The Kabaka’s coronation: A sultan, politician and joyful affair
What started as a drive would climax in an event-packed coronation for the Kabaka, a king in the Buganda kingdom. First a man, Abubakar Ssentongo would get himself a house. Ssentongo, also a subject of the Kabaka who lives in the Katabi sub-county is an old man battling a severe spinal cord impairment.
Sadly with over 10 children and a wife to provide for, the man had found himself in a dire situation. So, together with Habitat for Humanity, and as part of his drive to the coronation, the Kabaka Ronald Mwenda Mutebi gifted Ssentongo a house. Yes, a house!
Fast-forward to the coronation day, the Sultan of Sokoko Caliphate in Nigeria, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar was present in the event graced by thousands. The extremely excited crowd gathered at Nkumba University, in Katabi town within in Wakiso District. As is the norm, a county is graced with the opportunity to organize and host the event, and this year, it was Busiro county, ardent subjects of their king.
With the theme ‘the role of Cultural Leaders in Providing Health and Education’ the event seemed to have attracted a host of local politicians. Hard to miss was vocal singer cum legislator, Robert Kyagulanyi better known as Bobi Wine. Though he couldn’t attend, the President was also very well represented by his Vice President, Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, who brought with him a Shs50million contributions towards the coronation preparations.
Note that this event is the anniversary of the day the Kabaka Ronald Mwenda Mutebi was crowned king. It must also be remembered that the cultural leader was first coroneted still in Busiro county in 1993. This came as a commitment by government to re-instate traditional leaders and let monarchies thrive within our national politics.
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Obukalabanda: A Wooden Sandal That Was the ‘in-thing’
Obukalabanda! Call it something tough! There was a time life was simple. When the air was cleaner and fashion breezy. Yes, it might have been eons ago, but it was a perfect time. A time when the world was effortlessly beautiful, and wooden sandals were en vogue. Also fondly called, obukalabanda by the people from the central. This was before today’s Gucci.
Far away from it in fact. Miu Miu and Jimmy Choo’s of this world didn’t even exist, not at all. An era where shoes were a myth and walking barefoot was not a problem.
So people got creative, they figured that they had to find a way of insulating their feet from the rough ground. It had to be something that would weather stones and thorns, it had to be strong. Something wooden, mahogany for the feet, and so they birthed the wooden sandals. Yes, these were sandals made out of wood.
To flirter and provide comfort, they would cut it into a foot-shaped base and design a little ‘anchor’ on which the big toe and index toe would hold. Yeah, we know, we agree too that it sounds hectic and uncomfortable, but it was on in-thing. These sandals were fashionable and durable. To adorn them was to have made it in life, never mind that the two toes felt like over-worked donkeys at the end of the day, these shoes rocked.
96-year-old Agwang Philomena chuckles at how sore her toes felt, but as a daughter of a clan chief, she dared not step out of the compound without them. “I am telling you those shoes would hurt the toes, especially for us who were heavy,” she laughingly recalls. “But any girl wearing them was of a higher class, just like we looked at the women who went to school and became teachers in our village.”
Agwang remembers how hard you had to scrub the feet before wearing the sandal. “There was this small stone outside the bathroom, we would spend hours scrubbing our feet there,” Agwang who hails from Bukedea District chuckles. “You can’t wear wooden shoes and again have torn legs!”
These shoes many agree could stand all kinds of weather and all kinds of surfaces; rough or smooth. They mirrored class and style. If you owned a pair, you belonged to society’s creme. Purists loathed them for their ugly shape, but who minded the shape, anyway? People loved them anyhow. But when civilization knocked on the door, they have wiped off the face of the earth.
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The Bwola Dance: Watch True Soul of Acholi Come to life!
Bwola. A dance with heart. True soul. A dance of pride, showcase, and just a little more pride. A leap here and there, but done with technique. Only for those with well-woven talents. Not just anyone, no! Bwola, the Acholi traditional dance for royalty.
Fun, entertaining, and brings with it cultural freshness. No wonder it was a preserve for entertaining traditional chiefs on the day they took their places. Also, specially preserved for other palace events among the Acholi. The dancers take this seriously, the look is as important as the skill, it must command attention.
