Uganda Wildlife Authority discusses wildlife protection during pandemic on Facebook Live
Updates about mountain gorilla permits, chimp tracking, law enforcement and primate monitoring, electric fencing projects, desert locusts in north Eastern Uganda and the future of UWA.
In his first Facebook Live press conference, UWA Executive Director Sam Mwandha shared news about the work of the Uganda Wildlife Authority during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Following President Museveni’s announcement of a lockdown across the country, gorilla tracking was suspended until 30th of April. To help tourists and tour operators who have booked gorilla (or chimpanzee) tracking permits, Uganda Wildlife Authority has relaxed their rescheduling policy, meaning permits can be rescheduled for a period of up to 2 years (that is until March 2022). This arrangement also applies to those who have paid the initial 30% deposit for permits.
Mr Mwandha confirmed that there are no cases of coronavirus in UWA staff or any other people working in Uganda’s Protected Areas. UWA have procured protective equipment for staff that includes masks, gloves and sanitiser, along with guidance on their use. He thanked Conservation Through Public Health, Uganda Conservation Foundation and others for their generosity.
Although there are currently no tourists in the Protected Areas, law enforcement patrols continue. Human wildlife conflict issues are being actively managed and wildlife and communities are still being protected. Mr Mwandha said communities should “feel free to contact Uganda Wildlife Authority if they need help with human wildlife conflict issues.”
He also confirmed that rangers are continuing daily monitoring of primates in the three Protected Areas of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Mgahinga and Kibale Forest.
On the issue of desert locusts, Uganda Wildlife Authority has provided 82 staff to support the UPDF with chemical spraying, in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF).
Although it was reported that locusts had entered into Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve and Kidepo National Park, Mr Mwandha reported that “whenever locusts have entered, they have left the following morning so there has been no significant damage reported.”
Update on Uganda Wildlife Authority developments across Uganda
During this period, UWA is continuing with other projects that include:
- 18 km of electric fencing in Queen Elizabeth (near Kasese) and an additional 5 km of electric fencing near Kyambura to protect communities from wild animals (predominantly elephants). In Murchison Falls, 20 km of electric fencing is being installed in Moya District and elsewhere.
- The ED of UWA gave a special thank you to Uganda Conservation Foundation, who have helped upgrade the internet. “Thanks to UCF they have high-speed Internet in the newly constructed operations centre at Murchison Falls. This centre will support law enforcement in MFNP.“ The internet and centre are both operational (and were supposed to have been launched a week ago). “They will help deal strongly and resolutely with poaching in Murchison Falls and stamp it out completely.”
- Over 200 rooms are being built for staff across the conservation areas and these are expected to be ready starting July 1st.
“I want to assure staff and partners that we are confident that Uganda Wildlife Authority will survive.”
Sam Mwandha rounded off his presentation by saying that with no tourism revenue coming in “the days ahead are going to be hard for UWA.”
According to UWA’s Business Continuity Plan, even in a worst-case scenario (of no revenue, indefinitely) the organisation has committed to keeping key functions running until July 2021.
Mr Mwandha made three specific assurances of how things will be between now and July 2021. UWA will ensure that:
- Security of employment of staff is maintained.
- Wildlife and Protected Areas are protected from poaching and encroachment.
- Human wildlife conflict that affects our communities is minimised.
He ended by saying “We continue needing support until tourism returns to normal.” He thanked AUTO (Association of Tour Operators)* for their “donation of items important for patrols. These have been immediately despatched to the parks for the rangers as they continue protecting our wildlife.”
“We request all of you Ugandans, partners and stakeholders to work with us to keep COVID-19 out of Uganda by observing the guidelines provided and that together we conserve for future generations.”
Read UWA’s public statement on measures to contain COVID-19 in the Protected Areas, dated March 25th 2020.
The Muzungu adds:
It’s reassuring to hear Uganda Wildlife Authority’s commitments during this difficult time. We know from firsthand experience of living at Sunbird Hill how they are continuing their work in the field. Last week we heard gunshots in the air as they chased elephants back into Kibale Forest (to protect villagers’ crops). We also interacted with UWA when a chimpanzee was killed by other chimpanzees on the forest edge.
Between 2009 and 2011 I was a Voluntary Service Overseas volunteer with the Uganda Conservation Foundation so it’s fantastic to see how they’ve expanded their support of UWA across the country. My role with UCF was to help fundraise to build ranger accommodation in Queen Elizabeth and to equip UWA with boats and training for them to police the park’s lakes and rivers to intercept poachers.
I was over the moon when UWA invited me to run a digital marketing training programme for tourism wardens in Entebbe (my last project before lockdown in fact). With all this time on our hands, I hope all our trainees are home practising their Facebook skills!
Also this week, AUTO held a series of brainstorming sessions online. These can be accessed on the AUTO YourTube channel or on SoundCloud.
UPDATE DECEMBER 2020: all National Parks, Wildlife Reserves and primate tracking have reopened with COVID-19 protocols in place. UWA have a wide range of promotions in place.
To follow more Coronavirus-related developments, read my blog Bracing ourselves for Corona Virus in Uganda which I update regularly with links to reliable information sources.
A time to dream: A message from Bradt Guides
The Muzungu writes: I wanted to share this inspiring letter with you! It is written by Bradt Guides founder Hilary Bradt and managing director, Adrian Phillips. It was published 25/03/2020 during Corona Virus lockdowns across the world.
“You don’t need reminding what an awful time we’re all facing. Life is on lock-down and each day brings more bad news. For the moment, as we’re stuck at home trying to get to grips with ‘social distancing’, the world feels a smaller place.
But the world is still out there, as big as it’s ever been. The only certainty about the current situation is that it will pass, that the time will come when those of us who love to travel will pack our bags and venture out once more. That time might come later this year or it might come in 2021 – but it will come, and what now seems an impossible distance away will soon loom large and exciting.
While we wait indoors, what better way to while away the hours than planning for adventures ahead? Over the coming weeks, we’ll try to sate your wanderlust with travel features to entertain and inspire you. We’ll serve up weird and wonderful travel facts, amusing travel stories, and even flexible travel deals that you might want to consider booking for 2021.
But, placing cards on the table, we hope also to enlist your help during these deeply difficult months. Many industries are suffering, of course, but the travel industry is among those faring the worst. Hundreds of travel providers are at risk of going under, and – aside from the human stories behind such collapses – as travellers, we can expect less choice and higher prices in the future if we allow that to happen.
And, yes, we at Bradt Guides find ourselves fighting for survival. Bradt is the only independently owned guidebook publisher among the ‘top 5’; we’ve no parent company to carry us through. For nearly 50 years, Hilary Bradt has led the way in covering regions that other publishers don’t, championing countries that need tourist revenue more than the tourist hotspots. She’s tried to do good through our books, to support the ‘underdog’ destinations. She was awarded an MBE in recognition of her services to tourism. Now, for the first time ever, she and we find ourselves the ones in need of support.
But this isn’t a plea – it’s a rallying call! We want to mobilise those who have used our books over the years. Those who value the type of travel that we value and want to protect it as far as possible. So, if you’re at all able to help, we ask three things here:
Stay as outward looking as you can
As we hunker down, let’s push the four walls back a little by anticipating what’s on the other side. We’ll provide all the material you need to indulge that wanderlust. Engage with us on social media, send us an email or just browse our e-newsletters. Join us in celebrating a shared love of travel – even if, for a while, that’s from our armchairs.
Plan for 2021
You will be travelling again so why not take this time to prepare the way ahead? If you’ve a dream trip on your bucket list, research your ideal itinerary. Now might even be a good time to book: operators are launching deals for future travel at huge discounts and with unprecedented guarantees on flexibility. If you’ve booked a trip for the coming weeks, consider pushing the date back rather than cancelling it altogether.
