UTB, Ekkula feud over awards

By Billy Rwothungeyo               

They are both trying to promote the growth of tourism in Uganda, at least going by what they say, but the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) and Ekkula, a local body organizing the Ekkula Pearl of Africa Tourism Awards are not on the same wave length.

UTB is organizing its own awards dubbed the Tourism Excellence Awards that will climax the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo. Both award ceremonies will be held in November.

“We have nothing to do with Ekkula awards. Going forth, if there is anyone peddling such lies (that UTB is associated with the Ekkula), we shall allow the Police to take its course,” said Edwin Muzahura, UTB’s marketing manager on Tuesday in Kampala.

“It could be someone trying to create some resources but we have not endorsed anybody,” said of the Ekkula awards, which were given the nod of approval by Tourism minister Maria Mutagamba.

In an interview with the New Vision, Bismarck Moses Amupaire, Ekkula’s team leader says he is surprised at the hostility exhibited by the UTB official.

“We worked on our awards concept with the ministry of tourism, and the minister advised us to even go ahead and register as a legal entity,” he says.

“We approached UTB requesting for a judge, and he (Muzahura) told us that they (UTB) are also trying to come up with similar awards. He then said they will get back to us, which they never did.”

Amupaire insists that they (Ekkula) do not have a problem with UTB.

“The problem is with the individual (Muzahura) and not the board. He is supposed to support us because we are trying to promote tourism, not fight us.”
 
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