Rolex is Uganda's new tourism product

From the roadsides in the slums of Kampala suburbs and other towns, a snack comprising a chapatti, eggs and vegetables, which was previously popular to only low income earners and students, has found its way to upmarket restaurants.

The snack, known as 'Rolex' in Uganda is a rolled chapatti containing eggs and vegetables. The Ugandan delicacy goes for about sh2, 000 on roadside food vending points Kampala suburbs and other towns, but sh6, 000 in some of the fast food joints in the city. The only difference about the 'Rolex' from the fast food joints is that is prepared in areas that look cleaner than the roadside food points. It can be served and eaten in restaurants or as a take away.

The Ugandan dish that CNN recently ranked as fastest growing new African fast food is also being sold in some of the shopping malls in Kampala. The growing popularity of the snack, especially after the CNN story, got the Uganda Tourism Board thinking of whether the dish can be promoted as a tourism product.

For a country that says it has embarked on an aggressive campaign to promote its untapped tourism potential, the concept of adding 'Rolex' to a list of tourism products was easily given a nod and seen as a plus to Uganda's promotional effort.

Draped in a cloth bearing Uganda flag colours, the state minister for tourism, wildlife and antiquities, Godfrey Kiwanda, announced yesterday that  a carnival will take place in Kampala on Sunday to promote 'Rolex' as Uganda's new tourism product.

Before the minister arrived at Uganda Media Centre in Kampala to make the announcement, an oven containing 'Rolex' was placed on a table in the press conference room.  A Makerere University based Kansel Enterprises Company, was hired to provide 'Rolex' for the ceremony.

Kiwanda delivered his statement swiftly, saying he could not wait to start eating 'his Rolex'.

"It is so sweet. You people should embrace rolex. It is so delicious," he said as he ate the snack. The company supplied three brands of 'Rolex' prepared with chapatti rolled in eggs, beef and vegetables.