And buy a Bradt guide or two…
What better way to fill the hours than by reading a good book? And what better time to buy than now, when we’re offering 50% off all our titles for the foreseeable future (use code DREAM50 at the checkout). We’ve travel guides to inform and inspire, of course, and to help you with your planning. But we’ve a host of other titles too: books about Slow Travel in your local area; works of travel literature describing epic expeditions or life-changing journeys; anthologies of true travel tales that range from the moving to the side-splitting; celebrations of wildlife, whether in Britain or around the world; biographies by leading naturalists and activity guides that might provide some ideas for getting out into open spaces and preventing you going stir-crazy. We’ll shortly be publishing Britain in a Bottle– a guide to Britain’s best breweries and distilleries – that surely will come in useful. We’ll also be putting together some exciting subscription offers, with special travel-themed rewards – watch this space!
At 50% off, a Bradt book will cost less than a luxury pack of loo roll. Why not get stock-piling?
We’re not stupid. We know that no-one is unaffected by the current situation, and if you have an elderly relative or run a small business then your priorities will lie elsewhere. Our thoughts are with you; we hope you find a way through. But, if you feel you can afford to do so, please buy a few Bradt books during this lock-down rather than waiting until it passes. It’s only through the forward-thinking of readers like you that we’ll be around to publish guides when things return to normal.
Whatever your situation, we hope you can stay positive. If nothing else, we’re all in this together.”
Read the statement in full on the Bradt Guides web site https://bit.ly/3dsQa4K
The Muzungu adds: I am thrilled to be named an (everso minor) contributor to edition 9 of the Bradt Uganda Guide, arguably the most extensive travel guide to the Pearl of Africa. Read my interview with Bradt author Philip Briggs here.
And just before I clicked PUBLISH, another update came through from Bradt Guides:
“We’ve an exciting announcement for you this morning… introducing our new subscription service!
While we can’t travel right now, there will come a time when the world will open up once again and we’ll all set out to explore once more. But until that day comes, we want to be there to help you, our readers and supporters, seek out the unusual and extraordinary from the comfort of your homes.
Aside from our guidebooks, we’re now offering a range of exclusive digital content to help you sate your growing wanderlust. This includes subscriber-only competitions and discounts, digital magazines featuring stories from our on-the-ground authors, and a bespoke travel-planning service, tailored for those making the most of their downtime to dream ahead.”
Intrigued? Read the full details on the Bradt Guides website https://bit.ly/2yiSrzi
My house is alive!
What is disturbing me? That simple answer eludes me tonight…
My house is alive!
(You know when there’s something in your house don’t you?)
I sense something… and wake in the dead of the night.
I’m accustomed to echos from the forest: the buttress drumming of chimpanzees, cicadas, the ‘yawning’ sound of black and white Colobus, the insistent call of the Red-chested Cuckoo, the occasional trumpeting of an elephant… but tonight’s noise is subtle. And it’s all around me.
I switch on the light, hoping I will hear the frightened scuttling noise of a mouse or rat. Nothing.
Faint sounds suggest the ‘pitter patter’ of rain but that’s not it. There is definitely something moving in my house…
I hear a rustling sound high in the thatch above my head.
I thump the mattress with my foot to try and disturb ‘it.’
Nothing.
My wooden house has big gaps between the floorboards. Every forest sound – and some of its creatures – permeate it. I bathe in the soothing sounds of the wild. I feel secure under my net.
And then THUD.
A big thud usually means a gecko – or occasionally a snake! – has fallen out of the thatch. I don’t see anything.
I fall out of bed but nothing moves in the alarm I’m trying to create.
I can’t be bothered to find my glasses but notice a wasp flying around my light (unusually active at this hour). On the floor is a moth, struggling to fly. I think nothing of it.
I put in my ear plugs and turn on my side for a minute… let me sleep…
Minutes pass but it’s no good, my senses are bristling now.
This time I get up properly. On with the glasses and – with just one eye open, fearing what I may see – I switch on the main light.
SIAFU!
Read: Ants With Attitude
Ahead of me, past the end of my bed, are a thousand black dots. A thousand moving black dots that are eating everything in their path.
Everything falls into place – the minuscule noises, the panicking insects, the sense that I am not alone…
When the siafu move in, EVERYTHING moves out. Moths, geckos and spiders scarper before the invasion of the ravenous, relentless army.
I don’t hesitate. I too scarper to the kitchen where I tear off my pyjamas as I feel the ants bite.
By 7.30 am – just two hours later – there is barely any evidence of the tiny reasons for abandoning my bed. (Have I imagined the invasion?)
All is quiet again.
All is still.
The only trace of the siafus’ passage is a fine dust debris…
In the morning I found this fragment of discarded snakeskin on my floor. My ‘siafu cleaning team’ had made a thorough job of cleaning the inside of my thatched roof!
Read more about my life on the edge of Kibale Forest.
Coronavirus survival tips: how to work from home
The muzungu’s kick-ass tips for working at home during the Coronavirus lockdown in Uganda
As many Ugandans wake up to the new reality of Coronavirus (read my extensive guide with practical tips here) and the need to work from home, I thought I’d share my personal tips for managing a virtual office.
I’ve been working home since 2009 when I arrived in Uganda as a volunteer with the Uganda Conservation Foundation. The organisation budget was tight: I slept in one bedroom and the office was in another bedroom of the shared house. Although it was convenient for me (hooray no sweaty matatu taxi rides to work) I also found it difficult as I had the feeling I was always on duty. Since then, I have spent most of my time as a freelancer, often working from my bedroom. It hasn’t been ideal but I’ve made it work for me.
I have been in lockdown on the edge of Kibale Forest since March 23rd. You can read my story here at no. 3 in Fodor’s Travel’s article “We Asked for Fascinating Stories of Lockdown Abroad. And Wow, Did We Get Them.”
Are you working from home for the first time?
There’s a lot to take in right now as you swap the stresses of the daily commute for the challenges of bosses and clients expecting you to meet deadlines in a wholly different environment. Everyone’s adjusting to the Coronavirus outbreak in different ways. I hope you find something of use in this blog. If not, tell me, what have I missed?
Here are my personal do’s and don’ts for working productively from home during the Coronavirus outbreak
- DO keep regular hours. Don’t lie in until 11 am. If you usually commute to work, you will have more time than usual to work. If you normally work from 9 to 5, try keeping those hours. Give yourself a lunch break. Some people find it hard to start work in the morning. I’m the opposite, I find it hard to switch off at night (!)
- DO keep a separate working area. This should be separate from where you eat. If you have to work at the kitchen, try and keep working and eating as separate activities. Meals should be appreciated and enjoyed. Food and drinks near laptops and phones can be a disaster, I know! I once spilled a cup of tea over my laptop keyboard. It can happen to any of us. You’re supposed to be social distancing at home; you don’t want to be running to the computer shop because you had an IT disaster.
- DON’T work in bed. Bed is for resting, sleeping, reading and ‘other stuff.’ Bed is your personal sanctuary where you unwind and relax. If you’re in bed checking your phone, or typing away on your laptop, you are not giving your brain the personal space you need to relax fully. Go easy on yourself. Every evening by 9 pm, sometimes earlier, I switch my phone to airplay mode. Studies show that if you have an electronic device near you, your brain is mentally checking in, even if you are not touching the device. You need your beauty sleep, especially right now.
- DO get organised. Think about aspects of your regular working environment that work well and try to recreate that if you can. Be creative!
- DO tell your family and friends when you are working. Make it clear that between certain times e.g. 9 to 5 o’clock, you have work commitments. They can support you by respecting this – giving you a call at an agreed time when you’re done. (This gives you something to look forward to as well).
- DO think about which Internet provider is giving you the best service. Now is the time to shop around. I hot spot between two internet providers.
