Travel East Africa in your imagination with Engo Tours and Adventures!
Now, while African travel is largely not possible, thanks to Covid-19, let us take the time to plan a first class trip for you. Our meticulously well-planned safaris and urban tours guarantee an amazing African adventure, viewing animals, fishing, hiking and mountain climbing, bird-watching (there are more species of birds in Uganda than in all of North America), and luxuriating in Africa’s great camps and sophisticated hotels and restaurants.
We will put together a complete tour, based on your specific requirements and fondest wishes, and will hold your itinerary until you’re ready to make it come true. Once we are all free to travel again, arrange your dates and come live the adventure that you have, so far, only been able to imagine! As soon as the lockdown is lifted, this offer will disappear, so contact us now, and let’s get this journey started!
The cost for your detailed itinerary is just $50 for each week that you plan to travel. The non-refundable itinerary cost will be credited to your trip quote.
This special, very affordable offer is only available while the lockdown is in effect in East Africa, so don’t delay!
Here are the 10 Ugandan foods that you should be on the lookout for.
1. Luwombo
Royalty in a dish. One of Uganda’s best dishes that is estimated to have originated from the Buganda Kingdom in the late 19th century by Kabaka Mwanga’s personal chef. Kudos to that chef for creating a masterpiece that has brought joy to so many people and generations from everywhere.
Luwombo can be served with matoke, rice, cassava or chapati.
2. Katogo
Kagoto is one of those breakfast delicacies that will start your day off in great spirits. Directly translated, katogo means mixture.
It is basically assorted foods cooked together. Katogo can be served with fresh salad or avocado. The blend of these varying foods mixed together creates a beautifully tasty outcome that keeps you satisfied until the late afternoon.
3. Muchomo (Roasted meat)
Meat lovers would call this ‘heaven’. Roasted meat has become a norm in Uganda and can be found in high-end restaurants as well as the roadsides in every town. Muchomo has a great delicious and crunchy taste and it is normally served with fresh salad or chips (fries).
Muchomo is a great way to indulge for your diet cheat day.
4. Matoke
Matoke is traditionally enjoyed across Uganda and is a staple food to most of the Bantu tribes. In Western Uganda, you will see miles and miles of fields with this green plantain. It is from such farms that matooke is then harvested and sent to towns for urban dwellers.
Matoke can be served with any kind of sauce. Sometimes, matoke will be prepared with the peelings on (Empogola), this is normally served with pork, muchomo or any other grilled meats.
5. Kikalayi (Fried pork)
You have not tasted pork until you have tried ‘kikalaya’. The title emanates from the sturdy and huge locally made frying pans used in the preparation.
Kikalayi is better when shared with friends, and that is why it is served dramatically on a big round tray (with optional red chilli). If you eat pork, kikalayi is something you will definitely enjoy.
6. Posho
Posho is probably one of Uganda’s most common and cheapest dishes. It is made from maize flour which is mingled in boiling hot water until it becomes hard.
You can eat posho with every sauce, but our ultimate recommendation would be with fresh beans.
7. Rolex (Rolled Eggs)
No, not the luxury watch. Basically, a rolex is fried eggs wrapped [rolled] in a chapati. A rolex a delicacy that can be eaten at any time of day. The rolex is deliciously unique that almost every Ugandan has their own favourite ‘rolex guy’ – and that comes with some sort of loyalty.
A rolex can be found on almost every roadside in the small towns across the country as cheap as 1500/= Ugandan shillings (0.4 USD). Yes, only in Uganda can you find a cheap rolex. Check out the Wikipedia page about the rolex.
Fun Fact; there are occasional rolex festivals which are great weekend activities to enjoy in Kampala. Take a look at the official Facebook page of Uganda Rolex Festival (here) where the pictures will speak volumes about the event.
8. Chapati
Chapati is a complimentary dish, especially in restaurants. This is normally cut in triangle shapes and served as a complimentary item with your dish.
A chapati can also be eaten as a separate item from the main meal, as an accompaniment for your breakfast or evening tea.
9. Roasted Maize
A snack for any time of day. Fresh maize is slowly roasted over a medium fire until all sides turn to a brownish colour.
Since fresh maize is used, roasted maize is seasonal and you might not be able to find it at some times of the year.
10. Groundnut sauce (Binyebwa)
No, this not like peanut butter in any way. Made from the red skin ground nuts that have been ground to form some flour texture.
