Uganda Tour 2027

Our Uganda tour starts in Entebbe, the former administrative headquarters of the British protectorate, still graced by colonial-era buildings. In 1976 not far from where we landed, at the old airport, Israeli commandos staged Operation Thunderbolt, freeing passengers held hostage there by a Palestinian and German terrorist group.

The incident highlighted the unpredictability of Idi Amin, whose brutal rule was marked by widespread repression and economic decline. Discussion with a Ugandan political analyst who grew up during the Amin years and lost family members.

Drive to Kampala, Uganda’s capital.

Overnight Kampala.

We travel to Kampala, Uganda’s picturesque capital, where we explore Uganda’s political history from precolonial times through Idi Amin and to the present day. Next we explore Kampala’s huge Owino Market with a local guide- learning about the micro economy.  This is followed by an economic overview from a local Ugandan entrepreneur, political analyst and economist.  We look at what the government has got right and explore what obstacles lie ahead for this fast-growing nation.

Overnight Kampala.

June 9th is National Heroes’ Day, which commemorates the six-year Bush War, a pivotal conflict that saw Museveni’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) seize power.

In the Luwero Triangle north of Kampala, the conflict’s epicentre, we hear from former guerrilla fighters about the war’s various stages and the commanders – many of them future statesmen – who waged it.  The main commemoration, a military rally, will be a unique opportunity to hear Museveni – one of the most important revolutionary figures in African history – address his public.

Two-hour drive to Murchison’s Falls National Park, the biggest wildlife reserve in Uganda and the site of the world’s most powerful waterfall, which has scooped out what is dubbed “the Devil’s Cauldron”. Depleted by poaching during the Obote and Amin years, it is now carefully guarded and a home to elephants, lions, leopards, crocodiles and three quarters of the global population of Rothschild giraffes.

Overnight Murchison’s Falls.

We visit the nearby Karuma Falls, where a 600-megawatt power station, a tribute of Uganda’s commitment to green energy, is under construction. This hydroelectric installation, plagued by funding issues, will be the biggest source of power in the country once completed. The visit will give the group insights into the tricky choices Uganda faces, as it is also seeking to exploit its oil deposits, some of which are located inside Murchison’s Falls Park.

From there, it’s a one-hour drive to Gulu, the graceful regional capital of Uganda’s north.

Overnight Gulu

We spend the day in Gulu, the graceful regional capital of Uganda’s north. Ethnicity and religious affiliation have formed Uganda’s long-running fracture lines and Museveni, who comes from the southwest, spent years attempting to first pacify and then win round northern Acholi and Langi communities once loyal to Milton Obote.

Two uprisings turned the north into a battleground following the NRM seizure of power: the Holy Spirit Movement founded by prophetess Alice Lakwena and the Lord’s Resistance Army led by former choirboy Joseph Kony. In response to Kony’s mass abductions of children, the government moved hundreds of thousands of Gulu’s residents into guarded camps, where mortality rates soared. Today the LRA’s leaders are either dead, facing trial, or in hiding abroad and Gulu district is at peace, but scars remain.

We meet with Gulu’s community heads, religious leaders, and former child fighters, now reintegrated into civilian life, to give visitors the chance to weigh up the role of the International Criminal Court in healing wounds. Meetings with NGO workers will  be an opportunity to discuss the usefulness of activist films such as “Invisible Children”, which brought northern Uganda to global attention but is remembered by many Ugandans as an example of “White Saviour” complex.

Overnight Murchinson Falls National Park

After an early breakfast, you will start your journey back to Kampala and en-route, you will have stopover at Munta Royal College for a visit. You will hear from the school director on how his idea has benefited the community in terms of economic growth. After you shall continue to Kampala.

We spend a day in Kampala, meeting with politicians, journalists, and academics to get a better picture of Uganda’s government and how it operates.

Overnight  Kampala.

En route back to Entebbe, we stop off for lunch in Nakasongola, district headquarters of a region known for its cattle-breeding, in particular the famous long-horned Ankole cattle adored by every African president. Once back in Entebbe, visitors may opt to stroll around Kitooro Market and the Botanical Gardens in Entebbe.  Drink and review of the week enjoying the lakeside views.

We drive to Mabamba swampland and get a  sense of Uganda’s amazing natural resources and its environmental challenges, including the effects that invasive species have had on the wetland ecosystem. We are briefed by an enviromentalist. Mabamba swamp teems with birdlife – over 250 species, including the rare shoebill and African fish eagle. Back in Entebbe, we hear from a variety of Ugandan citizens from different walks of life, giving us an understanding of the issues facing ordinary Ugandans today.

Overnight Entebbe.

Farewells over breakfast.

Tour ends.