- DO be considerate. If you are covering your own data bill, you might want to work into the night but think about the knock-on effect of that. It may mean you’re useless in the morning when colleagues need to speak to you. Think about how your working antisocial hours can impact your family and the people you live with. Is it fair to them if you are cranky all the time? We’re all going to need a bit more patience than normal so cut yourself – and everyone around you – a bit of slack. Try and create routines that suit everyone in your living space.
- DO be economical. Think carefully about your Internet use. If you work from home, make sure you have enough data to meet your deadlines. Don’t watch Netflix all night then tell the boss you are out of data. Be sensible. Don’t take your job for granted. Many have already lost theirs.
- DO keep in contact with colleagues on a regular basis. Office life is a lot more than deadlines. Even if you can’t stand your colleagues (!) you will be used to interacting with them and their everyday chitchat. Find a way to keep that going if you can. Zoom meetings, WhatsApp groups, Facebook groups, Skype conference calls, Google Hangouts, there are dozens of different ways of creating a virtual chatroom. Most of them are free.
- DO embrace technology. Make use of online project collaboration tools. These can be as simple as Google Docs and Google Sheets, or try Dropbox. Rather than emailing attachments to each other, set up online sharing / collaboration systems, where you can see people’s comments and edits ‘in real time’ (without worrying that there are three different versions of the one document in circulation). These kinds of tools can make you a lot more productive. When you go back to the office, you may wonder how you never used them before! I work with many people who I never meet in person. We collaborate well with a combination of Dropbox, Google Docs, WhatsApp and CoSchedule (blog and social media promotion software). I can be a total geek you know!
- DO check that your laptop and phone software are up-to-date. Check your antivirus software. (Aren’t there enough viruses doing the rounds?) You don’t want a software meltdown when you’re hiding at home far away from the IT department. That said, Teamviewer is a great free piece of software that allows remote access. My IT guy in Kampala can remotely access my laptop when I need him to check something out for me, even if I’m travelling.
- DO think about how you keep track of your time. Your boss or client may require you to prove how much time you have worked on different projects. I use some software called Toggl.com.
- DO keep physically active. This is easier said than done so that’s why a routine is important. If you can, go for a (fast) walk or run first thing in the morning. This sets up your metabolism for the day and will clear your head. Get the blood pumping, increase your heartbeat, don’t hang around chatting to people, just wave at them and go on your way. (Remember social distancing, even while you’re exercising). If you can’t get out of the house, how about doing some squats? Get on YouTube and take part in a fitness class. Call up a friend and ask them to do a YouTube exercise class with you while you’re on the phone together. Having a walk late afternoon is a good way to mark the end of your working day too.
- In South Africa, recreational running and walking outside your house / garden was banned during lockdown. Read how Bradt Travel Guide writer Philip Briggs has been managing his fitness by running a loop around his cabbages!
- DO work standing up if you can. Studies show that it is better for you than sitting hunched over a laptop.
If you are making phone calls, stand up, take a walk around where you live, look out of the window, look up at the sky, look at the birds. Your voice projects better when you are standing up and you will feel more comfortable as well. - DON’T have work meetings at home. You’re in isolation, right?
- DO drink plenty of water.
- DON’T sit at your desk snacking all day. It’s easy to put on weight when you’re working from home. Not only are you sitting at your desk or table all day, but you are not walking around the office, or walking to the taxi stage like you do most days. Sometimes we snack when we are bored.
At the start of the day, imagine you are getting ready to travel to work and plan your snacks. Prepare something and have it ready for when you want a break. Low-fat items like apples and chopped carrots are good for you. Boiled eggs and (plain) yoghurt are filling. Go easy on the ground nuts, chapatis and rolex! If you like bananas, don’t eat more than one. They’re pure starch and if you sit on your kabina (backside) all day, that thing will grow! - DO cut back on your sugar intake and soda drinking.
- DON’T hit the bottle too often, tempting as it might be. You’ll put on weight if you drink too much alcohol and may get mood swings too. If you smoke weed, don’t go overboard. Normal everyday life will be back with us soon enough…
- DON’T sit around all day in your night clothes. (It will feel rather weird if your boss rings and you are half dressed). If you are dressed in your work clothes, it will help you focus on the tasks ahead.
- DO enjoy time off. Just because your laptop is there, don’t become a work bore (like me!) Weekends are for relaxing, even when you’re working from home. Get away from the screen. If you are on the laptop all day, and then watching TV or playing computer games (more screens), your brain may fry, my dear! Read a book or newspaper, play cards, cook, sew, do a spot of gardening, plant tomatoes on your balcony, listen to music and podcasts, sing, play music… even washing clothes or polishing your shoes can be therapeutic. Pray, meditate, do some yoga … stroke the cat.
- DO take a digital detox. Take time out from watching Coronavirus news and following social media. It may clear your mind and destress you. The world will keep turning!
If you find it hard to ignore social media, turn off all the notifications. - DON’T suffer unnecessarily, DO reach out for support.
- DON’T leave the house during lockdown unless absolutely necessary. If you have to go out, social distance two metres from others. Wash your hands with plenty of soap for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitiser containing 60% or more alcohol (if there’s no soap). When you get home, jump straight in the shower. Read more practical tips here on my extensive Coronavirus blog which I update on a weekly basis.
When I’m not working from home, I train businesses in digital marketing and travel across East Africa (usually by public transport). I feel like my wings are clipped right now but let’s remember this enforced ‘time out’ is for our greater good.
#StaySafeStayHome #StaySafeUG #StaySafe
Ugandan friends, what are your tips for working from home during Coronavirus?
Do you have tips to share or is working from home a new experience for you? I’d love to know your thoughts here or send me a personal message.
Bracing ourselves for Coronavirus in Uganda
Practical tips for Ugandans, Coronavirus symptoms, freephone numbers for advice, further reading on COVID-19, advice to travellers to Uganda, how to reschedule gorilla tracking permits in Uganda, and more.
The last few months have felt surreal. I feel like I’m on the set of a John Wyndham science fiction movie. Everything looks the same yet everything is different. My world view has shifted.
I have been in lockdown on the edge of Kibale Forest since March 23rd 2020. You can read my story here in “We Asked for Fascinating Stories of Lockdown Abroad. And Wow, Did We Get Them.”
Scroll down for useful links and advice on Coronavirus / #COVID-19.
I don’t pretend to be a Coronavirus expert but I am adding links to useful tips and information as I find them. At the time I published this blog (21st March 2020) there was little practical advice online in Uganda about how we should respond to Coronavirus. One of my best friends is registrar at a London hospital (and heads up the hospital’s COVID response plan) so I’m checking facts with her before I share them.Scroll down and see what’s relevant to you. Write a comment if I have missed something!
The volume of information about Coronavirus and the staggering changes to so many aspects of our lives is quite overwhelming, isn’t it? I thought I’d be able to keep on top of developments in our corner of the world, but I have been struggling. Upcountry internet has not helped. For simplicity I am therefore simply adding links to latest info as comments at the bottom of this post – when I can’t edit this post. If you see anything that you think is wrong or out of date, do please contact me and I shall correct it ASAP.
UPDATE: May 27th 2021. There are rumours we may go back into lockdown as there has been a big rise in infections. Facemasks must be worn in public; bars remain closed (officially, at least). Police are getting strict about curfew again. Download the full Ministry of Health Uganda press release. Update on COVID-19 pandemic, dated 27 May 2021.
The Ministry of Health launched a portal that tracks the virus in Uganda. [No longer online]. To watch President Museveni’s broadcasts about Coronavirus in Uganda, visit https://yowerikmuseveni.com/
Are you worried you have Corona Virus symptoms?
Click here to do the COVID-19 self-help test. It takes a few seconds and is FREE.
John Wyndham is famous for books such as The Chrysalids and The Day of the Triffids which “chillingly anticipates bio-warfare and mass destruction.” I’m not a conspiracy theorist but the sight of strangers wearing masks in the supermarket and the notion of unseen dangers in everyday life has clearly rattled me over the past weeks.