Dancers adorn warriors’ worrisome traditional attire with feathers on their heads depicting nothing, but a strong cultural heritage. Feathers signify royalty. Voluptuous, traditional sounds sear through as dancers leap and jump and fashionably wobble on the ground like a well-choreographed dance troupe. They make a beeline and file and dance leaning towards the instrumentation usually played by someone in the middle.
They wiggle. They dance happily and proudly. The treat is as much in their faces as it is in the skill. A display of enjoyment and just reserve; as if they want to let go but must also control themselves. A tease of sorts, a bit of strength and radiance merged into a bowl of authentic Ugandan showcase. The spirit of the Acholi is in every move, their resilience ever does pronounce. Again, Bwola is a dance of pride!
What a traditional monument; a pillar of Acholi culture. It depicts strong warrior skills, how Africans are fierce and fearless, how Africans are brave and ready to attack, no matter the magnitude of the enemy. It may look strange, but it isn’t; it is a dance celebrated by the Acholi people. It shows nothing, but how people confronted their enemies – with unbridled brevity.
With quite the captivating routine, non-Acholi enjoy the Bwola dance as well. It is performed at weddings and parties. It is always performed by a bunch of traditional dancers who entertain guests leaping, wiggling, and pulling moves no ‘new school’s dancers will easily match. It is a unique dance. Traditional yet enjoyable and easy on the eye. It is a cultural practice that bonds people, strengthens marriages, and entertains guests.
The Bwola dance can only be required to Ankole’s Ekitaguriro and Bugisu’s Kadodi. It bonds people, strengthens marriages, and entertains guests, royal guests. Next time you’re at a wedding in Uganda, more especially in the Acholi region, look out for the Bwola dance. Should you spot it anywhere, then don’t miss it! The Bwola dance is en vogue. Call it the 21st Century break dance performed in Uganda where traditional meets are popular in dance matrimony.
Read MoreThe She Cranes dared to soar high
There uniform a true picture of the national colors; black, yellow, and red. Their spirit every bit a mimicry of the fight and strength of the Ugandan. Their ability to rise through all the challenges is everything the Ugandan is. We are talking netball here, the Country’s netball team, also fondly called the She Cranes.
For those that missed, the team, captained by the talented Peace Proscovia has been soaring high in Liver Pool, United Kingdom. Never mind that football had somehow overshadowed this beautiful game, the girls put up a spirited fight. Though they will be finishing 7th at the ongoing World Cup, this is a stride ahead from the last time where they finished 8th. To finally get here though, they had to beat Zimbabwe in what would be their 4th win in eight games played.
Online site PML Daily caught a bite from the ecstatic She Cranes assistant coach Nelson Bogere, about finishing 7th. “We came here wanting to do better than in 2015 and we have managed to achieve that,” Said Bogere. “It has been a tough tournament but it’s not that we didn’t expect it.
One of the stars of the game, also the center of the team, Stella Oyella didn’t just think this was good for Uganda but said that Africa is rising. “It’s been amazing, and so competitive from day one,” she told the organizers of the tournament. “Africa is rising – though we are competing with each other, we come from Africa, and we like to keep that bond together.”
This is the most they have won since making their debut in 1979. This had many wondering if Government should actually put more strength into athletics and games like netball. Asked what she thought was most important about this game, Peace Proscovia, the team’s captain, also among those chosen as ambassadors of the game internationally, said it was the fact that it unifies many women.
Read MoreA bamboo way to the Mugisu’s heart
By View Uganda
To the non-Bagisu, the word is malewa. However, the authentic Mugisu begs to differ; the word is in fact maleya or pluralised into Kamaleya. Yes, that is the food that has the Bagisu, a tribe found on the gentle slopes of Eastern Uganda. A tribe with roots is dug into the scenic slopes of Mount Elgon, wherefrom this food sprouts.
Maleya is simply a bamboo shoot! Though it can be eaten fresh too, what mostly hits the market is the dried one. When fresh, it can be stir-fried into a stew and will have a cooked cucumber-like taste. But since the fresh one is almost hard to find, what we see is the dried one.
