Jinja bursting with amazing wonders

By Titus Kakembo

The British premier, Winston Churchill, baptised Uganda ‘the Pearl of Africa’. He went ahead to prophesy that: “Jinja is destined to become a very important place in the future economy of Africa.”

True to his predictions, the Source of The Nile, found in Jinja, was recently declared one of the seven wonders on the African continent.

Curious about what makes Jinja tick, I set off for the 82km journey. At the Owen Falls Dam Bridge, I discovered that the western side of rocky Jinja town is mainly defined by the River Nile. This is the starting point for river’s winding 6,500km-path to the Mediterranean Sea.

At the source of this great river is a bronze statue of Indian rights crusader Mahatma Ghandi, overlooking the shores. It is from here, that according to his wishes, his ashes were thrown into the river.

The rising and falling landscape is like an intricate master piece of blending colours. For sports tourists, the Golf Course hugs the banks of Lake Victoria.

White water rafting and bungee are some of the other thrills to experience in Jinja. “Come to the Wildwater rafting at a fee of $125 for a full day and $115 for half a day,” urges John Kintu a staff. “The rapids are so large, very exciting and relatively safe,” confides seasoned rafter Silver Keith. “They are similar to the waves in the ocean. They are better because the course has very few obstacles that injure passengers.”

“I practically touched my heart to make sure it was still beating,” recounts Zahara. “It was such a thrill as I touched the water. I remember seeing other people do it with their eyes wide open and mouth agape.” On a casual walk through Jinja town, one cannot miss the bicycle jams and the occasional cool breeze sweeping in from the lake.

Parking space is not a hustle. Joseph Katende, a self-proclaimed tour guide on a boda boda, reels off the places to visit; for example, the rocky outcrop in Mayuge where Bishop Hannington was executed. “The origin of the name Jinja is contestable,” says Katende. “One theory has it that it was derived from the Luganda word jjinja (stone) on which the Rippon Falls rippled before the construction of Owen falls Dam.”

But a publication, The Best of Uganda, has it that the original Jinja was centered on a hill where the government offices and residential houses are. This was to later become Busoga Square.

Historically, the place was called kiyira (gurgling of water over stones). Asked how the name Nile was coined, Katende looks up and says: “Naire in Lusoga means nothing? When Speke came here and tried to communicate with the residents, they kept on using the word naire. Consequently, he corrupted naire into ‘nile’.”

Oral history aside, the River Nile, according to recorded documentation, cradled the ancient Egypt civilisation. This was reportedly   evidenced in the writings of ancient Greeks and Arabs who had been in contact with the East African coast. Ptolemy, the geography scholar of repute in the second Century AD, incorporated River Nile in his prose.

Jinja opened as a government station in April 1901. By then it had a population of 80,000. The turning point was the decision to construct a barrage across the Nile. This incorporated a hydroelectric power station. Industries boomed after the completion of Owen Falls Dam in 1954.

“The municipal authorities have left most of the shores open to visitors,” says the LC5 chairperson, Mohamed Kezaala. “We collect revenues from guests but they are not adequate to put it to world standards. We need a helping hand from the central government if we are to market  it aggressively and improve infrastructure,” Kezaala says.

A group of Busoga MPs, including Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga, have teamed up with residents to see how to tap from the tourism potential of Jinja. Kezaala says: “From May 11 to 13, all roads will lead to Kagulu for rock climbing. It is a family adventure. Registration is underway in Jinja municipality and Kampala City with a discount for students.”

The Minister of Tourism, Maria Mutagambwa, says: “Tourism is the second biggest income earner to the country. The onus is upon you (the local leaders) to identify how to reap from it.”