As Uganda braced itself to deal with coronavirus (first case confirmed 21 March 2020; Uganda records first Coronavirus death 23rd July), holidays have been cancelled and tour operators are looking despondent. I had an international flight booked (but will I make it to the UK? NO I’m still in Uganda. Would I make it back into Uganda if I had travelled? Who knows). African tourism – global tourism as a whole – looks pretty doomed right now.
The Ugandan government closed Entebbe International Airport to passenger planes from midnight 23 March but the airport reopened on October 1st 2020. Land borders were also closed (except for cargo). Testing and contact tracing is now in place at official borders. If you are due to travel to or from Uganda you should contact your airline or tour operator for the latest advice.
Graphic via the BBC
The 14 day self-quarantine process had its flaws and quarantine in hotels became controversial and expensive. The good news is that you can fly into Uganda without having to go into quarantine; however, you will need to present a negative COVID test 72 hours before you board the plane. If you present with COVID symptoms when you arrive at Entebbe Airport, you may be tested and taken into quarantine. Many people are now working from home. Read my blog Corona Virus survival tips: how to work from home during the Corona Virus in Uganda.
Here is a list of approved quarantine hotels in Uganda.
Which are the Coronavirus “affected countries”?
NOTE: some countries allow travel from affected countries; others allow travel if the country has less than 200 cases. This is the global map of locations with confirmed COVID-19 cases, by WHO Region, created by CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
On March 25th 2020 Uganda Wildlife Authority announced “primate tourism and research suspended in all Protected Areas until April 30th 2020.” They have also updated rescheduling of gorilla tracking permits (and other activities in the National Parks). Primate tracking has reopened but you have to wear a mask throughout your time in the primate National Parks. UWA has various discounts in place across the country during 2021.
Read my blog Uganda Wildlife Authority goes on Facebook Live to discuss wildlife protection during the pandemic. This includes a link to watch the recording of the event in which ED Sam Mwandha discusses law enforcement, human wildlife conflict, primate tourism and the future of UWA and more.
In a press statement, Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO)“advises that consumers and travel agents contact their tour operator directly and in a timely fashion to discuss available options.”
Would the world not allow Africa just a little time to celebrate the momentous news reported below this week?
The last Ebola patient has been discharged from a treatment centre in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Ebola has since resurfaced in the DRC 🙁
A 42-day countdown has begun to declare the end of the world’s second-deadliest Ebola epidemic. https://t.co/inNZYioo7H — United Nations (@UN) March 4, 2020
Click on the image to download, share or print it
Basic protective measures against the new coronavirus (courtesy of WHO and Unicef)
Most people who become infected experience mild illness and recover, but it can be more severe for others. Take care of your health and protect others by doing the following:
Wash your hands frequently. Wash your hands with plenty of soap and water. British advice is to wash your hands for 20 seconds or “sing Happy Birthday twice!”
Keep an alcohol-based sanitizer ready for times when soap and water are not available.
Why? Washing with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.
Maintain social distancing (and don’t take it personally when others do the same to you)
Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. Use ‘no-touch’ greetings such as hand waving, elbow bumping or “namaste” rather than handshakes and hugs.
Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
Your phone is probably the dirtiest thing we possess! (After you wash your hands, next clean your phone). Read and watch Coronavirus: How to clean your smartphone safely, courtesy of a microbiologist.
Practice ‘respiratory hygiene‘
Cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.
Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.
If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early
Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. (The freephone numbers are on this page). Follow the directions of your local health authority.
Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.
Message from the Ministry of Health, Uganda
The Ministry of Health requests the general public to call our toll free lines ☎ on 0800-100-066 or 0800-203-033 to report any suspected cases of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) or to inquire information on COVIDー19. Alternatively, you can call or WhatsApp @ainbyoo Senior Public Relations Officer at the Ministry of Health on +256 (0)706 428093 or send a FREE SMS to Ureport on 8500. You can also call Atek Kagirita on +256 (0)752 909153.
The Muzungu: I called 0800-100-066 and was told that if you think you have been exposed to Coronavirus, you should attend one of the screening centres. These are China Uganda Friendship Naguru and Entebbe Grade B Hospital. Corona Virus screening is free of charge.
UPDATE NOVEMBER 2020: note that if you present yourself at a government facility with COVID symptoms, you do not have to pay for the test. If you simply want to get tested for your own peace of mind or because you are travelling, you will pay 185k UGX at a government clinic. There are a number of private clinics that offer testing. Some of them even offer a drive-through service or will come to your home or office and test you. These prices range from 300k to 450k ugx.
Further reading about the Corona Virus in Uganda
Visit the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak website for information and guidance from WHO (World Health Organization) regarding the current outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Page updated daily. It has facts, statistics and practical videos. I have learned a LOT from visiting this site. It includes advice on common questions like:
- Protection measures for persons who are in or have recently visited (past 14 days) areas where COVID-19 is spreading
- When and how to use masks
- Myth busters such as
- How effective are thermal scanners in detecting people infected with the new coronavirus? (They only detect a fever. You may have the virus but not be exhibiting fever yet).
- Can spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body kill the new coronavirus? (In summary, no).
- Are antibiotics effective in preventing and treating the new coronavirus? (No Uganda, antibiotics do not work against viruses, only bacteria).
- Are there any specific medicines to prevent or treat the new coronavirus? (In summary, no. Try not to get it, relieve symptoms, don’t spread the virus).
- Getting your workplace ready for Corona Virus. This pdf document addresses questions such as:
- 1. Simple ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your workplace
- 2. How to manage COVID-19 risks when organizing meetings & events
- 3. Things to consider when you and your employees travel
- 4. Getting your workplace ready in case COVID-19 arrives in your community.
- Travel advice
UNICEF Uganda has similar information:
Coronavirus (COVID-19): What you need to know and learn. How to protect yourself and your loved ones.
What should people with a lung condition do now? Visit the British Lung Foundation website for more information. This advice is aimed at those who are 70 or over; or are pregnant; or have a weakened immune system; or have a long-term lung condition such as asthma, COPD, emphysema, bronchitis or pulmonary fibrosis.
Should I use a facemask?
The Ugandan government states that you must wear a facemask when you’re out in public. Supermarkets are not supposed to let you enter unless you are wearing a mask. They may take your temperature and disinfect your hands or ask you to wash them. They may even take your contact details for contact tracing.
Opinions on the effectiveness of masks vary. My doctor friend told me: I doubt masks are 100% effective because even the properly designed ones in surgery are only maximum 95% effective. However, masks DO stop you touching your face (and that may be enough to prevent you catching the virus). Note that:
- The mask must be clean so can’t be touched on the inside when taking on or off.
- It must be clean each time it is worn.
- Wash your hands before putting on your (or someone else’s) mask.
- Don’t have it hanging round your neck. That is not hygienic (and you are not wearing the mask, are you?)
Coronavirus (COVID-19). Health advice for people with asthma
How a country serious about coronavirus does testing and quarantine
James Onen shared the interview below on Twitter. (Ignore the US context, listen to his advice). One huge advantage Uganda has is our experience managing – and preventing – Ebola.
WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 – 11 March 2020
“All countries can still change the course of this pandemic.
If countries detect, test, treat, isolate, trace, and mobilize their people in the response, those with a handful of cases can prevent those cases becoming clusters, and those clusters becoming community transmission.
All countries must strike a fine balance between protecting health, minimizing economic and social disruption, and respecting human rights.
This is not just a public health crisis, it is a crisis that will touch every sector – so every sector and every individual must be involved in the fight.”
Where did Corona Virus come from?
The world is watching Covid-19 and learning a new word: zoonotic disease. What’s going on?