The unspoken rule for preparing the dried Maleya is to cook in a groundnut source and serve preferably with matooke (green bananas) or sweet potatoes. The cooking process is nothing complex really, as all it requires is water salt, and groundnut paste. But dare we say, this dried bamboo shoot is a delicacy that is imprinted in the Mugisu’s heart.
Dealers in this delicacy must comb the wild slopes of Mount Elgon and bare the steep hills to comb out these shoots. It is becoming harder and harder to do this as the population grows to make it even more precious. Forget that it looks like banana fibers, Maleya is a treasure to behold!
Recipe
- Wash and cut into small pieces
- Boil in water and salt till soft
- Add groundnut paste and simmer
Number 4: Time to go fishing on Lake Victoria
First of all, safety is germane! The entire excursion is a tale of a well-organized and executed affair, complete with attention to safety. Before we delve into it, not that Lake Victoria is one of the very few freshwater bodies in the world that are still lonely save for a lone canoe in a distance. This should allow you to rediscover what you like about each other without feeling like your privacy is compromised.
It helps that the temperature in and around the lake is friendly all year round. Listening to the calm waves gently splashing the side of the boat will heal your mind and soul of whatsoever is troubling it. If sportfishing with Wild Frontiers, your trip will be guided by a two-man team that had done this over 200 times now. They will make sure you are well taken care of from start to finish. Even better, the boat is well suited for deep lake trolling.
At the genesis of this adventure, a briefing about the rules and regulations must be held. This is to ensure that all are versed in the safety and operations of the boat and only then will you get into the nuts and bolts of your mission. To go fishing! The activity is easy as there are not many Dos and Don’ts. The artificial lures are designed in the shape of prey that is a delicacy for giant tilapias and Nile perch.
The ever-so-patient instructors make the activity doable even for a novice. Throughout the excursion, there is no rush to get you back to shore, you will fish until you are were happy to pull in the lines. The crew’s knowledge of the lake is hard to beat. They know where, when, and how to hook the biggest catch. It might take lots of minutes before landing on a good catch, this makes the victory worth a huge celebration like a lottery win. Luckily, there is lots of beer on board. Did I say there was lunch too? Well, you bet there is. The day will end with a brief visit to one of the many islands on the lake whereof the Equator passes. Imagine that!
Costs: An average of $125 with Wild Frontiers, a sports fishing agency based in Entebbe
Read MoreAFCON: Just like that, Ugandans love the DRC
But DRC was not taking this joke lying. A one Teekay wrote, “Someone please ndibhalanziseiwo so we lost 1nil to Egypt and same Egypt beat Uganda and DRC 2nil each that’s the same Uganda we drew 1 all against.” He then cried out, “Same Uganda beat DRC 2nil n the same DRC beat us 4nil. What a joke.”
By View Uganda
It wasn’t that the Egypt-Uganda Cranes match ended on a painful 2-1 loss for Uganda Cranes. That almost didn’t matter. The irony, right? It was that suddenly, Social Media was awash with Ugandans singing the praise of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
See, the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is a very stimulating time for the continent. A game of football that starts out with 24 teams will be reduced in phases, knock-out phases that is to the final two. As an online site, The South African would put it, “One of the key points of intrigue is the expansion of the tournament from 16 to 24 teams.” This they go on to explain means making it through to the first round of knockout matches is possible even if a side does not finish at the top of the table.”
But then, why is Uganda celebrating the fact that Zimbabwe, a team it drew with last week had been beaten by DRC, a team they (Uganda) beat 2-1? “DRC as our beloved neighbor whipped Zimbabwe 4-0, and the mathematics made it easier for us to progress to the next stage,” Steven Odeke, arts, and sports journalist offers. “That is why we love them today.” That means Uganda has made it to second place in group A, despite losing to Egypt in last night’s game.
That aside, it was seeing leaders and just different people reacting with a satirical love for DRC that was hilarious. “UBC betrayed us but DRC did not! Congratulations Uganda upon making it to the next round of #AFCON2019,” former leader of the opposition, Winnie Kiiza wrote. Soon, Don Wanyama, the Presidential senior press secretary, also joined in on the joke and even tagged a friend, “Ours was to play beautiful football. Scoring was assigned to DR Congo. Something good finally from the land of Asuman Bisiika.”
