Mwirima, one of the oldest silverback mountain gorillas has died. Aged more than 35, Mwirima was the leader of the Rushegura group of 14 gorillas.

Mwirima was found lying lifeless on Monday near Bwindi-Mgahinga Conservation Area head offices at Buhoma in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Mr John Justice Tibesigwa, the senior warden in charge of the southern sector of Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga National Parks, yesterday said Mwirima is suspected to have died of old age and other illnesses. However, it should be noted gorillas have a life expectancy of 50 to 60 years.

Ill health “His ill health was first detected by trackers two weeks ago when he was observed not to be feeding well and lagging behind in the group. A doctor from Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project (MGVP) was called and intervened on February 23,” Mr Tibeigwa said. He said the doctors attributed his frail condition to old age and recommended constant monitoring until further intervention which he had scheduled for Monday.

Mwirima’s condition is said to have deteriorated further, which necessitated urgent intervention. “I called doctors from MGVP. They found a wound in Mwirima’s mouth that is suspected to have made it difficult for him to feed. Although the doctors administered treatment we were still waiting for a detailed report on his health,” Mr Tibeigwa said.

Mwirima (meaning darkness) was given his name because of his dark face. He split from the habituated Habinyanja group with 13 others on February 13, 2002, which marked the beginning of his own family called Rushegura. His family was named Rushegura because the area in which the group split from is popularly called Rushegura.

Mwirima has since led this group which has been a source of admiration and amazement to thousands of tourists who have tracked them. He leaves behind a family of 14 gorillas under the leadership of Kabukojo-a black back assisted by another – Kalembezi, another black back, after an adult female was taken away from the group by Maraya a week ago due to Mwirima’s ill health.

This has forced the group to move far into the park to avoid further antagonism with other gorilla groups which range in the Buhoma area. Mwirima will be remembered for his courage to defend his group, enforcing discipline among his family and bringing joy to all those who have tracked the group since 2002.

mwirima in brief Mwirima’s group which sometimes crosses into Democratic Republic of Congo has one silverback, five adult females, one black back, and a host of middle aged ones and infant gorillas. Gorillas under Mwirima are said to have been feeling secure given his proven heroics in fighting off rival and wild groups. Mwirima is known to have engaged in severe fights in a bid to protect his sovereignty and family.

Courtesy of the daily monitor

Uganda`s Wife Beaters

When I was young, many years ago, I never understood why husbands beat up their wives, more so in public. One day as I was going to school with my siblings, I came across a crowd that seemed to be cheering at something. At first I thought it was “dikuula” the town clown entertaining them for a few coins, but as I went closer, I saw two people locked together and covered in dirt. I realised I knew these people. They shared a neighbourhood with me. The man had sunk his teeth in the woman’s ear in an attempt to get her to let go of her tight grip on his manhood.  i would have loved to see how it all played out, but the school bell denied me the chance to witness how the fight ended.

Residents of the now demolished nakawa and naguru estate can testify to the relentless public fights that characterised most days and nights. Couples fought for reasons ranging from cheating spouses to failure to buy food for the family. But in fact the real reason behind these fights can be attributed to the economic situation of the country that left many jobless, poor and disillusioned. Without jobs, men were left with too much time on their hands with too little to do. As the saying goes, misery loves company; they ended up gathering in cheap bars to drink to forget about their problems. of course the children grew up to emulate their parents

a public fight between a man and his partner

Culture also played a big role in promoting domestic violence. Unlike today where courtship and dating is fashionable, in the past, parents had the urge to book husbands and wives for their children therefore leading to arranged marriages. Imagine having to marry someone you have never met, let alone like.  It was very easy for the husbands to vent by beating on their wives; after all she wasn’t his choice. reports have showed that dosmestic violence is highest in eastern Uganda mostly among the bagisu and the main cause being sexual starvation. a husband recently badly beat up his wife to the extent of blinding her simply because she wasn't ready to have sex with him just 2months after child birth. the government and other NGO`s have come out to educate the rural communities about the dangers of gender based and domestic violence.