Read Preventing Disease Outbreaks: Lessons From Uganda, an interview with “Conservationist, veterinarian, epidemiologist, and health worker in the villages near wild habitat, Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka is an advocate for the well-being of both people and animals. She is teaching Ugandans how to achieve wildlife conservation through public health and prevent disease outbreaks. We asked Gladys for insights into the current novel coronavirus pandemic and how we can prevent future outbreaks.”
“A group of 27 prominent public health scientists from outside China is pushing back against a steady stream of stories and even a scientific paper suggesting a laboratory in Wuhan, China, may be the origin of the outbreak of COVID-19.” Read Scientists ‘strongly condemn’ rumors and conspiracy theories about origin of coronavirus outbreak published 19th March on ScienceMag.org
Which resources about Corona Virus are you finding useful? Please share any useful links. I’ll be updating this blog regularly. Type a comment here or Contact me directly.
Keep safe dear readers. This will pass.
The Doctor and the spy gorilla!
BBC’s “Spy in the Wild” series meets Uganda’s Mountain Gorillas. Diary of a Muzungu interviews Uganda’s premier vet Dr Gladys about the making of the documentary.
I recently received a wonderful press article from my correspondent in the UK – a.k.a. my dad! – who is always on the look-out for stories about Uganda and East Africa in the British press.
The Times article “Spy ape isn’t rumbled in the jungle” is all about an animatronic gorilla who has been hanging out in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with Uganda’s mountain gorillas.
I’m lucky enough to have encountered a few mountain gorillas in the wild – but this footage is in a league of its own. Watch it now!
I wanted to know more about this thrilling project here in Uganda and contacted Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH). Dr Gladys has become “one of the world’s leading conservationists and scientists working to save the critically endangered mountain gorillas of East Africa.”
The Muzungu: Which mountain gorilla family did the animatronic gorilla meet?
Dr Gladys: The Rushegura gorilla group is the family that is shown looking into the spy camera. However, they filmed other gorilla groups as well.
The Muzungu: In what way were you personally involved?
Dr Gladys: I was the lead scientist they consulted when filming “Spy Gorilla.” I accompanied the crew filming the mountain gorillas together with our team from Conservation Through Public Health, after obtaining permission from the Uganda Wildlife Authority, who also joined in the filming.
The Muzungu: How did you hear about this project?
Dr Gladys: Matt Gordon from John Downer Productions contacted me after getting a referral from a fellow National Geographic Explorer called Dr. Jill Pruetz. She was the lead scientist JDP consulted as she had hosted them when they filmed “Spy Chimpanzee” in the first series of “Spy in the Wild” at her study site in Senegal where Savannah Chimpanzees are found.
The Muzungu: What do you hope to learn from this project?
Dr Gladys: I hoped to add to my knowledge about gorilla behaviour because the spy cameras are able to non-intrusively capture close-up images of gorillas without having to get close to them. The spy cameras can record never before seen behaviour that will help us to protect mountain gorillas better and ultimately inspire viewers to conserve them.
The Muzungu: How many hours of filming took place for the film crew to get the one-hour show about Bwindi’s gorillas?
Dr Gladys: It took them ten days to film the documentary.
The Muzungu: Are there any plans for this kind of project to be repeated in Bwindi?
Dr Gladys: Most likely not, because the film crew got a lot of information and it took a lot of time, money and resources to capture this rare footage
The Muzungu: What is your feeling about the gorillas’ reaction to the animatronic gorilla?
Dr Gladys: We were first a bit apprehensive about how the gorillas would react. I also made sure that the spy gorilla was disinfected adequately to prevent any potential disease transmission. With the UWA and CTPH team, we were pleased to see that the gorillas were curious about the animatronic gorilla that looked like them, and the infants tried to play with it. It was fascinating to see that the gorillas were intelligent enough to discover that though the spy gorilla looked like them, it was not a real gorilla, but were still protective over it. The Spy Gorilla camera brought out their personalities as curious and accommodating gentle giants.
About the BBC’s “Spy in the Wild” series
“Spy in the Wild is back in one of the most innovative natural history series ever presented. This time it deploys over 50 ultra-realistic animatronic Spy Creatures to go undercover across every region of the world. The 4 x 60 minute BBC One series captures some of the most extraordinary animal behaviour ever seen, filmed from inside the animal world.
Using special state-of-the-art 4k resolution “Spy Creatures” the viewer is plunged into the very heart of the extraordinary lives of over 40 remarkable animals. They reveal previously unseen behaviour as animals gather, feed, fight and breed in among some of the greatest wildlife gatherings ever witnessed. This team of hyper-real Spy Creatures not only look like the animals they film, they behave like them too. Accepted by the families, these robotic look-alikes can not only film from an intimate perspective they also interact with the animals and so gain revelatory insights into their worlds.” Learn more about the Spy in the Wild series.
A big thank you to Dr Gladys for sharing her story with Diary of a Muzungu and to Papa Nagawa for being my eyes and ears on the ground in the UK.
… And before you go, check out this adorable face again! 🙂
Bradt Uganda – the definitive guidebook. Edition 9 out now!
Interview with author and travel writer Philip Briggs
It’s funny to think that twelve years ago I knew very little about Uganda. My teenage dream was to live in sub-Saharan Africa and finally I was here, working as a volunteer with the Uganda Conservation Foundation. The first book I bought was the *Bradt Guidebook, the go-to travel planning resource for Uganda. Imagine how delighted I was – a decade later – to finally meet author Philip Briggs on a fact-finding trip to Uganda and how excited I am to be a (minor) contributor to the new edition.
As you might guess, I had been wanting to meet Philip for a long time. I had lots of questions I wanted to ask him! He is author of dozens of guidebooks to a long list of countries. When I grow up, I want to be like Phil.
You’ve been writing the Uganda guidebook for almost 30 years. Where did you travel on your first visit here?
“I first visited Uganda in 1988 on the recommendation of another backpacker I met in Kenya. I travelled to Ruhija (Bwindi Impenetrable Forest) on the back of a tractor to track mountain gorillas. Back then it only cost US$1 but the gorillas weren’t really habituated, and I didn’t see them, just heard them voicing their disapproval from the depths of a facing slope. Since then I have had several more successful tracking excursions, in Rwanda and the Congo as well as in Uganda!
I returned to Uganda in 1992 to research the first edition of the Bradt Guide. A highlight of that trip was a 30 km bike ride from Bulisa to Murchison Falls. There was no lodge there then, I stayed in a Uganda Wildlife Authority / UPDF camp, which is now the site of Red Chilli. I also did the boat ride to the Bottom of Murchison Falls.”
What do you think of tourism in Uganda now?
“Tourism has come a long way since the late 80s and early 90s, when there were a handful of ‘proper’ hotels, and facilities catering to budget travellers were pretty limited. Now there are often dozens of good hotels and lodges in places that then had nothing – for instance Lake Bunyonyi, Murchison Falls, Bwindi, Bujagali.
I didn’t visit Uganda between 2005 and 2015 (a period during which the book was updated by Andrew Roberts) and I saw massive changes – almost all for the better – in Uganda’s tourism industry when finally I did return in 2015.
Uganda tourism hasn’t changed a lot since the last edition of the Bradt Guidebook (published in 2016). Tourism seem to have stabilised and got better overall.
On my most recent visit (2019), I was very impressed with the standard of guiding by Uganda Wildlife Authority. All the guides we had on our most recent trip come across as being very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the park where they work, and its wildlife.”
What happens if you visit a lodge or hotel that’s in the guide and the standards have dropped?
“When I first started writing the Bradt Uganda Guidebook 30 years ago, there were just a few hotels and lodges, so I included them all, even those that warranted quite negative write-ups. These days there are far too many for us to include them all, so accommodation listings are more selective, and I tend to just remove anywhere that I can’t write about in a positive way.”
What is the value of buying a guidebook in these days of social media?
