Peace is paramount to tourism says Museveni
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By Our reporter
KASESE – President Yoweri Museveni has told people in Rwenzori to collaborate with security agencies in the sub-region to ensure peace prevails to boost tourism.
“Without peace, we cannot have tourism. Peace is the responsibility of all stakeholders. This is a requirement for people in Kasese and the entire region if we are to attain the city status,” he said Friday, September 27th, 2024.
Kasese is one of the districts government plans to upgrade to city status in June 2025
Recently there has been insecurity in the Rwenzori region that has affected the tourism sector especially the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attack that killed two foreign tourists as well as a local citizen at Kasese in Western Uganda. The attacks happened on Katwe Road between Lake Nyamununka and Kabatooro within Queen Elizabeth National Park.
In a speech read for him by Mr. Tom Butime, Minister for Tourism, the President said the government has invested heavily in infrastructure development to enhance tourism.
Every year on September 27, Uganda joins the rest of the world to celebrate World Tourism Day and this year’s theme will be “Tourism and peace”.
This day is a significant global observance introduced by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) to increase public awareness of the significance of tourism on a global scale and to demonstrate to the public how tourism benefits not only the economy but also the social, political, and cultural fabric of a destination.
Tourism is projected to employ over 348 million people in 2024 worldwide, which means that its development should be well-planned since it offers a great opportunity for citizens’ quality of life and the region’s economic vitality.
Butime also promised to remind the President of his pledge to rebuild the dilapidated Buhikira royal palace destroyed in November 2016 where King Charles Wesely Mumbere and dozens of his royal guards were arrested and later charged with, among others, terrorism.
“I am going carry the message to the President of his pledge to rebuild the palace, buy a motto cade for the King, and buy the late Kazini Hotel for the Kingdom,” he said.
The Minister was responding to the Kingdom’ Prime’ Mr Joseph Kule Muranga’s speech at the celebration.
Four Points Sheraton Kampala, Competitiveness and Enterprise Development Project, Makerere University, Uganda Wildlife Training Institute, and Hotel & Tourism Training Institute-Jinja were awarded by the Uganda Tourism Board for their role in promoting tourism in the country.
What you need to know about the potential in Kasese district:
The tourism sector still faces a lot of challenges that need to be addressed such as the destruction of forest reserves like Bugoma forest reserve in Bunyoro, and Zoka central forest reserve in northern Uganda through activities such as sugarcane growing, logging, and oil exploration in game reserves like Murchison falls national park which is a popular area for tourism.
Mineral Resources in the District:
There are a number of mineral resources in Kasese district; these include: Copper in Kilembe mines – which is being revived by government. Cement at Hima – where a second line has been constructed, Lime (Muhokya), Salt (Katwe Kabatooro) etc. These can further be explored to benefit the people of Kasese and the world at large.
Tourism Resource Tourism is a significant economic activity within the District given its natural resource endowment including mountains and national parks. It has given employment to a number of people who act as tourist guides as well as working in hotels like Mweya Safari Lodge, Margherita Hotel, etc.
Tourism plays a big role in national development and in this regard, Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has been contributing to the District’s development in the form of revenue sharing (20%) arrangement that covers primary school block construction, health units, and community halls in various areas of the District.
National Parks in Kasese District include Queen Elizabeth National Park, Rwenzori National Park, and Kibale National Park.
Wildlife sanctuaries include Katwe, Kasenyi, and Hamukungu while bird sanctuaries are located on the Kazinga Channels with over 6,000 species. From the available data, there has been a tremendous increase in the total number of tourists visiting various wildlife conservation centers in the Kasese District from 9,238 (2000) to 47,085 (2005). This implies that there is also increased revenue collected from these tourists. This is a positive move given the revenue-sharing arrangement that has contributed a lot to the education and health sectors of the community in the District. Water Flow There are many rivers in Kasese that flow from mountain Rwenzori. These have two major potentials; source of electricity production and water for irrigation. Power / Electricity Potential in the rural communities
There is great potential of developing electricity (power) in the district. So far; four dams are in the district and another has been developed by Tronder Power in Bugoye Sub County. The Nyamwamba Small Hydro Power Project under South Asia Management –California is developing another dam in Kilembe Sub County which is estimated to generate between 14 – 15 Megawatts.
However, there are a number of potential rivers and areas that have been surveyed and they have the potential for irrigation.
The government is also upgrading the airstrip to an international airport; which would link Kasese to the rest of the world directly.