In a hilarious post, comedian, Herbert Mendo aka, Teacher Mpamire was quick to tell Egypt that River Nile, had in fact shifted to the beloved DRC. One Sir Gordon Tukwasibwe also sarcastically said, “Thank you DRC for the great work done. You can now join EAC. To #Kenya. If DRC did it, you can also do it. Deal with #Senegal please!”
But DRC was not taking this joke lying. A one Teekay wrote, “Someone please ndibhalanziseiwo so we lost 1nil to Egypt and same Egypt beat Uganda and DRC 2nil each that’s the same Uganda we drew 1 all against.” He then cried out, “Same Uganda beat DRC 2nil n the same DRC beat us 4nil. What a joke.”
Read MoreAmukeke: May the real Iteso stand up!
Note however that no one, not even those who have done it for a while, dares to eat amukeke without some water or tea on the side. You could choke!
By View Uganda Team
Forget the look, there is nothing there. The story, the real story is in the taste! Boy oh boy, AMUKEKE! Sun-dried sweet potatoes, boiled to a fault and then mashed to whisper and infused with groundnut or sim-sim paste. Now, that is amukeke, a delicacy in Teso, a way to many an Itesot’s hearts!
To the visitors, the look these dried sweet potatoes later adopted is not appeasing. Not one bit. But dare we say, that the sweet and salty combination melting in one’s mouth will change this perception. Note however that no one, not even those who have done it for a while, dares to eat amukeke without some water or tea on the side. You could choke! See, it’s easy to get carried away by this mash, but you don’t want to be choking on this good without some water beside you.
In a bid to preserve their sweet potatoes, the people from the East and North-Eastern parts of Uganda, choose to sun dry it, like they do various foods. For a region that endures long drought spells, and then again plenty of rain, this just seemed like a wise thing to do. A safety net of sorts. Though mostly consumed during breakfast, it is easily a choice for brunch as well. It feels ‘snacky’ and yet just as full-filling.
Recipe
- Peel and slice fresh sweet potatoes
- Put them to dry under the sun until they turn pale
- Wash and put in a saucepan of water
- Salt is optional
- Boil till soft and mash
- Add a groundnut or sim-sim paste and simmer
- Or you could just serve and put the pastes on the side
Serve with tea.
Destroy Murchison falls, then what ?
A lion-like a true king of the jungle, saunters off into ‘wonderland’. Until he awakes, the do-not-disturb sign, albeit non-existent, stands out. Here, in the serenity of the savannah, birds sing, a hyena laughs, and the air is generally musical. The wildly long necks of giraffes will occasionally emerge and the antelopes playfully run about. As the buffalo soldiers bath, the hippopotamus pretends not to be around and the elephants scoop some sand ashore. All of this, the calm waters of the Albert Nile, and the suspiciously tamed bushes will not tell of a rumbling just kilometers away. It is lord of them all, overseer of the park; the Murchison Falls!
Complete with a rainbow, the Murchison falls is a proliferate beauty. Imagine this, not one, but two waterfalls in one place all at once. The splendor of it all. A permanent shower atop the falls; a rain of sorts. Even as it humbles into what we would later call the Albert Nile, it does so with a hint of feistiness. Simply put: Murchison Falls is beautiful, the boastful kind. It takes on the role of mother of the park with a showcase like no other. Sadly, as nature goes about its day in this park; hunters chasing their prey, eating and getting eaten, this mother could be under attack. Literally!
A little over 300 kilometers away, in the buzzy city of Kampala, a bid to reduce this untamed falls into a dam was published. The Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA), might have its eye on these waterfalls and the reason; more than 300 megawatts of electricity. Of course, they insist that nothing is on paper yet and that the fury it attracted is uncalled for at this stage. “We wish to clarify to our stakeholders about this notice. ERA has not issued a license for the establishment of a Power Plant at Murchison Falls but received an application for a permit to conduct feasibility studies for a proposed plant near the falls,” they wrote. “The application by the developer is available for viewing. Do not hesitate to contact us for more information or clarity.”
