2016 presidential elections and its impact on tourism.

The approaching elections in 201 will probably affect tourism; so, in this post we attempt to consider all possibilities. Uganda is scheduled to enter elections in February of next year. Many presidential hopefuls have chosen nomination forms for this campaign that are anticipated to be fiercely disputed in preparation. Although this is not the proper place, His Excellency the President of Uganda Mr. Yoweri Museveni was recommended by the National Resistance movement caucus as our single candidate for 2016 as we write.

Leaders are intended to be approved first by the National Delegates conference then by the central executive committee. Among those hoping to be president is Mr Amama Mbabazi, former vice president and secretary general of the National Resistance Movement, who revealed his ambition last month. His ambition has produced considerable turbulence, most notably within the National Resistance Movement even before a flag bearer is chosen.

Declaring his objectives outside the guidelines controlling the National Resistance Movement, they accuse him of breaking the norms. This week Dr Kizza Besigye, a three-time loser to the incumbent president Yoweri Museveni, was nominated in the Forum for Democratic Change together with FDC chairman Mugisha Muntu. Many people are watching to see how this might influence the travel business.

Lowering of visitor count

Low tourism flow at the start of 2016 is probably expected as visitors won’t know what could happen before or during these February elections. Not knowing what is likely to happen, tour operators, hoteliers, and all the other interested parties are fervently hoping for peace and stability before, during, and after the elections.

A tourist won’t visit any place where his security is never assured. The present president, His Excellency Yoweli Museveni, underlined that many people depend on him to ensure that the present stability of Uganda is maintained as none anybody can bring about instability in Uganda.

Travel Investments Most likely to Stop

Apart from government-operated infrastructure like highways, we probably will witness a decline in the demand of private sector investment in the tourist sector. No one would want to commit their capital to any nation most likely to see unrest. Therefore, Ugandans hope that the results of the 2016 elections would be embraced by the losers thereby preserving stability.

Shill depreciations

Since more and more shillings are being injected into the economy to enable the forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections, the dollar has been gaining at the cost of the Uganda shill leaving it weak throughout much of May, June and July.

This would probably influence tourism as Uganda will be seen as a costly travel destination when compared to our African counterparts. Given little money in the economy, lower exports and more importing of products and services are likely to ruin the travel industry overall. Government has set tourism as one of the main industries to help the nation generate more foreign currency; so, circumstances must be favorable for this to happen.

Why did Uganda Airlines collapse.

Uganda Airlines was dissolved in 3001, and all activities were effectively ended then. It had no aircraft to operate by that time, but it was employing about two thousand people. One of the two boeings, 707, was judged trash and hence unable to operate; the other had smashed in Rome. Staff members were cut from two thousand to four hundred and new aircraft leased from Australia and Air Zimbabwe but were insufficient to run on all routes most particularly to Europe in an attempt to salvage Uganda Airlines.

Although Uganda Airlines was crucial in terms of getting passengers to and from Uganda, today we examine the likely causes of its demise. Many have shed tears for its restoration to facilitate the movement of people and commodities as well as for increasing tourism in Uganda, which government has designated as a major industry of the country.

Earlier initiatives had seen the government of Uganda join with a private investor to launch Air Uganda, but it was rather unfortunate that same firm folded last year as it did not meet to international safety and flying requirements.

It has been shown that government officials did not understand the value of a national carrier at the time of collapse, so financing was not being received and numerous people—mostly suggested by government officials—were still being recruited. Government did not understand that establishing an anational carrier will not only encourage tourism and visitor influx to Uganda but also help to smooth the flow of people and products. This finally made Uganda Airlines weaker till it sank in 3001.

Uganda Airlines was not shielded from rivalry from other airlines like Kenya Airways and other foreign businesses. Uganda Airlines had cut its debt by 1994; all it needed to bounce back from was protection from other rivals. While other countries, like Kenya, were defending their businesses and pumping additional money, Uganda’s government just laid back and let Uganda Airlines fail.

