EU delegates encounter difficult roads to Mt. Elgon National Park

TOURISM    INFRASTRUCTURE

The outgoing Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu has appealed to the government to fix the inaccessible roads leading to tourist spots as one of the strategies to boost tourism in the country.

He said poor infrastructure was making it difficult for tourists to access potential tourism spots in the country, coupled with poor or no communication networks including internet, saying in the modern times' visitors needed to keep in touch with the rest of the world while on their journeys in the countryside.

Locals join policemen to push one of the cars belonging to an envoy of the European Union on their way back from Mt. Elgon National Park in Kapchorwa district, Dec 11, 2019. Photo by Eddie Ssejjoba

 
The minister made the remarks last week after a successful 3km nature walk to the magnificent Kapkwai Cave, one of the largest caves in the Mt. Elgon National Park in Kapchorwa district, Eastern Uganda, where he led the European Union (EU) delegates on a four-day retreat in Eastern Uganda.       

The visitors, led by the EU head of delegation in Uganda, Attilio Pacifici found difficulty accessing the site, where most of their powerful vehicles would get stuck in the mud and the envoys had to get out. It required the intervention of locals to push some vehicles that got trapped after a downpour.  

The ambassador of Sweden, Per Lindgarde leads other EU delegates and UWA officials to a nature walk to Kapkwai Cave on the slopes of Mt. Elgon, Dec 11, 2019. Photo by Eddie Ssejjoba

 
"To get to the site was tough, the road was inaccessible, no internet connection and there is difficulty getting communication here yet tourists always want to remain connected. We need the facilities to be here," Prof. Kamuntu said.

He applauded the envoys for the ‘stamina' they exhibited by walking up to the cave, which he said was one of the ways of consolidating friendship between Uganda and European countries.

The ambassador of Austria, Dr. Roswitha Kremser and other EU delegates and UWA officials during a nature walk to Kapkwai Cave on the slopes of Mt. Elgon, Dec 11, 2019. Photo by Eddie Ssejjoba

 
"We always want ambassadors to talk about us in their countries and it makes a lot of sense to talk about something they have seen," he said, adding that their visit was historic since it was the first time that seven envoys out of nine on the trip visited Mt. Elgon.

Walking to the peak of the Mountain however takes four days, according to information at the Forest Exploration Centre, where the visitors were welcomed by singing women. They later planted trees in memory of their visit.

The outgoing tourism Minister, Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu (l) and EU head of delegation Attilio Picifici (being decorated) at the Forest Exploration Centre in the Mt. Elgon National Park where they set off for a nature walk to Kapkwai Cave on the slopes of Mt. Elgon, Dec 11, 2019.

 
The minister pledged that Uganda would continue to conserve nature for the benefit of the entire human race and for generations to come, saying conservation was a global issue and had strong attachments to climate concerns.

The forest, he said, was replanted with funds from the Dutch government. 

Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu, the outgoing minister for tourism, wildlife, and antiquities, (in yellow) and EU envoys admire a tree as they walked to the Kapkwai Cave in the Mt. Elgon NP, Dec 11, 2019. Photo by Eddie Ssejjoba

 
Pacifici said there were huge potentials and possibilities in the region but unfortunately ‘not all of them have been tapped.

 "We have met sports champions, and then we met the people who are incredible. We have also seen the beauty of nature here although we had to endure the tough roads to get here," he stated.

L-R, DR. Roswitha Kremser, the ambassador of Austria, Attilio Pacifici, the EU head of the delegation, Massimiliano Mazzanti of Italy and Per Lindgarde of Sweden walk through the Kapkwai Cave in the Mt. Elgon National Park, Dec 11, 2019.

 
Earlier, the delegates interfaced with national athletes including gold medalists Stephen Kiprotich, Halima Nakaayi, Joshua Cheptegei, Jacob Chiplimo, David Emong and other figures like Winnie Nanyondo at the Tereyet High Altitude Training Center in Kapchorwa district.

According to Pacifici, the trip was a good idea of sending messages to their own constituencies and their respective member states about the beauty in the region and the opportunities that exist.

"Sending messages to our member states is the minimum we can do to recognize the great work you are doing". 

He added, "The message we are taking to our respective member states is that there are huge opportunities here and huge verities of nature and beauty, especially the nature walk and the cave, which was a tough experience".

Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu, the outgoing minister for tourism, wildlife, and antiquities, left, with the EU head of delegation, Attilio Pacifici and the Austrian envoy, Dr. Roswitha Kremser other envoys plus UWA officials in the Kapkwai Cake in the Mt. Elgon NP, Dec 11, 2019.

 
The executive director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, Sam Mwandah who participated in the walk, however, said the inaccessible roads were a big challenge but ‘unfortunately we don't manage them'.

He said getting into the park was still a big problem and they had raised the matter with the district but the authorities said they did not have enough resources to maintain them. 

He said with 5,000 visitors a year, the money raised from tourists was not enough to cover the costs, and therefore pick money from elsewhere.

Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu, the outgoing minister for tourism, wildlife, and antiquities posing for a photo with the EU delegates and UWA officials in the Kapkwai Cave in the Mt. Elgon NP, Dec 11, 2019. Photo by Eddie Ssejjoba

 
  "As we develop tourism in the Eastern arm of Uganda, we need to improve it by providing the necessary infrastructure to attract more visitors," Mwandah said.

He, however, decried conflicts with the neighboring communities that encroach on the park for agriculture yet, he said, they needed it to avoid landslides.