Today however, the women are gaining power over the men given the current education system that not only allows the girl child to study but also provides it freely and because of this, the women are now more aware and emancipated. The men are waking up to a reality that women today are climbing up economically, politically and academically.
                     

the tears of Barlonyo

It was around 6:00pm on 21st February 2004. My five year old sister Angwec and I were from fetching water from a water stream few kilometres away from the camp where we were living after being displaced by the Lords Resistance Rebels (LRA) in 1998 accompanied by two friends from around the neighbourhood. It was windy like any other evening around this time of the year, but something was different on this day. I had an unsettling feeling in my gut. For some strange reason, my body was covered in goose pimples and the hairs on my body stood on end. When I think about it today, it’s as if the angel of death was hovering over us. The sun was downing and the rains were threatening to fall. As we approached camp, we saw strangely dressed men covered in blood. Two out of seven of the men were holding machetes and the rest had AK47s with several rounds of amuniciation.  There was something strangely familiar about these men, I had seen their kind before but couldn’t remember where. My instincts kicked in, I immediately dropped my water pot, grabbed Angwec and quickly entered a nearby bush as the other girls looked on in surprise. Till today I don’t know what happened to them. I guess curiosity got the better of them.

No sooner had we entered the bush than it started raining. Being young, Angwec couldn’t help but cry for our mother amidst confusion. My efforts to silence her seemed futile although I managed to convince her to stay low and crawl towards home. As we crawled on our bellies like amateur snails, we hoped to find our mother and siblings but alas! What I saw will never leave me for as long as I live. The strange men were actually LRA rebels who had dropped in to loot and kill. From a distance I could see hundreds of people divided into three groups. One group comprised of men and young energetic boys, the second was full of toddlers and the elderly, basically the weak and feeble, and the third group was of the women and girls. Sadly my mother and big sister Apio were part of this group while Ojok my two year old brother was in group two. Sadly the gathering was just a stone throw away from home. At this point, it was getting darker, Angwec`s teeth were chattering because of the cold and she was getting hungry but we could not afford to move a muscle.

What transpired after was literally a nightmare. There was this man who had certain darkness in his eyes. You could tell he was the boss from the way he commanded the rebels. He made some kind of signal and the men started firing gunshots at group two. I wasn’t able to see if Ojok was hit but somehow I knew I would never see him again. I felt a huge lump slide up my throat. I couldn’t breathe. I felt so helpless, my baby brother needed me, but there was totally nothing I could do to help. The survivors were hacked to death. As to add insult to injury, the rebels gathered the pieces of the children, placed them in a huge pot and boiled them. The other villagers buried their heads in their palms in fear but mostly in sorrow. It was too painful to watch. On seeing this, Angwec fainted. My mother and Apio were not any lucky. The rebels took turns in raping the women and girls. They were raped repeatedly until some died and other became unconscious. That was when it all hit me. It wasn’t a bad dream nor was it a bad joke. It was actually happening to my people.

I sat quietly sobbing near Angwec, who was unaware of what was happening around her for what seemed like hours. By around 10pm, it was still raining and i could still hear sounds of gunshots and cries in a far distance. Just when i was about to give up hope of getting out of this alive, i saw a human structure move toward us. At first i thought it was one of them, i tried to wake up Angwec but in vain. Amidst saying my last hail Marys is when i realised it was actually Gita the village drunk. We called him gita because of the way he pretended to be playing an imaginary Guitar every time he got drunk. How he managed to evade the rebels is beyond me. He had seen us from the distance and had come to help. The three of us stayed well hidden until around midnight when we realised the rebels had matched out of our village with all our food and relatives.  What was left of our once vibrant and colourful camp was now nothing but the stench of death and burning huts.

Today all the dead victims lie in a massive grave as a result of failure to identify their mutilated and burned bodies by relatives. A monument has been built to remember what befell the people of Barlonyo on that fateful day but mostly as a reminder to the military that Kony, the leader of the Lords Resistance Army still walks freely.