While the government of Kenya and other governments were waiving off taxes and other charges on Kenya Airways, Uganda did not thereby leaving it with lots of bills and numerous workers. certain believe that there were certain insiders whose aim was to kill off Uganda Airlines.

Companies like Swiss Air, Lufthansa, Sabena seeking to save Uganda and Airlines were turned away by Uganda’s government. One wonders why government turned down this aid even though it was not infusing in any dime to manage Uganda Airlines. And as such wows persisted throughout Uganda Airlines’ ultimate demise.

Uganda Airlines therefore had nothing left, and when Air Uganda was launched, many were rather eager to see what it would bring on board. This failed and in 2014 it ceased business leaving Uganda without a National carrier under name. Many individuals are now pushing the government to pursue restoring Uganda Airlines as they believe it has a role in this century.

Uganda National parks in top 50 best Africa Parks – Africa Safari destinations.

Things are looking positive for tourism in Uganda as three of her national parks have been ranked among Africas finest fifty National parks to be visited in 2015 by safari bookings, an internet port with huge readership all over the globe. Among the National Parks shown are Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, and Kidepo National Park.

The Holland’s based safari booking service conducted this poll and rating wherein Murchison Falls National Park came in 39th position in Africa, Queen Elizabeth National Park came in 34th, and Kidepo Valley National Park came in 14th.

Although mountain gorilla trekking and chimpanzee tracking respectively make Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Kibale National Parks the most popular and visited National parks in Uganda, they were not mentioned in this poll since only national parks providing classic wildlife viewing were the only ones considered.

Located in northern Uganda, Kidepo Valley National Park was last year ranked as the greatest National park in Africa where chances of viewing predators like lions are very high. The only national park you can find the uncommon cheaters in is Kidepo National Park. One of the greatest places to visit Kidepo National Park in Uganda is among the big herds of buffaloes, Elephants and antelopes. Another addition for everyone visiting Kidepo National Park is the karamajongo culture.

The Kajongo would welcome you to attend and experience their dances and manyata. The disarming program wherein all fighters who used to undermine peace in the area were disarmed is helping Kidepo national park to enjoy relative calm. Now the government is working on roads as well as pushing private companies to run planned and charter flights to the Park, thereby enhancing accessibility.

Murchison Falls national park is the biggest conservation area in Uganda and is well-known for boat rides to the foot of the tremendous falls and to the delta, wildlife drives along the northern bank of the Nile, and sports fishing, which is fast becoming popular. There is no introduction needed here. Visitors to this national park may also make a very difficult climb to the top of the waterfall or trek chimpanzees in Budongo woodland.

Located on the floor of the vast western arm of the East African rift Valley, Queen Elizabeth National Park is in western Uganda. One’s stay is amazing when one takes a boat tour in the Kazinga waterway with the greatest hippo concentration overall. Reaching any crater lake like Katwe is fulfilling; game drives in Kasenyi provide amazing vistas of the moon’s highlands. Improved accommodation and accessibility has resulted in a very good stay and experience.

Uganda is always gaining from such honors since she was selected as the top travel destination in 2015. Should such things go on, we will see more visitors visiting Uganda as long as the nation has relative peace and stability.

allotted funding have now quadrupled from what the ministry used to receive, the tourism industry was allotted thirty billion shillings for promoting Uganda as a tourist destination in the recently finished budget reading. We believe this will go a long way to achieve anything. (Based on only sixteen billion shillings)

Giraffes to be introduced in Lake Mburo National Park.

The fresh ideas at Uganda Wildlife Authority of moving animals from one area would help Mburo National Park. Public relations of Uganda Wildlife Authority Mr. Jossy Muhangi said that this year a starting project of twelve giraffes would be moved from Murchison Falls National Park to lake Mburo National Park. Like Queen Elizabeth National Park and Murchison Falls National Park, this is aimed to increase domestic and international tourism as well as make lake Mburo a popular national park.

Because of the presence of impalas that cannot be found in any other Ugandan National Parks as well as Zebras and the addition of giraffes to this small national park, the number of visitors both domestic and international is expected to increase and most likely the number of days spent in lake Mburo National Park by individual tourists will also increase since the park will be more appealing than it has been before.

