Uganda Tours, Uganda Safaris, Gorilla Safari News , Uganda Travel & safari

About 100 former LRA abductees marched quietly through Gulu town yesterday in commemoration of missing children and the people killed in the war. Unlike in the past 20 years, it is now safe to move in Northern Uganda .

The marchers raised hoardings in which they called on the public to support their cause.

Some of the posters read “Say NO to war in northern Uganda,” others had “Forgive us for what we could have done,” to mention but afew.

The event was prearranged by a charitable trust, known as World Vision. The programme manager of the children of war rehabilitation center in Gulu, Fulukas Boroa Enyaga, said the charity had helped 15,000 former abductees. He said the walk was fanatical especially to the children who were made to fight and kill .

Gulu district deputy speaker Patrick Oola Lumumba petitioned donors to help the post trauma abductees. He said that they receive death threats from some few rebels still in the bush.

Oola was abducted when he was 15. He said many Women with children returning from the bush had been abandoned and rejected by men.

Unlike in the past years, it is now 95% safe to travel to Northern Uganda.

UGANDA TRAVEL NEWS

By Tanah H

After the signing of a Memorundum of understanding between Uganda and Sudan, plans for development of the proposed Gulu – Nimule – Juba –Wau rwailway have been ultimately finalized.

This MOU was signed on the 26th of August between the government of Uganda and Sudan for joint development of the proposed railway line.

The Gulu-Nimule-Juba-Wau (920 km) route is considered shorter than the earlier proposed route of Pakwach-Arua-Oraba-Yei-Juba, which is 1,028 kilometers. The memorandum that also covered other modes of transport was witnessed by a deputation of officials from the Government of South Sudan (GOSS).

It was signed by the Minister of Work Mr John nasasira on behalf of Uganda while
Brig. General Philip Thon Leek Deng, the Minister of Transport, Roads and Bridges, signed on behalf of Sudan. Before signing , a meeting was held and it was in the context of Decision Number five of the 5th Session of the Sudan-Uganda Joint Ministerial Commission held in March 2007 in Khartoum.

The meeting noted the need to have joint project proposals on the roads and railway lines connecting the two countries for purpose of importuning funding. It also recognized a Joint Ministerial Transport Commission (JMTC) to execute the verdicts of the MOU and to mutually offer the development of transport road and rail network and services between the two countries
The bilateral meeting further talked about the stage of the ongoing and planned projects on key roads connecting Sudan and Uganda. The roads are: Arua-Koboko-Oraba-Kaya-Yei-Juba Gulu-Atiak-Nimule-Juba-Malakal Moroto-Kotido-Kaabong-New Site-Kapoeta Kitgum-Ikotos-Torit. It was agreed to speed up the process of advancing these roads to bitumen.

The Government has secured a credit from the World Bank to commence a practicability study and detailed design of the Vurra-Arua-Koboko-Oraba road, which is anticipated to begin in September 2008. It did not say how much the credit is.

However, it says upgrading to bitumen is expected to commence in March 2010. “During this financial year the road will undergo routine maintenance and full regravelling will commence in December 2008. Reconstruction of 14 bridges along the road is also expected to commence in December 2008.

UNRA’s Corporate Communications Manager, Mr Dan Alinange said that tenders for construction are due at the end of August.
The Kitgum-Musingo (Border) 80km link lies in Uganda while the Musingo-Tsertenya-Ikotos-Torit (280km) is in Sudan. The feasibility study and detailed design of the entire link from Rwenkunye-Apac-Lira-Kitgum-Tsertenya is scheduled to commence in February 2009 and be completed in December 2009. Upgrading works estimated at US$150m are scheduled to commence in June 2010.

The cost for construction of this road is currently estimated at $75.4million. Moroto-Kotido-Kaabong-New Site-Kapoeta road (265km) is scheduled to receive full regravelling commencing January 2009. Subject to availability of funds, upgrading works are expected to commence after June 2010. The road is estimated to cost $174million.

TRAVEL UGANDA NEWS

By Tanah H

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The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (Uwec) Entebbe today will host well-wishers to a birthday party not of any any political or bureaucratic motives, but for Zakayo, the oldest chimpanzee at Uwec who has turned 44 years.
Zakayo the alpha male is one of our flagship animals at the centre. UWEC is that the the birthday will be celebrated with a couple of tour activities. Zakayo is said to be a favourite to visitors at the Centre and yet a historical member of the centre whom we think deserves a celebrated birthday with the public notice.

School children are lined up today ate UWEC to witness the birthday celebration, participate in a quiz competition and question-answer session and many other activities , organised by the zoo authorities on the occasion in a bid to spread the conservation message.

Zakayo is said to have been born in June 1972 at Semiliki in Bundibugyo and was hand-raised. The chimpanzee was later surrendered to the Entebbe Zoo on June 10, 1976. The chimp is said to be very fatherly.

According to Uwec, “Zakayo has sired eight offsprings and is very protective towards the younger chimps. He is always the last to go out in the mornings and the last to get inside in the evenings.” He is said to be so humane.

Uwec appealed to the public to continue supporting the centre given the fact that

Tourism was declared Uganda’s second largest income earner last year and foreign Exchange earner.

Tanah

Primates Tour News

The Ugandan Government has asked all manufacturers and exporters of soft drinks to indicate the “Uganda, Gifted by Nature,” logo on their packs. This was suggested in a bid to promote the country as a tourism and investment destination.

Uganda minister for tourism, trade and industry , Ms Janat Mukwaya,told MPs that the practice would start this year to enhance the promotion of a positive image and branding of Uganda.

She added that all hotel owners should be persuaded to place Uganda’s wildlife and other tourist attractions that Uganda has to promote the country.

The committee was scrutinising the ministry’s policy statement.

In October 2005, President Yoweri initiated the “Brand Uganda Campaign” at the Commonwealth Speke Resort Hotel in Munyonyo. The President unveiled the logo, which read: “Uganda, gifted by Nature.”

The campaign was courtesy of Government and SCOPE-USAID. At the end of 2005, Uganda’s rich heritage was televised on CNN to give Uganda an opportunity to compete for a share of global tourism and investment revenues.

By Tanah Hadijah

Uganda Safari News