“Online information for countries like Uganda still tends to be quite scattered and patchy. Guidebooks tend to be more comprehensive and coherent resources, with a lot of background and contextual information set against practical information, accommodation and restaurant listings and cross-referenced maps. The Bradt Guide in particular has pretty much all the information you would need to plan a trip to Uganda in one place, logically organised by somebody who knows the country well into cohesive and well-structured regional chapters over almost 600 pages. You simply won’t find that kind of thing in the internet.
That is not to knock social media and other online resources; they most certainly have their place. For me, though, I would still always prefer to use a good guidebook as my initial and primary planning resource and switch over to social media and other online resource for supplementary information.
I also find that people who rely on word-of-mouth channels often end up visiting the same few well-publicised places and doing the same few activities. A guidebook generally offers a greater diversity of off-the-beaten-track options.”
For people who already have a copy of the Bradt Uganda Guidebook, why should they buy the latest edition?
“The most substantial change to the new edition is the expanded coverage of Karamoja and the north-east of Uganda. However, it’s also lots and lots of small details: removing places that have closed and the inclusion of many new places that opened since the eighth edition was researched. (For example in the vicinity of Kibale Forest, we’ve included at least six new lodges, hotels and restaurants, and Sunbird Hill). Prices and contact details for more established lodges are also fully updated. Essentially with edition nine, the Uganda Bradt Guidebook is a whole lot more up-to-date!
Bradt co-author Andrew Roberts was responsible for updating the Kampala section of the guidebook, which has been reorganised to promote more activities and days out.”
What is your least favourite activity when you are researching a destination?
“Checking hotels and lodges. There seem to be more places that need checking with every new edition, and it isn’t something that personally interests me, but it needs to be done!”
Is travel still fun when you’re a travel writer?
“Generally, yes. If I’m walking around a town in the sunshine, it’s certainly more fun than sitting behind a desk. If you’re tracking chimps, it’s great fun of course but if you’re looking at hotels it’s …” Philip pulls a face… (so I think we can guess the answer to that one!)
Diary of a Muzungu writes: Thanks Philip for your insights! It’s amazing to read how much Uganda has changed in the last 30 years.
What’s new for edition 9?
I was delighted to make a few recommendations for the latest edition of Bradt Uganda. They included:
Entanda Cultural Adventure in Mityana
“Head to the award-winning Entanda Cultural Adventure in Mityana to experience a few hours of traditional Ugandan life: expect a joyous welcome of dancing and drumming, bountiful organic fruits, a local lunch and a chance to try traditional hunting and listen to the traditional wisdom (and bedroom secrets!) of the ‘senga,’ all part of your initiation into Buganda culture.” Read the full listing in Bradt Uganda edition 9. Entanda also has a listing in my Travel Directory.
In the Shadow of Chimpanzees, Kibale Forest edge
“Brainchild of primatologist Julia Lloyd, Sunbird Hill is a private birding site that coordinates the NatureUganda Bird Population Monitoring Programme for the Kibale area and is affiliated to registered community / conservation charity In the Shadow of Chimpanzees. More than 240 bird species have been recorded, including 13 of 38 sunbird species listed for Uganda, and the keenly sought green-breasted pitta.” Read the full listing in Bradt Uganda edition 9. In the Shadow of Chimpanzees also features in my Travel Directory.
The Bradt Uganda Guidebook is quite a tome (at 600+ pages, paperback or digital), but there is no other guidebook like it. It works very well read in conjunction with Diary of a Muzungu 😊”arguably Uganda’s two best travel resources,” according to Mr Briggs.
Bradt Uganda also has an update site where travellers can share their experiences. Philip refers to these updates when he and Andrew Roberts are updating the guidebook, every three years. (Some lodges find it useful to add information there too although there’s no guarantee of inclusion in the subsequent guidebook).
Who is Philip Briggs?
Philip Briggs has been exploring the highways, byways and backwaters of Africa since 1986, when he spent several months backpacking on a shoestring from Nairobi to Cape Town. In 1991, he wrote the Bradt guide to South Africa, the first such guidebook to be published internationally after the release of Nelson Mandela. Over the rest of the 1990s, Philip wrote a series of pioneering Bradt travel guides to destinations that were then – and in some cases still are – otherwise practically uncharted by the travel publishing industry. These included the first dedicated guidebooks to Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Ghana and Rwanda, new additions of which been published regularly ever since. More recently, he has authored Bradt guides to Somaliland, Suriname, Sri Lanka and The Gambia, all published by Bradt. He spends at least four months on the road every year, usually accompanied by his wife, the travel photographer Ariadne Van Zandbergen, and spends the rest of his time battering away at a keyboard in the sleepy coastal village of wilderness in South Africa’s Western Cape.
How do I buy a copy of this fantabulous what to the what guidebook?
Click here to visit the Bradt Guides website. The guidebook is also available at Aristoc in Kampala and all good bookshops.
Are you a Bradt Guidebook fan? Which places in Uganda have you discovered as a result of reading the book? I’d love to know 🙂
How to be a Mukiga woman – meet Agartha!
Pause for a quick stopover between Bwindi and Ishasha in Queen Elizabeth and taste rural Ugandan life with the indefatigable Agartha!
Agartha’s Taste of Uganda Tour is fun, educational and perfect for the inquisitive visitor who wonders how a rural Ugandan lady lives. Spend half an hour or more with Agartha and see how locally grown millet is transformed into porridge and bread.
Grind it, sip it, get involved!
I’m a big fan of community tourism and this one’s a winner -an award-winner in fact. As well as being an authentic cultural experience, Agartha boasts arguably the funkiest toilet between Bwindi and Queen Elizabeth National Park! It’s a long drive between the two parks and a quick stopover at Agartha’s is a perfect place for stretching the legs and drinking some refreshing bushera millet porridge. Agartha’s hut is a cool place to sit and sample local life.
A typical day on Agartha’s Taste of Uganda Tour
Visitors are welcomed to Agartha’s homestead where you will be invited to sit in her beautiful grass-thatched hut. Here she takes great pride in sharing how the women of her tribe, the Bakiga, prepare their favourite food. Hear how the ingredients are grown and harvested and witness how to shift, grind, cook – and most importantly – keep the food warm for their husbands and children.
The approach is always dusty. It’s a typical village setting – of bicycles, jerry cans, young children and the occasional boda boda. There are few cars here.
Agartha demonstrates how local women treat dry millet, one of the community’s staple foods. She spreads the freshly picked millet in a large flat basket in front of us and works the seeds with her feet, separating them from the stalk. (Agartha has some good dance moves!)
The next part of the process is called winnowing and involves using a wide woven basket to gently throw the grains into the air to let the dry husks blow away. Agartha may invite you to have a go! Next, we are invited to pound the millet with a dry stone to dehusk it. Not as easy as it looks!
The hard work of grinding out of the way, Agartha mixes the millet flour with hot water to make a porridge. (Most Ugandans will add lots of sugar to the mixture as well). Now for the best part: we sip porridge from traditional gourds and munch on freshly roasted soybeans and groundnuts.
Agartha explains that the Bakiga wife must keep the porridge warm for when the husband gets home from the bar(!) Millet porridge is also the first meal a woman receives after giving birth. Millet is high in iron, which helps with the lactation process.
Chatting with Agartha and sampling millet porridge gives you an interesting insight into the everyday life of a Bakiga woman. Three children walk past the open door as we chat. The young girl carries a woven shopping basket. The boy carries a hoe. He is only nine or ten years old. The youngest boy, who can be no more than five, tries to balance a machete on his head. Ducks waddle past the front door.
Agartha and her family live on the edge of Queen Elizabeth National Park, near the Ishasha Sector. The talented Agartha is a craftswoman, tailor and an organic subsistence farmer. She is also the Chairperson of the local community group.
How long does Agartha’s Taste of Uganda Tour take?