Narrated by Abonyo Caroline

Media Witch-hunt

A Ugandan news paper has today 26th February 2014 released a list comprising of 200 names of top homosexuals just a few days after the president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni signed into law an anti-gay bill which bans promotion of homosexuality and lesbianism behaviour in the country, anyone found guilty will be punished according to the anti-homosexuality act seen below;

• Life imprisonment for gay sex, including oral sex
• Life imprisonment for "aggravated homosexuality", including sex with a minor or while HIV-positive
• Life imprisonment for living in a same-sex marriage
• Seven years for "attempting to commit homosexuality"
• Between five and seven years in jail or a $40,700 (£24,500) fine or both for the promotion of homosexuality
• Businesses or non-governmental organisations found guilty of the promotion of homosexuality would have their certificates of registration cancelled and directors could face seven years in jail

 This list has raised concern of witch-hunt against gay people like one David Kato, a gay activist who was attacked and killed in 2011 after his name was published in a local paper.  Majority of the people whose names appear on this list are based abroad including many Ugandans who are still “hiding in the closet”. Well known activists like Pepe Julian Onzima and Jackline Kasha who tweeted “the media witch-hunt is back” are also on the list alongside a popular hip-hop star and a catholic priest, AP reports.

President Yoweri Musevini signing the bill on 21/02/2014

Western Governments are very unhappy with the signing of this bill like the US secretary of state John Kerry who described it as a tragic day for Uganda. The western Governments are rethinking their relationship with the Uganda Government including the assistance programmes which reports show is; $400M from the US, 10,8M from Sweden, $9.6M from Netherlands and $17M from Denmark and Norway. “homosexuality is a behaviour that can be learned and can be unlearned” said David Bahati, a Ugandan member of Parliament who sponsored the Bill.

The Pied Kingfisher

This beautiful black and white bird from the kingdom Animalia is easily identified by its noisy call (they make loud chirruk chirruk notes) making them very noisy and hard to miss birds. They are widely distributed across Africa and Asia. In Uganda, they are commonly found around the water bodies and swamp areas. Males have a double band across the breast while females have a single gorget that is often broken in the middle. They have a remarkable ability to steadily hover vertically over water bodies. This technique enables them hunt and swallow their fish on the go unlike other kingfishers that need to perch, therefore they can hunt for hours over the vast Lake Victoria. They have sharp beaks and strong claws that they use as a tool for hunting (fishing). Researchers have found that this bird can fly at 32mph with a straight rapid flight. They mostly feed on large insects found around the swampy areas like dragon flies and small fish locally known as mukene and nkejje, although competition for small fish tightened after the Nile Perch was introduced in the waters of Lake Victoria. Because of their diet, they tend to build their nests around the Lake. Majority of the pied kingfisher do not migrate therefore making them resident birds. Its nest is a hole excavated in a vertical mud bank about five feet above water where they lay their eggs during the breeding season which begins in February and ends around April. The adult birds participate in feeding the new hatchlings especially the ones that are not yet breeding. Some African cultures associate this king fisher with good luck.

the pied kingfisher can fly 32mph

Biological data:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Genus: Ceryle
Species: C. Rudis

References:

1)      BirdLife International (2012). "Ceryle rudis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.

2)      ^ Wanink, Jan H.; Goudswaard, Kees (P. C.) (1994). "Effects of Nile perch (Lates niloticus) introduction into Lake Victoria, East Africa, on the diet of Pied Kingfishers (Ceryle rudis)". Hydrobiologia. 279–280 (1): 367–376. doi:10.1007/BF00027868.

seven wonders of Bunyarugru

Located in westen Uganda in Bushenyi, Bunyaruguru is one of the destinations in Uganda that is blessed with natural resources. The day today researchers have discovered what they call the “seven wonders of Bunyaruguru” which include,

The 82 beautiful crater lakes within seven sub-counties. One of them lake Rutoto which is shaped like Africa. Also the spectacular twin lakes Katinda and Murambi, separated by a few meters. Others are the blue lake Kyemo and the transparent lakes Kamiranjojo and Kamuzuku.

The sudden cool air travellers along the Mbarara-Kasese highway feel when they enter the Bunyaruguru highlands also qualified as the second wonder

Bunyaruguru is located in an area that experienced volcanicity in the past leaving the soils so fertile that the area never runs short of food, in fact this part of western Uganda is referred to as the “Granary of Bushenyi”

The escarpment shows a breathtaking sudden fall from highlands into the rift valley hence displaying magnificent scenery.



twin lakes Katinda and Murambi

 

The impenetrable forests of Karinju and Katsohakitoni which has left many stranded and awed by its wide biodiversity and thickness

The indigenous habitats of Bunyaruguru uniquely build their houses with volcanic stone slabs which are different from their neighbour’s brick houses.