As mentioned above, the g-nut sauce can be served with very many dishes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we have to point out how this list is merely scratching the surface. Uganda has more than 50 subcultures that are closely related, but with significant norms – which include food. Covering all that is something worth of several books.
What this article intends to do, it to serve as an introduction to some revered local dishes that people from all over the world have tried and enjoyed. The dishes we think you should give a try while you are visiting Uganda.
With this list, we also realize that we are not mentioning anything to do with dietary/religious restrictions. Going against your religious, dietary or lifestyle decisions isn’t going to make you happy. So we ask that first, you respect those restrictions.
Besides your personal restrictions, we say that “when in Uganda, do as Ugandan’s do!” Take a chance, and you will not be disappointed.
Most importantly keep safe by social distancing and washing and sanitizing your hands .
Some of the things I learned during my training :
Venturing into online marketing .
Making sure your business can be located on google maps.
Setting up a strategic email signature .
THE 7 STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL ONLINE SALES
Great Digital Content
A Professional Website & Mobile Site + CORE ASSETS
Search Engines
Affiliate Partners (Free & Paid)
Leveraging Google Places (Maps)
Use Online Travel Agents (OTAs)
Use Social Media / User Feedback
These are some of the tools I am so happy to have learned how to be present online I am sure 2021 is bringing very fruitful results I am loving who I am becoming .
Part of the first floor of the new terminal building opened at Entebbe International Airport. PHOTO/EVE MUGANGA.
The first floor of the new terminal building extension at the departure area will be completed by December 30, 2020.
The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) has opened part of the first floor of the new terminal building to facilitate departing passengers with adequate space at the check-in counters while observing the necessary Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
The revelation was made by the Ag Director-General UCAA Mr Fred Bamwesigye- during a media tour of the completed passenger facilities at Entebbe International Airport, Friday.
“We have had to open because really what we are looking for is adequate space for our passengers for Covid-19 guidelines observance; such as social distancing since the number of passengers keeps on increasing. With the old facility, we were handling two million passengers a year and this new departure passenger terminal will handle at least more than three million passengers a year since the number of flights per day also increased from the one flight airline per day to at least two per day for the operators that were previously having many daily flights.” He explained.
Ag Director-General UCAA Mr Fred Bamwesigye during a media tour of the completed part of the first floor of the new terminal building. PHOTO/EVE MUGANGA
He also disclosed that UCAA has completed reconfiguration of the passenger boarding lounges from closed to open boarding lounges by removing the portions to provide more space and seating area in the terminal.
In October 2020, the first month of resumption of commercial passenger operations, Entebbe International Airport recorded 42, 633 International passengers with a total of 23,867arriving, 15,461 departing and 3,305 transit passengers, which set an average of 1,375 passengers per day.
“There has been an increase in the first 25 days of November 2020, the daily average has increased to 1,676 with about 41,905 international passengers, and with a total of 21,401 arriving, 17,779 departing together along with some 2,705 passengers in transit that were handled from November 1 to November 25, 2020,” Said Mr Bamwesigye.
Departing passengers lined up for checking in the new terminal building which has been opened. PHOTO/EVE MUGANGA.
On the side of cargo, Entebbe Airport handled an impressive 5,542 metric tons of cargo with a total of 2,241 imports and 3301 exports in October 2020.
Mr Bamwesigye further stated that the upgrade and expansion of Entebbe International Airport works aimed at rehabilitation and strengthening of the old runway are 12/30 complete.
“95 per cent of the works for new cargo Centre’s Aircraft parking Apron have been accomplished. 93 per cent of works for the cargo terminal building are complete and 90 per cent of works for the landside and airside access roads have so far been accomplished and also Expansion works for Aircraft parking Apron1 and extension works for taxiway Alpha are complete,” he said.
This implies that the overall progress regarding the upgrade and expansion of Entebbe international Airport is at 75 percent level of completion.
According to Mr Daniel Kiyimba, a senior Civil Engineer with UCAA, “the first floor of the new terminal building extension at the departure area will be completed by December 30, 2020.
Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) hold Bilateral Meeting on the Promotion of Cross Border Trade Republic of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) hold Bilateral Meeting on the Promotion of Cross boarder trade from 5-8 April 2018 at the level of technical experts.
The meeting followed a decision of the Ministers in charge of Trade for Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo held on the side-lines of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) meeting in Kigali in March 2018 that the countries should hold a bilateral meeting in Uganda in April 2018.