You can take part in Agartha’s Taste of Uganda tour any time of the day (strictly by prior arrangement). The tour lasts 30 to 45 minutes and is adjusted according to the time you have available. (Do tell Agartha how long you would like the tour to take when you arrive).
Agartha’s Taste of Uganda Tour is on the main road between UWA Ishasha park gate and Kihihi.
Can I just rock up at Agartha’s when I’m driving through Ishasha?
No please don’t. Agartha is a working farmer so you need to book at least two days in advance (even if you just want to make use of the toilet!) Reservations can be made by phone or email or via your tour operator.
Go to Agartha’s Taste of Uganda Tour in my Travel Directory for booking information and answers to these questions: How much does the tour cost? Where does the money for the tour go? What do other visitors say about Agartha’s Tour? How can I book? How do I get to Agartha’s?
Have you visited Agartha’s? Tell me what your experience was like. I think it’s a brilliant project!
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Lunch arrived – squawking – on a boda boda
Being hungry in Kasese can be a bit of a challenge.
Part I
Ordering dinner after 9 pm upcountry usually means little in the way of choice. Ordering from the girl who only occasionally keeps an eye on the guests sitting in the cool area outside the front of the hotel means your choice will be further limited by her English.
We were advised to move upstairs to order. Here we were offered menus. My friend’s face beamed as he looked at the variety of choices before us.
“You’ve lived here long enough to know that you can’t go by what the menu says,” I hinted.
It’s a tough life being a chicken in Uganda.
“What do you have please?” He enquired.
“Beef, chicken or liver” came the (standard?) reply.
I settled for a tomato salad – it was that or nothing for the mostly-vegetarian-Muzungu – which comprised one thinly sliced tomato with an equal amount of thickly sliced onion.
After I’d finished, and A had hassled the waitress for his food, a plate of lukewarm pasta – forgotten in the kitchen – eventually arrived. “Where’s the beef I ordered to go with it?” A asked.
“There is none,” came the reply.
Did I say it was a tough life being a chicken in Uganda?
Part II
I need more than a tomato salad to sustain me.
As we sat around in the heat the next day, deciding where to head to next, we ordered some Crest (tonic) and opened our bottle of Uganda Waragi.
After a few minutes drinking, a hotel employee approached our table and whispered in A’s ear.
“It’s a Muslim place,” A said, “he just told me!” It was a bit late by then – we hid the bottle under the table and pretended we were just enjoying our soda.
We looked around us. They weren’t apparently so Muslim that they were offended by the half-naked women starring at the soft-porn-that-passes-for-hip-hop-videos that all eyes were glued to on the TV screen.
I took the plunge and ordered chicken curry. Ten minutes later, a boda boda pulled up outside the hotel with a live chicken hanging upside down between the handlebars.
Call that a coincidence?
You have been warned!
Have you got any funny meal time stories to share? If you’re new to Uganda, you might enjoy some other tips for living here. Read Uganda for beginners.
“I was thinking of getting myself a Muzungu,” he said
The good Samaritan? (Or was he out shopping for a white one?)
They must have watered down my petrol or something. I know the car needs a service but it’s almost impossible to get the car going. I rest my full body weight on the accelerator but nothing happens, nothing happens and suddenly we lurch forward, almost into the back of someone parked in front of me.
The engine is cold and I have to limp out of the car park straight into Kampala’s rush-hour traffic. Drivers impatiently push past me. I’m getting a bit stressed as I pull out onto the roundabout, looking at the rev counter and BANG!
The front right corner of the car is leaning down at an angle and the front wheel is in a hole in the road. The girl driving the car next door to me smiles and says “sorry!”
How the hell am I going to get out of this with no power?
Quick as you like, a Ugandan guy in an office shirt comes over to me. “We need stones in that hole to get you out of it.” He leans into the flowerbed, picks up a couple of rocks. How convenient!
Seconds later, three rough-looking street guys run over to me from different directions. I hear the word ssente (money).
rush hour boda boda Jinja Road Kampala. Diary of a Muzungu
They grab hold of the corner of the car and start rocking it as I put the car in low gear and try to go forward. (Hang on, I better not run the good Samaritans over). I shift into reverse and after the second push, we are out.
Expectant faces lean into the car.
“I’m going to Nakawa, can you drop me there?” Asks the first guy.
Sure, if I’m going to thank anyone, it’s the guy who was first on the scene.
I’m causing a jam and the last thing I want to do is get my purse out in the middle of the traffic jam. I’m totally skint anyway. If I can thank this guy by giving him a lift home, that’s good enough for me.
We drive off with the three street guys shouting after us.
“I thought I’d better let them think I know you so that they leave you alone. These guys can disturb you.” He says. I don’t usually let strange men in my car but, in broad daylight, it seems like a sensible enough option.
As we drive, in the opposite direction to my home, he tells me about himself and his aspirations. Needless to say, there are a couple of predictable topics.
“I’ve just come from the village. There’s a man I know who has lots of children and can’t pay school fees. He was telling me that he’s heard of some organisations that pay school fees and was asking if I could find out. Do you know of any?”
“No, I don’t,” I say, “but if he has so many children, tell your friend to use a condom next time.”
“Yes, he does but sometimes that stuff gets through and sometimes a condom breaks.”
“What, 20 times? He must be very unlucky!” I say.
He laughs. I only know of organizations that help children with HIV and AIDS. Anyway, I don’t feel like getting involved today. “I was thinking of getting myself a Muzungu,” he says.“I think one day I might go to the UK. Do you think I can find a girl there?”
“I’m sure you can find any type of girl, you just have to look when you get there. They’re very different from Ugandan girls though. You better be prepared to do half the cooking, half the cleaning, and half the childcare if you have a British girlfriend.” The young man goes silent. I don’t have the heart to tell him that he probably wouldn’t get into the UK anyway these days.
“Actually when I saw your car stuck, I saw my opportunity.”
It’s funny how even the guy who saves me from the ones who are trying to take advantage of me is also trying to take advantage. I don’t mind, he’s helped me and seems like a sweet guy but the favours and requests do feel a bit relentless at times. At least he hasn’t asked for my phone number.
“… But how do we keep in touch?” He asks as I drop him at his destination.
If you enjoyed this story, I know you’ll love Downtown Dreadlocks, the muzungu’s blind date.
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How to be a tourist – tips for Ugandans who want to travel
How to be a tourist in Uganda: my top 4 tips for young Ugandans who want to travel
I recently received a message from a young Ugandan who wrote “I love touring. What can I do to start touring one of these days?”
Although there are tour companies that develop group packages specifically for Ugandans [read: domestic tourists] here are a few of my ideas to get you started.
Tip no. 1. Add an extra day to an existing trip
You don’t need a lot of money or time to become a tourist in Uganda. For example, if you go on a work trip upcountry, think about extending for one or two days so that after you’ve done your work, you can explore the area.
- Try local foods
- Ask about local customs
- Enjoy the scenery
- Learn a few words in a new language
These experiences will give you a different perspective on what you know about your own country. I’m sure you will be amazed at what you learn. I have lived in Uganda for ten years [read: permanent tourist in Uganda!] and honestly feel I have only scratched the surface of this country in terms of travel experiences and culture.
Tip no. 2. Add an interesting stopover on a family visit
Can you include a bit of exploration on a family trip? If you’re going upcountry to visit relatives, look out for places to stop along the way.
Some of my favourite places to stop include the Equator Monuments (near Masaka or Kasese), the Nakayima Tree in Mubende, Biharwe Eclipse Monument near Mbarara, the Entanda project near Mityana. Read about some of these places here in my “25 little-known places to visit” and be a tourist in Uganda like me 😉.
By including a short stopover on a trip you are already planning you save on fuel plus you get to break up what might be a tedious journey.
Tip no. 3. Use public transport
If you don’t have access to a car, that doesn’t need to hold you back from being a tourist in Uganda.