Evidence of volcanicity in Bunyaruguru

 

 

 

 

 

The mountains that go by the name Kiita Mpungu which means “the mountains which kills eagles” it was given such a name because of its heights.

All these beautiful features have wooed tourists and geographers to Bushenyi to witness its beauty and charm.
to get more information on Ugandan destinations, visit www.leotoriasafaris.com

Fake Gorilla tracking permits

Bwindi is home to half of the world's population of the highly endangered Mountain Gorillas therefore making it the leading tourist attraction in Uganda. In order to track these brown eyed beautiful mammals successfully, one has to book a permit in advance as the gorillas are migratory.
Given its delicate habitat, Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has a policy of regulating the number of tourists that enter the forest in order to minimise degradation.
however it has been discovered that fake tracking permits are circulating.



Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National park

four people have been arrested for forging gorilla tracking permits. the culprits identified as Kato Arnold, David Ojok and their two unidentified co-workers were nabbed by police on December 20th 2013 according to the Sunday Vision January 5th 2014. they were arrested in Wandegeya where they allegedly operate from although one of them was arrested from kisoro district by one of the staff members of Uganda Wildlife Authority while he was driving tourists to the national game park. Kato was also discovered to be in possesion of counterfeit notes of dollars although he denied intending to use it but rather he claimed the fake notes were to be used in shooting a music video.

The case was taken to kisoro police then later transfered to Wandegeya police station in Kampala. It was discovered that Kato Anold and his collegues had forged receipts, two laptops, a paper cutter and 13 printed sheets, which containing six notes of dollars in denominations of 100 plus 127 already cut notes. although David Ojok and Anorld Kato have denied having any knowledge of how these items ended up in their Work station, the case is still under investigation.
according to the commandant of tourism police, the racket is very big and may pose as a huge threat and frustration to the tourism industry of Uganda.
to get more information visit www.leotoriasafaris.com

accommodation in kampala

1)    Entebbe luxury hotels and appartments

Mob: +256717661788

Emai: entebbeluxappts@yahoo.com

2)      Mirembe back packers, entebbed road

Mob: +256772586059

Email: sales@joycampervansafari.net

Website: www.joycampervansafari.net  

3)      Acacia Apartments, 23A Acacia Avanue &48 Windsor Crescent kololo kampala. Mob: +256772403462/+256712069676

Email: acaciaapartments@gmail.com 

4)      Acacia Suites, 31 Acacia Avenue, kololo kampala

Tel: (041)4254644 mob: +256712212121

Email: apartmentsinkampala@gmail.com

Website: www.apartmentsinkampala.com 

5)      Afrique Suites Hotel, 95 circular road, mutungo hill, kampala

Tel: (041)4223385, mob: +256772469880

Email: info@afriquesuiteshotel.co.ug

6)      Constellation Suites, Ternan Avenue, Nakasero, kampala

Tel: 0414420000

Email: reservation.kampala@sheraton.com  

7)      Crystal Suites, wankoko bugolobi, kampala

Mob: +256712629483 tel: +256414259087

Email: info@crystalsuitesuganda.com

Website: www.crystalsuitesuganda.com

8)      Dolphin Suites, princess Ann drive, bugolobi kampala

Tel: 0414505652/3/5 Email: dolphin@infocom.co.ug

Website: www.dolphinsuites.co.ug



the 5star Kampala serena hotel

9)      Fairway Hotel, 1 kafu road, nakasero kampala

Tel: 0414259571 Email: info@fairwayhotel.co.ug

Website: www.fairwayhotel.com

10)   Golf Course Apartments, 5 Makindu Close, kololo,

Kampala. Tel: 0414255465 Email: gci@golfcourseapartments.com

11)   Hill View Apartments, 7-9 Clement hill Road, Nakasero Kampala

Tel: 0414233963  Mob: +256752650067

Email: hillview@utlonline.co.ug website: www.hillview.w1.co.ug

12)  Kabira Club, 63 Old kira Rd, bukoto, kampala Tel: 0312227222-5

Email: kabiracountryclub@kabiracountryclub.com

13)  Khalifa Executive Suites, 14 Binayomba Road, Luthuli Avenue. Bugolobi. Tel: 0414222575 mob: +256701333333