The meeting was held under the auspices of the Great Lakes Trade Facilitation (GLTF) Project which the two countries are implementing with funds from the World Bank.
The meeting was convened to consider promotion of cross border trade, trade facilitation issues relating to customs, immigration, and elimination of Non-tariff barriers and implementation of Simplified Trade Regime (STR). The output of the meeting was to draw a framework for addressing challenges faced by cross border traders of the two sister countries.
Uganda’s delegation was led by Mr. Silver Ojakol, the Commissioner for External Trade in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives of the Republic of Uganda along with H.E. James Mbahimba the Ugandan Ambassador to DRC and his Deputy Ambassador Brigadier Julius Chihandae.
The delegation from Democratic Republic of Congo was led by Mr Kwete Mikobi Floribert Director of External Trade.
The meeting drew participants from Ministries of Trade, trade facilitation institutions, the private sector, local governments/provinces from the two countries.
On 5 April 2018, the participants visited Mpondwe/Kasindi (Uganda/DRC) border to assess trade activities as well as border procedures and related challenges experienced by the small scale cross-border traders.
During the visit to the border, the delegates established that most of the challenges were cross cutting between the two countries. They established areas that should be improved in order to enhance cross border trade.
These include:
The need to eliminate unjustified charges and taxes Establish a favourable visa regime for traders Implement the STR Ensure gender sensitivity in the treaty of traders at the borders The Agenda
The meeting considered and adopted the agenda as follows:
Opening Ceremony Presentation of issues identified by Uganda to promote trade between the two countries Presentation of issues identified by DRC to promote trade between the two countries Discussion and harmonization of solutions for trade development Development of report, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and joint communique Closing remarks. Opening Ceremony
The official opening ceremony of the technical meeting was held on 6th April 2018 at the Magherita Hotel, Kasese, Uganda.
Opening remarks by LC V Chairperson Kasese
The representative of the Chairman Kasese District, Mr Masereka Eli Mabwana welcomed the Delegates to the District and emphasized the need for harmony and improved trade between the two countries.
Opening remarks by Head of Delegation from Uganda
On behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Silver Ojakol, the Commissioner External Trade, welcomed participants to the meeting and emphasized the need for the two countries to harmonise implementation of the COMESA – FTA, Tripartite FTA, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to benefit the people of both countries.
He informed the meeting that the Ministers would be launching the Simplified Trade Regime (STR) based on the list the two countries agreed on in 2015. He concluded by appreciating the DRC delegation for honouring Uganda’s invitation and wished the meeting fruitful deliberations.
Opening remarks by Head of Delegation from DRC – Mr. Kwete Mikobi Floribert Director of External Trade
The head of delegation of the Republic of Congo Mr. Kwete Mikobi Floribert – Director of External Trade in DRC thanked the Ugandan Government for hosting the meeting and emphasized that it is indeed necessary to eliminate trade barriers to boost cross border trade between the two countries.
He noted that we are both members of COMESA and the two countries participated in the negotiations and their respective Heads of Governments signed the AfCFTA and this framework as a basis for promotion of Bilateral Trade.
He stated that the people of DRC and Uganda are a family and therefore this meeting should use the opportunity to enhance the business between the two countries.
He further pointed out that Trade and business development should contribute to economic development and poverty reduction.
He thanked the host for the warm reception that was accorded the Congolese delegation and welcomed the good working atmosphere. He wished the meeting a fruitful deliberations.
Guest of Honour, the Resident District Commissioner Kasese Lt. Col. James Mwesigye.
Lt. Col. James Mwesigye thanked the organizers for choosing Kasese and guaranteed the Delegates security as they discussed areas of boosting free and safe trade in the two countries.
He rhetorically inquired how the two parties could improve trade. He notified the meeting that we need peace, security, infrastructure and elimination of corruption among others.
He wished the meeting good deliberations and officially opened the meeting
COUNTRY PRESENTATIONS ON ISSUES AFFECTING TRADE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES
Presentation of issues identified by Uganda
The Republic of Uganda presented on issues identified which affect trade between the two countries. In the presentation, it was noted that issues affecting Trade between the two countries are in the areas of Customs, Immigration, Infrastructural and process related challenges; in addition to the unnecessary delays, multiple checks, multiple taxation, civil aviation, un-harmonised border operations, among others.
