Busoga region is set to get its first ever game reserve officially opened in
Mayuge District for both local and international tourists that will flock the
strategically located tourist hub which is endowed with different bird and
animal species like Buffaloes. Red Pepper exclusively reveals.
In an exclusive interview with this reporter, Busoga Tourism Initiatives’
chairperson Hon. Edward Balidawa Kafufu, who recently registered success by
opening up Kagulu hill located in Buyende District to tourists and the tourismbodies in the country at a mega function that attracted several dignitaries
including the head of state, His excellence Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Bukaleba
Peninsular which is endowed with a natural forest that habours a number of wild
animals and birds on top of other tourist sceneries, will soon be officially
opened as one of the game reserves in Uganda and the first of its kind in
Busoga region.
Kafufu who was in company of local leaders was taken on a boat ride on Lake
Victoria through thickets in Mayuge District confirmed, “We needed to come on
such a tour and evaluate the potential of the place
and indeed we are convinced that there is a very good opportunity for Busoga to
rise through tourism since it is endoured with a number of sceneries among
other potentials. Namugongo-Bukatube peninsular is such an endoured place which
we need to develop and officially open as a tourist site for Busoga and Uganda
at large” jolly MP Kafufu who has been credited by many for devoting his time
and energy to developing tourism in Busoga said.
It should also be recalled that hon. Kafufu’s move follows president Museveni’s
promise he made last December while officially opening up Kagulu hill climbing
challenge. Museveni said that the ministry of
tourism and the local authorities take steps in ensuring that Bukaleba
Peninsular is worked on and hence developed into a game reserve as soon as
possible.
In fact it was after this that Mayuge District Local Government unanimously
passed a resolution to reserve and develop the potential tourism sites in
the district.
According to tourism experts, if the yet to be opened game reserve situated on
over 1000 hectares of land is developed and opened, it will be the nearest on
top of attracting many local and international
tourists since it takes approximately two hours from Kampala city.
How to access it
For one to reach Bukaleba Peninsular where the proposed game reserve is
located, he or she needs less than shs10, 000 from Mayuge town by boda boda.
However, according to the plan, transport will be worked on. As far as
accommodation is concerned, at the moment one has to stay either in Mayuge town
or Iganga town.
Chief Luba’s Caves Discovered In Mayuge
While on the tour, the team was also taken through the caves and a deep trench
that late chief Luuba of Bunya used during slave trade as a prison for the
Nubians who had been brought in by the British. In
fact it is believed that in Bunya, Mayuge it was where the centre of slave
trade was during the 1940s. As you move along the banks of Lake Victoria in a
place called Walumbe bay, you land on a number of caves that are also believed
to have been used by the chief Luba. These have also turned into very good
tourist attractions which BTI believes will boost tourism too in Mayuge and
Busoga at large.
About Busoga Tourism Initiative
This is an organ that was opened up to act as a special purpose vehicle to
coordinate, galvanise and harmonise all the ideas and efforts towards opening
opportunities for the development of tourism
in Busoga. It exactly followed the enthusiasm shown in Busoga’s tourism
potential that was generated from the Busoga Tourism Expo held last December.
It is also a channel for thinking process of ideas about tourism in Busoga.
According to Kafufu, BTI, a non government organization, has a number of
activities some of which include verifying the viability and
possibility of gazetting Bukaleba peninsular as a game reserve.
No comments:
Post a Comment