Tayari News | Gideon Tumwijukye
Rukiga District stakeholders have raised a concern over the underutilization of tourism sites in the district, saying this has denied the area an opportunity to benefit from the industry compared to other districts.
The concern was raised today by Rukiga District Tourism Officer, Praise Nshabaruhanga, during consultations on the Kigezi Regional Development Plan held at the district council hall.
Nshabaruhanga said that although Kigezi is known for its rich tourism potential, including mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Lake Bunyonyi and Mount Muhabura, Rukiga district has not fully benefited from the industry despite having several sites that could attract tourists if properly developed.
He cited Muhumuza Stone, located on top of Rugongo Hill in Rugongo Village, Rwenyangye Parish in Kamwezi Sub-county, as one of the historical tourism attractions that remain largely untapped.
The stone has footprints believed to belong to Muhumuza, the head of the Bachwezi clan in Rwanda, who reportedly used the hill as a stopover in the 1880s while travelling from Rwanda to Mpororo in the Ankole region.
Nshababaruhanga also identified Mukombe Cave, a three-room cave located in Murutunga Village, Kitunga Parish in Kashambya Sub-county, which reportedly provided shelter to homeless people during the 1880s.
Other potential attractions include Kibayu Caves in Kitanga Parish, the Rushebeya-Kanyabaha wetland, which hosts several bird species and the sitatunga, locally known as Enjobe, as well as Lake Kanyabaha in Kahooko Village, Kashambya Sub-county.
He added that Rukiga’s tall hills and elevated peaks also provide opportunities for scenic tourism, with some offering panoramic views of more than five districts.
The district tourism officer attributed the limited exploitation of these attractions to poor road access, inadequate investment and a lack of accommodation facilities and hotels that could support tourists visiting the area.
He said developing tourism requires coordinated efforts from the district leadership, government, private investors and other stakeholders to improve access to the sites and establish facilities that can attract both local and international visitors.
Meanwhile, Rukiga District Speaker Oscar Akampurira said the regional development planning process had come at an appropriate time when districts in Kigezi needed to work together to address challenges affecting their development.
Akampurira said regional cooperation would enable local governments to identify shared priorities, coordinate development activities and find lasting solutions to challenges that individual districts may struggle to address independently.
Rukiga District Planner Henry Muhwezi said the consultations marked an important step towards coordinated development, noting that this was the first time the region was developing a regional development plan.
Muhwezi said the plan would strengthen interconnectivity among districts in Kigezi and encourage them to pursue common development priorities instead of operating independently.
On tourism, Muhwezi said the challenge of poor roads leading to potential tourist sites would be presented through the regional planning framework, allowing leaders to lobby for infrastructure improvements collectively.
He expressed hope that speaking with one voice as a region would strengthen their case before the relevant government agencies and development partners.