But no, tourism enthusiasts would not have it and promise not to take this in stride. In fact, Amos Wekesa, a man whose passion for the sector remains arguably unmatched, allegedly threatened to go nude should they touch the waterfalls! “We want to destroy every forest, every swamp, every waterfall in our lifetime? Are we the last generation?” Wekesa lamented. “What are we conserving for the next generation? Imagine if our ancestors had destroyed everything?” He couldn’t fathom the selfishness of our generation and has repeatedly pointed it out. “We are living like we are the last generation. Look at how many forests and swamps we have destroyed in just one generation. It is just absurd,” Wekesa emphatically added.
Like many Ugandans, he is also quick to wonder if all this talk about the country having excess electricity and even exporting some should then hold water. “Some say, we have excess power (electricity) and others say 33.4m Ugandans don’t have access to electricity,” he has begun. “If you have excess, why do you want to destroy Murchison falls now?” But do we really have excess?
In an interview with New Vision TV, seasoned business journalist, Paul Busharizi illuminated this discussion. Asked whether we needed the extra 300 megawatts which ERA is considering ploughing Murchison Falls for, Busharizi insisted that we actually need all the power we can get. Drawing his explanation from the National Planning Authority documents, he said that to get to upper-middle-income, which is about $5000 per capita, the country would need about 40.000 megawatts of power.
“On the River Nile, there is about… er… there are sites, the last I heard, all of which can generate up to 4000 megawatts,” Busharizi explained. “So that’s including even Kira, Nalubale and Bujagali and of course Karuma and Simba now,” he said. “But there are other sites, one of them happens to be Murchison falls.” It begs the question, if the Nile, a force to reckon with, can only afford a paltry 4000 megawatts right now, where is the country even going to get the remaining 36000?
While Busharizi respects that getting any extra power is pertinent, he is quick to advise that the argument for the waterfalls shouldn’t be the dollar-for-dollar kind. “I think the argument cannot be that tourism will make more money than power generation, that can’t happen,” he offered. He however is tempted to speak of the spillover, the ripple effect that is, from power, “Right now only 30% of Ugandans have access to power, if you double that number, this country will be totally changed. It will be transformed!”
As tempting as that might sound, Busharizi advised that the country could instead take a stand and choose to preserve the waterfalls. “This is our unique site, we take it away, we will never have another one. You can’t create another one,” he explained. “It’s a beautiful thing to have, it is something that people will come and watch, tour about, and stuff like that.” When it is suggested that the country explore the other sites and only return after Murchison has generated enough forex, Bushariz responds, “Or we can decide as a country that this one is a no-go zone!”
Will Murchison falls solve the 36000 deficit? No! Are we just going to throw this beauty into another one of our wide hovels of deficit? Note that even if the other sites on the Nile could generate almost 3000 megawatts, it still won’t cut it! The answer, many will agree lies in finding alternative sources of power as opposed to destroying the environment. Right?
Read MoreMarketing destination Uganda is our forte .
We recently had someone ask what View Uganda is all about. To answer this, we thought we might start from the beginning. See, the beauty that is Uganda can be equated to a diamond in the rough.
Like is done with diamonds, View Uganda is bent on making sure you see Uganda for the diamond it is.
The wavy waters, the rambling falls, and the wild bushes. Nature’s commitment to taking you into a world of serenity and untold fulfillment. The mountains and hills allow for stories of hiking and conquering. Be it just steep spaces or naughty snow-filled peaks, destination Uganda is it. And yes, View Uganda will not hesitate to take you there.
Interesting to note, would be the fact that beyond just physical tourist destinations is the biggest faith-based tourism exodus in East Africa. Martyrs’ day might be a chance to remember and celebrate the 45 faithful who died for their spiritual beliefs, but it is a big tourism moment for the country. So not only does destination Uganda have a lot to see, it does offer spiritual spaces for those on a quest.
Yes, we at View Uganda believe that Uganda is that pearl that deserves a place on the spotlight. And yes, marketing destination Uganda is our forte.
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