Remembering that the establishment of Lake Mburo National Park was a forceful one whereby the government forcefully gazatted communal land into a national park, the local community who used to benefit from grazing their animals in this area never loved the idea something that resulted in the poisoning and killing of all lions in the park.

Where this project will work of fail remains a question to be answered by you and me. Consultations with the surrounding people were so undertaken and subsequently decided that portion of the National Park property might be used for grazing.

Uganda Wildlife Authority considered adding a pride of lions to draw more visitors to Lake Mburo National Park last year, however people who visit the National Park said they have never had any opportunity to see them on any game drive.

Though they hide and are rather timid, you may hear roaring at night. Though time will tell if they will embrace the new environment, this appears like a failed attempt. There will be questions over the survival of these giraffes as Lake Mburo National Park has a limited area for such species and we still have to see how the nearby population will respond.

The closest to Kampala city is Lake Mburo National Park; if such ideas prove successful, then we should expect many visitors to this national park with justification stating that there is less to see and that the park serves as a stop over to break the long drives to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park gorillas will long be gone.

Through park admission fees, boat cruises, walking safaris, and more bed nights for National Park lodges like Mihingo, Mpono, Lake Mburo Safari Lodge, Arcadia cottages, Rwonyo camp among other lodges, more visitors imply more income. National parks will also be competitive as, while originally each national park has been highly special and unlike others, if this idea is overlooked we are likely to see more national parks neglected.

Lake Mburo National Park Community Benefits – Lake Mburo Safaris – Horse riding.

Uganda Wildlife authorities have kept their promise to provide some money or income back-off to the nearby Ugandan towns around National Parks. Three areas around Lake Mburo National Park of Isingiro, Mbarara, and Kiruhura have received more than two hundred and fifty million Uganda shillings, according to The Weekly observer.

These money will be used for initiatives chosen by local governments in these areas, including building healthy centers, road and many others as judged necessary. Uganda Wildlife Authority launched the income sharing scheme in order to strengthen her links with the nearby villages surrounding Uganda National Park.

Local communities used to use National parks directly for hunting, gathering firewood, herbs, honey among others but lost out on all these direct benefits something that drove a conflict between protected areas and the local communities around before they were gazzetted.

With regard to Lake Mburo National Park, the situation was not different. Originally communalally owned, the hea pastoralists utilized this area—which subsequently became a National Park—for grazing their Ankole long-horned cattle; however, their access to the park was blocked when it was gazzatted.

This culminated in a major confrontation between the hima and the park officials that ended in the death of every lion in Lake Mburo National Park. All pride of lions were poisoned to extinction, which led to a desire for people to sit and talk about with the nearby national parks.

From these conversations, it was decided that the local people most particularly impacted by the establishment of these National Parks should get a set proportion from gate collecting. Since then, this has been carried out as one of the plans to enhance parks and neighborhoods.

Among other creatures, lake Mburo National Park is well-known for its zebras and impalas. One may have a safari walk in the wild or a wildlife drive in addition to a boat tour on the lake. Popular for birdwatching is also Lake Mburo National Park; some resorts, like Mihingo, provide horseback riding as well.

Mihingo Lodge, Mantana Tented Camp, Rwakobo Rock, Arcadia Cottages, Lake Mburo Safari Lodge, Rwonyo Camp and many more such lodges dotting Lake Mburo National Park.

Of all the National Parks around Kampala, Lake Mburo National Park is the closest. From Capital City Kampala, it is around 4 hours’ trip via the stunning country side of Uganda adorned with road side shops offering fresh vegetables and fruits, drums like those at Mpambire royal drum manufacturers.

You also have a chance to stop over near the equator for basic experiments and pictures. If time allows, you might pause and enjoy the experience with the hima grazing their Ankole long horned cattle.

For all those visiting Uganda for gorillas who have some additional time, we advise spending at least one night in Lake Mburo National Park to experience this lovely national park as well as break the lengthy travel from Kampala to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.