Culture meets cuisine on the Kampala Tourism Walk

The Buganda Kingdom has stepped forward with a fresh cultural tourism product in response to a call by Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) CEO, Juliana Kagwa, for new initiatives that make visitors’ stay in the country memorable.

Their latest offering, The Kampala Walk, combines history, culture, food, and faith into a unique experience centred at Bulange Palace.

Walking the Royal Mile

“We are now telling our story as we walk The Royal Mile,” explained Najib Nsubuga, CEO of Tour Buganda. “Long before the British arrived, Buganda had a parliament with a speaker, practised advanced metal smithing, and even conducted cesarean sections using rudimentary tools. Our library keeps the records. The challenge is ensuring visitors leave some of the budget they come with right here.”

The walk is carefully curated to immerse participants in Buganda’s layered past. Visitors encounter crafts, oral history, and narratives that bring to life the achievements and eccentricities of Buganda’s monarchs.

Tour guide Brian Senoga, for instance, paints a vivid picture of Kabaka Muteesa II - not just as a king, but as an athlete groomed to play for the Uganda Cranes, excelling in football, rugby, and horse riding. His successor, Kabaka Ronald Mutebi II, is remembered for his philanthropy, free medical consultations at Kingdom health centres, and education initiatives that extend support to refugee children.

There are also tales of Kabaka Suna, the wrestling monarch who once spared a condemned fighter after a three-hour duel, rewarding him instead with a lifetime role in the royal guard. To this day, his descendants serve in the palace.

A culinary crown jewel

The Kampala Walk climaxes with an indulgence of the senses: the rich aroma of steaming banana leaves, nutty groundnut stew, and smoky chicken Luwombo drifting across Bulange Hill.

Once a palace meal reserved for Kabaka Mwanga’s royal guests, Luwombo has evolved into a national delicacy enjoyed at weddings, festivals, and restaurants. Beyond food, it is a cultural ceremony—meat, fish, or groundnut paste marinated with local spices, wrapped in banana leaves, and steamed slowly until every flavour fuses into an earthy feast.

Chef Yudaya Nabatanzi, who regularly hosts international visitors, explains the etiquette that goes with such meals: “No peeking into another’s plate, avoid noisy slurps, and always save the prized piece of meat for the final bite. The refilling never ends as long as the mountain of matooke (bananas) remains.”

She recalls the delight of her Japanese guests when they discovered that a meal in Uganda could be as much ritual as nourishment.

Landmarks and sacred spaces

The trail winds past the man-made Kabaka’s Lake, a pre-colonial engineering marvel, and shrines where church drums were once banned. It culminates at Bulange Palace, still a functioning seat of power and tradition.

But Kampala’s story does not stop there. The city’s skyline is punctuated with spiritual landmarks.

Just outside the capital sits the Uganda Martyrs Shrine at Namugongo, which each June attracts millions of pilgrims honouring the 45 Christians executed under Kabaka Mwanga. Its hut-shaped architecture houses relics and murals narrating their sacrifice.

On Kampala’s hills, Rubaga and Namirembe Cathedrals stand as twin guardians of Catholic and Anglican faiths, while the Gaddafi National Mosque - the largest in East Africa - offers panoramic views of the bustling capital from its towering minaret.

Markets and handcrafted treasures

No Kampala experience is complete without a visit to its markets. Nakasero Market bustles with fresh produce and spices, while Owino (St. Balikuddembe) hums with vendors hawking secondhand clothes, phone parts, and saucepans in a cacophony of trade.

For curated souvenirs, the Buganda Road Crafts Market offers handmade baskets, bark cloth, jewellery, masks, and paintings. Tourists often leave with these affordable treasures, each piece a story woven into Kampala’s cultural fabric.

More than a walk

Flagged off at the National Theatre, the walk leads participants through Kampala’s beating heart—past Aladinah Visram’s shop in Nakasero, St. Balikuddembe Shrine, and into Mengo and Bulange Palace.

“This city is a living classroom,” said Anne Namisango, one of the organisers. “By day, Kampala reveals itself as a centre of commerce, history, and storytelling. By night, it transforms into a hub of music, dance, and laughter. At its heart lies food like Luwombo - anchoring visitors in tradition even as the city races into the future.”

Kampala: Both starter and climax

The Kampala Walk captures the city’s soul: heritage in every drumbeat, resilience in its markets, spirituality in its shrines, and generosity in its cuisine. For visitors, it is a reminder that Kampala is not merely a stopover en route to Uganda’s wildlife parks and mountains—it is a destination in itself.

As guide Nsubuga put it: “Let visitors dine, wine, and dance the way we do best. Kampala can be both the starter and the climax of destination Uganda.”