Ugandans told to embrace tourism

The Archbishop of Kampala, Dr Cyprian Kizito Lwanga reciting prayers before a tour of seven hills of Kampala on Sunday. (Credit: Juliet Lukwago)

TOURISM | VISIT

KAMPALA - In her interaction with the Archbishop of Kampala, Dr Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, the head of marketing of Kampala sightseeing, Diana Lisa Namubiru, could not hide her disappointment with Ugandans.

“Most of the people who use the Safari tourism bus are foreigners. A few Ugandans take off time to tour around the city,” she said.

Yet, despite the limited number of Ugandans engaging in tourism, Lwanga believes that things can change if an aggressive campaign is launched to attract them to tourism.

Lwanga said part of the solution to the growing disinterest in tourism by Ugandans is to develop a culture of luring visiting friends to at least tour the city.

The Archbishop, who over the weekend took off time to tour the Kampala seven hills with a visiting delegation of  his German friends, observed  that whenever one visits any European country, the first thing they do is take you on a tour around their cities.

Archbishop Lwanga (right) chats with his German visitors at Namugongo after the Holy Mass. (Credit: Juliet Lukwago)

 “This is what Ugandans should do. And today (Sunday) I have emulated this culture by taking my German friends on a tour around Kampala. Many of us live in Kampala, but we never get time to tour the seven hills of our city. It is a shame that people from other countries know our country better than us,” he said.

On Sunday morning, Lwanga and his entourage started the Kampala tour at Hotel Africana. Aboard the modern double-decker bus that carries a maximum of 64 people, the tourists described Kampala's scenery as beautiful.

 “This is my second time in Uganda. I came during Pope Francis’s visit in 2015, but I did not get a chance to tour Kampala city.  Uganda is beautiful country,” remarked Wolfgang Schleicher.

Archbishop Lwanga with his visitors during a tour in Kampala recently. (Credit: Juliet Lukwago)

Other German tourists such as Tanja Eiedrich and Corndia Branz, described their tour around Kampala as “marvelous”, explaining that they enjoyed Ugandan meals such as matooke and fruits.

The hop-on and hop-off sightseeing bus was launched in December last year.

Ugandans and East Africans pay sh100, 000, while foreign tourists pay $30 (about sh105,000).

After touring Kampala, Lwanga and his German friends headed to Namugongo Martyrs Shrine, where he held mass. They later visited the Anglican Martyrs Shrine Museum.