Email: khalifa@khalifasuites.com. Website: www.khalifasuites.com

14)   Mosa Courts Apartments R12 Shimoni Road, kampala. Tel: 0414230321 Email: mosa@infocom.co.ug Website:

www.mosaapartments.com  

15)   Nkwanzi courts, 1B Acacia Avenue, kololo, kampala. Tel: 0414251878 mob: +256712900122  

16)   Pr3stige Apartments, 9 lumumba Avenue, nakasero, kampala UgandaTel: 0312265307 mob: +256702820100 Email: info@prestige-apartments.com website: www.prestige-apartments.com

17)  Regency Suites and Apartments, 30 lugogo bypass, kampala.  Tel: 0414251878 mob: +256752743212 Email: info@regency-suitesug.com website: www.regency-suitesug.com

18)  Shangri-La Nyonyi Gardens hotel and apartments, kololo hill, nyonyi gardens. Mob: +256772222622/+256772222612 Email: nyonyi@hotel-apartment-uganda.com website: www.hotel-apartment-uganda.com

traditional colonial lodge setting

19)  Speke Apartments, 19 Wampewo Avenue, kololo kampala Email: spekehotel@spekehotel.com website: www.spekehotel.com

20)  Speke Resort munyonyo, kampala tel: 0414227111 Email: spekeresort@spekeresort.com website: www.spekeresort.com

21)  Summit view Apartments kololo, 21/23 kololo hill tel: 0312298208 Email: contact@summitviewapartments.net website: www.summitviewapartments.net

22)  Backpackers, natete road, lungujja. Tel: 0414274767 mob: +256772430587 Email: backpackers@infocom.co.ug

23)  Red chilli hideaway, off portbell road mbuya, kampala. Tel: 0414223903 mob: +256772509150. Email: chilli@infocom.co.ug website. www.redchillihideaway.com

24)  Lakeside Adventure Park, Bule Island, kampala mob: +256755214166 Email: info@lakeside.ug.com website: www.lakeside.ug

 

25)  Africana Hotel, 2-4 Wampewo Avenue, kampala Uganda. Tel: 0414777000 mob: +2567752748080/1 Email: Africana@hotelafricana.com website: www.hotelafricana.com

26)  Equatoria Hotel, 37-39 Will street. Tel: 0414250783

27)  Fang fang hotel, 9 sezibwa road, nakasero kampala Uganda. Tel: 0414235828. Email: fangfanghotel@yahoo.com website: www.fangfanghotel.co.ug

28)  Golf course Hotel, 64-88 yusuf lule road kampala Uganda. Tel: 041 4563500. Email: reservations@gofcoursehotel.com website: www.golfcoursehotel.com 

29)  Humura resorts, 3 kitante close, nakasero kololo. Tel: 041 4700400. Email: reservations@humura.or.ug website: www.humura.org

30)  Kampala Serena hotel, 6-8 Nile Avenue, nakasero. Tel: 0414309000. Email: kampala@serena.co.ug website: www.serenahotels.com

31)  Lake Victoria Serena Resort, Lweza-kigo road. Entebbe. Tel: 0417121000. Email: lakevictoria@serena.co.ug

 

32)   Protea hotel: 4 upper kololo terrace, kololo kampala. Tel: 0414550000 Email: res@proteakla.co.ug website: www.proteahotels.com/kampala

33)  Sheraton Hotel, Ternan Avenue, Nakasero kampala. Tel 0414420000. Email: reservations.kampala@sheraton.com

34)  Sky hotel international limited, 1423, ntinda-naalya road. Mob: +256701838967. Email: info@skyhoteluganda.com website: www.skyhoteluganda.com

35)  Emin Pasha Hotel, 27 Akibua road, nakasero. Tel:0414236977 email: info@eminpasha.com website: www.eminpasha.com