Toro endowed with oral literature

SITES AND SOUNDS | TOURISM 

If you have ever been thrilled by the wealth of Uganda's oral literature, a trip to Fort Portal brings one to the setting of a plot where: intrigue, love, friendship and betrayal were interwoven.

The narrative is more appealing and has a moral message to ordinary mortals than the geographical theory of volcanic eruption and magma cooling resulting in the stalactite formation.

For nature lovers the thrill begins once one snuggles into the green canopy, slides and wades through mud.

"The Bachwezi used to live here?" asks the youngest tourist Frederic Kakembo, 8.

"In history lessons we were told that they just disappeared. But they left foot marks when they stepped on a rock!"

His voice fades in the chorus of insects chirping in the wood.

Audibly out competing them are tweeting birds as they fly, court and nest. Listen carefully and hear reptiles stealthily slithering in the undergrowth.

A hiss is heard here and tree breaking cannot be ignored.

Naughty Colobus monkeys hop from one branch to another pulling faces upon seeing a serpent.

The air is dunked with decaying leaves and timber. The climax is the sound of a waterfall that musically blends with a woodpecker doing what it does best.

"The water has a healing effect after submerging in it," revealed a guide, Sheila Kankwansa.  

"There is a belief that the powers of the Bahwezi are able to: boost one's fortunes, enable the siring of twins and getting a spouse or a job.

The powers are believed to have been left behind by the mysterious Bachwezi, before they vanished.

Excited, Jaffar Ajena pulls out a music box and punches the play button. And he turns the volume button high. Another nature walker opens his bottle of Nile Special.

Mobile phones and cameras are fished out as every moment in the thicket is being recorded and shared on social media.

Then a sign reads as we navigate - noise is prohibited, I asked our guide why and I was informed that management wants to keep the forest as natural as possible.

"Noise interrupts nature's rhythm," explains Kankwasa.

"You will see the birds flap their wings in flight as monkeys will sneak deeper in the wood. Hedgehogs, rats, mongoose, Insects and other creatures follow suit. The aim of silence is to leave the ecology as natural as we can. This world needs some eco balance."

Finally we were at the caves with the dripping breasts of pretty Nyina Mwiru who lived in the 14^th Century.

They are covered with moss and ooze some whitish liquid. At this point everyone with a camera struggles to get the best angle, others strip to have a shower and shoot selfies.

"Mwiru's father King Bukuku had rejected several men proposing to marry her," narrated Kankwansa.

"That is what caused him to isolate her here in the caves after chopping off her breast to reduce her appeal to men."

And it was in this quarantine where the king of the Batembuzi Isaza found her and got her pregnant.

"Without breasts the baby called Ndahura survived on the liquid dripping from the cave roof who later found the mysterious Bachwezi dynasty based 150km in Mubende."

Summing up that "In the evening of his life Ndahura chose to return to his roots and left his footprints somewhere in the caves."

Come to think about the moral message in the narrative at this time of presidential campaigns when ten candidates are garnering support in different parts of the country.

Many have fallen out with the other after feeling betrayed.

There are those branded political prostitutes, greedy and others are branded power gluttons. All these are attributes in Bukuku the main character.

Back to the nature walk, the climax of the day was scaling Kenganya hill rising 1.6km above sea level.

We were inspired that upon reaching the top is when one appreciates what Tooro is endowed with. True we proved. But getting there was not child play.

"Daddy are we going to heaven?" panting for breath asked Fred. He removed his shoes and Kamkwasa volunteered to carry them.

"Boy can I carry you?" offered a video journalist. "You look worn out!"

He declined the offer and opted to refuel his energy levels with biscuits, a banana and water.

Ironically one hundred meters after the Biblical like "Good Samaritan" offer by the video journalist, he surrendered and retreated. But later said going down was even harder.

Finally we were at the top having a bird's view of the crater lakes down in the valleys.

We saw Kigere, Wabikere and Saka reflecting the blue sky.  Midway, some walkers retreated saying they were not warned about the challenge.

On the top one could see more than six crater lakes punctuating the valleys beneath.

Among them were gardens of bananas, coffee, potatoes and beans. And one cannot miss the donkeys and fenced off homesteads that are on the increase in the neighborhood.

The administrative center of Kabarole happens to be Fort Portal, the seat of Toro Kingdom.

It is swathed in tea plantations and has a silhouette of the Mount Rwenzori peaks in clear clouds. The people come very friendly and welcoming even to strangers.

According to the minister of tourism in the kingdom, Joan Kantu, before bottled beer hit the counter this tribe had their own banana foot wine.

It was taken to celebrate the birth of a new baby, marriage, funerals and after a good harvest.

"For instance we even had our own clothes like bark cloth, entertainment and a culture that gives us an identity," said Katono.

"A grinding stone was a must have at home, granaries were our way of ensuring food security in case there was drought, floods or crop failure. Time was also told using the angle at which a shadow was."

On top of that the board game, wrestling and oral literature were popular pass time before football was dominated where wrestling and football dominated the entertainment scene.

Getting there

Mabere ga Nyina Mwiru is located four hour drive from Kampala City by bus or private vehicle.

It is 5km west of Fort Portal City near Nyakasura High School and Lake Kikere.

Accommodation in Fort Portal ranges between sh20, 000 to sh400, 000 per night for budget and high end service providers.

The road is tar marked all the way.

It is accessible from Masindi, Mbarara and Hoima.