I have travelled by public transport (bus, matatu, tuk tuk and train) across East Africa: from Kampala to Nairobi, from Malindi and Watamu to Mombasa, from Kampala to Kigali, and as far west as Nyungwe Forest on Rwanda’s border with Burundi.
I’ve had very few hassles on public transport and simply LOVE staring out of the window as the countryside passes by!
Tip no. 4. Explore what’s on your doorstep
Having said all this, you don’t need to travel out of Kampala to be a tourist in Uganda.
Have you visited any of these?
- The Bahai’ Temple
- Ghadaffi Mosque in Old Kampala
- Afriart Gallery and Afriart on Seventh
- The Lubiri Palace in Mengo
- Martyrs Shrine at Namugongo
- Kabaka’s Landing Site in Mulungu by Munyonyo
Did you know these ‘everyday’ places are popular with tourists? Places that you drive past every day and take for granted are full of historic and cultural interest. When you visit one of them, it will give you further ideas about other places you can visit. Read my blog History in your hand – exploring Kampala, Jinja and Entebbe with three new maps and a mobile app (all free by the way!)
What’s stopping you from being a tourist? (And don’t just say ‘money’)
I want to travel the length and breadth of Africa, so guess what I did? I found a job as a volunteer here in Uganda. I then used this as a base to travel around East Africa. I knew I would never earn the money to see all these places independently, so that’s why I created this blog, bartering my way around the region by exchanging stories for a place to stay.
If you really want to travel, you will find a way. Like anything in life, it’s about having the right attitude.
What is tourism really? What is the difference between international and domestic tourism in Uganda?
Tourism is about many things.
For international visitors to Uganda, most of them want to see the country’s incredible wildlife. That may not be your thing. You may prefer hiking a volcano or birdwatching or learning about the cultures of different tribes. You may just want to shake your kabina at a music festival! Ugandan tourists often prefer traveling in big groups.
Maybe you like swimming or boat rides. Do you want to learn to sail on Lake Victoria? Learn to ride a horse? Ride a CAMEL?
The possibilities are ENDLESS – you just need a bit of imagination.
I was tickled pink when fellow blogger Tumuhimbise Moses sent me a link to his latest blog “Breaking resolutions with a 10km walk.” Thanks for the mentions Moses – keep up the excellent writing!
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How do I travel? Read some of Diary of a Muzungu’s bus and train adventures across Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda!
By bus from Kampala to Nairobi
By tuk tuk, bus and SGR train between Malindi, Watamu, Mombasa and Nairobi
Billing and cooing around Lake Saka, Fort Portal
Pelicans and Great-crested Grebes – monitoring birds at Lake Saka on behalf of NatureUganda
Billing and cooing around Lake Saka – or “more birdwatching with Rog!”
The sight of four Sacred Ibis flying overhead is “a good sign” according to Roger, as we drive down the dusty back roads of Fort Portal towards Lake Saka. “I’m surprised to see them here,” he says. A minute later two Grey Crowned Cranes follow their route. The road to Mountains of the Moon University is so dusty a boda boda drive towards us with a face mask on.
Roger is anxious about what birdlife we’ll see or more correctly what we won’t see at Lake Saka. When he lived in Fort Portal he walked around this lake four times a week. He is concerned at what damage may been done in the year since his visit. Roger is prepared to be disappointed.
We park at the university and within minutes Roger’s face lights up as he hears the sound of a Red-winged Francolin. “I didn’t think they’d still be here!” He says. “There were three pairs here before. It’s the only place I’ve seen them in Uganda.”
At an elevation of 1,576 metres, we are around 400 metre higher than our forest edge home and this is reflected in the different bird species.
Our group of guides and casual birders sets to work following the transects designated for the NatureUganda bird population monitoring. “There’s no time for birdwatching, we have to focus on the transects,” orders Roger. “We can dilly dally later, on our walk back.”
Julia takes notes and Dillon (aged 8 1/2) watches the clock for us.
I spy a Red-eyed Dove on the overhead wire.
“Palm nut Vulture!” Calls Ambrose.
“A Windchat – a migrant.”
A Pink-backed Pelican sits on the surface of the lake. “This is fabulous!” Exclaims Rog.
“African Fish Eagle in the distance” calls Ambrose.
Roger points out the African Stonechat. What a pretty pair of birds they are. The female is quite different to the male and has a reddish pink breast.
Sightings come quickly. There’s no time to watch the birds, only to record them and march on. A small flock of Black and White Manikins sit on bleached ears of maize.
“Chubb’s Cisticola” someone shouts – and a pause to check its ID in Fanshawe’s “Birds of East Africa.”
The striking Baglefecht’s Weaver poses in Erthrynia.
“Ants!” Shouts Dianah. We step over a trail of red (biting) ants across our path.
We walk down a quiet marram path that slopes gently downhill. We’ve been walking for twenty minutes and only passed two of three other people. There are no cars, no boda bodas. All we can hear are the sounds of nature.
In the distance are the misty foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains. A speck of white passes high in the sky, lit by the sun. “Little Egret,” calls Roger.
A Cinnamon-chested Bee eater perches on a branch above our heads.
“Ah BEAUTIFUL… !” Everyone coos at the same time.
“Charlotte – take a photo!”
“There’s no time for birdwatching” Julia shouts sarcastically, mimicking Roger, pushing us on.
There is the sound of running water and the air cools as we cross a small stream. Above it is a large messy Hammerkop nest in the crook of a tree. A man washes his boda boda in the flowing water.
“Isn’t there a law against that?” Muses Roger loudly as we file past the naughty boda driver.
We climb a long slope that opens high above the lake. “African Open-billed Stork!” Ambrose shouts. (I love those prehistoric-looking birds).
A lone cow bellows loudly.
We see another six African Open-billed Storks, then three more. Close by, eleven Bronze Manikins fly through the tall grass. In this lovely unspoiled piece of countryside there are few houses.
“We haven’t found a Grebe yet,” Roger. Despite some good bird sightings, his anxiety persists.
As we wander along the path, the team calls out bird names:
Two Northern Black Flycatchers… Short-winged Cisticola… Yellow-throated Longclaw… Eight Pink-backed Pelicans. “This is brilliant, there only used to be one!” Cries Rog.
I get a close-up shot of a Lavaillant’s Cuckoo in an avocado tree next to the path.
We hear the plaintive sound of cranes in the distance over the lake. A Variable Sunbird perches on the tip of a matooke leaf. “Pretty!” Says Dianah.
Eastern Grey Plantain eater… two Palm Swifts in flight…
“New section guys!” Shouts Julia every few minutes, as she records all the data.
Roger points to a ridge of the Rwenzori Mountains. “I’ve seen Angola Colobus up there,” he says.
I point to a Little Brown Bird. I know what it isn’t but I don’t know what it is. I have a feeling we haven’t counted it yet. “It’s a Tawny-flanked Prinia,” he corrects me, “a type of warbler.”
On Lake Kigere, we see four Yellow-billed ducks and – finally – two Great-crested Grebes!
This is the first in a series of blogs about the NatureUganda bird population monitoring of Kibale Conservation Area, which is carried out twice-yearly by a team from Sunbird Hill. The Kibale Conservation Area comprises Toro Semliki Wildlife Reserve, Semliki National Park, Kibale National Park (Sebitoli, Ngogo Road Kanyanchu, Mainara, Kanyawara), Lake Saka and Lake Bikere and Toro Botanical Gardens in Fort Portal and Katonga Wildlife Reserve.
Our friend Roger Skeen takes centre stage in many of my birding blogs. Here are a few favourites:
A birding safari here in my backyard. Traversing the swamp from Kampala en route to Port Bell
Operation Shoebill – Uganda’s Big Birding Day Mabamba Bay
A disgusting day out – counting vultures in Kampala’s abattoirs
Where shall we go birding next?