The meeting noted that a number of issues identified can be classified as Non-Tariff Barriers. The meeting discussed and made possible solutions on the basis of which the two countries can cooperate.
Presentation of issues identified by DRC to promote trade between the two countries
The meeting received the issues raised by the DRC which included DRC trucks held by UNRA at various weigh bridges, Customs and movement of transit goods; immigration, traffic police, operational hours amongst others. The meeting discussed the issues raised by DRC and developed respective solutions.
The list of trucks impounded by the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) weighbridge on account of over weight was attached
Development of the MOU to establish a framework for cooperation
The meeting drafted an MOU to guide cooperation between the two countries in addressing the challenges affecting their trade. The key areas of cooperation are:
Promotion of Cross Border Trade, Customs to Customs Cooperation, Cooperation on Immigration, Elimination of NTBs, Harmonization of regulatory standards, Private sector cooperation, Collaboration in the development of Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Sharing of information, among others. The Joint Trade Committee recommended to the Ministers to consider, adopt and sign the MoU.
The Joint Communique
The meeting developed a Joint Communique on the outcomes of the meeting for consideration and adoption by the Ministers.
The Joint Trade Committee recommends to Ministers to consider, adopt and sign the Joint Communique.
Closing Remarks
The closing remarks were made by the representative of the Secretary General COMESA, Mr Tasara Muzorori, Senior Trade Officer.
Mr. Muzorori appreciated the meeting for the good deliberations and outcome of the meeting.
He emphasised the need to facilitate the trade between the two countries and pledged to support such initiatives, especially the STR.
He noted that the STR was designed by COMESA in consultation with the Cross border trading communities and the concept is being adopted as a benchmark.
He appreciated the efforts of the countries to improve trade within the COMESA region. He finally thanked the meeting for the time they dedicated and wished the delegates a safe journey home. We are so greatfull for this , it is going to boost tourism in the East African Region.
But finding a good general history of the country has been difficult – until now. Richard J. Reid’s A History of Modern Uganda is the book I’ve been waiting for, both for my course and for my own knowledge of Uganda’s historical place in East Africa and the broader world.
Reid sets out to tell the story of Uganda differently, by avoiding a simple narrative of political events to situate the country’s history in the long series of interactions between different ethnic groups and outsiders. He grapples directly with whether it even makes sense to speak of a precolonial history of “Uganda” as a unit, given the linguistic and cultural divides of the precolonial kingdom’s and societies that were slapped together in British East Africa.
Americanah is a 2013 novel by the Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, for which Adichie won the 2013 U.S. National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction.Americanah tells the story of a young Nigerian woman, Ifemelu, who immigrates to the United States to attend university. The novel traces Ifemelu’s life in both countries, threaded by her love story with high school classmate Obinze. As teenagers in a Lagos secondary school, Ifemelu and Obinze fall in love. Nigeria at the time is under military dictatorship, and people are seeking to leave the country. Ifemelu moves to the United States to study, where she struggles for the first time with racism and the many varieties of racial distinctions: for the first time, Ifemelu discovers what it means to be a “Black Person”.[3] Obinze had hoped to join her in the U.S. but he is denied a visa after 9/11. He goes to London, eventually becoming an undocumented immigrant after his visa expires.[4][5]
Years later, Obinze returns to Nigeria and becomes a wealthy man as a property developer in the newly democratic country. Ifemelu gains success in the United States, where she becomes known for her blog about race in America, entitled “Raceteenth or Various Observations About American Blacks (Those Formerly Known as Negroes) by a Non-American Black”. When Ifemelu returns to Nigeria, the two consider reviving a relationship in light of their diverging experiences and identities during their many years apart.
The Zanzibar House of Wonders Museum: Self-Reliance and Partnership, a Case Study in Culture and Development
by Abdul SheriffProvides an interesting case study in culture and development, an example of best practice in the field, with lessons to be learned for the future* Explores the relevance of a museum to the population it serves and to economic development* Offers a glimpse into Zanzibar s extraordinary history and cultureZanzibar is a small island off the east African coast with a grand history. Its national museum is located in one of the world s most beautiful buildings, The House of Wonders. Between 2000 and 2005 a nineteenth-century sultan’s palace was converted into a museum to display the history and culture of Zanzibar and the Swahili coast. Does such a venture need foreign assistance? And if it does, how to circumvent the pitfalls of dependency? This book describes how Zanzibar managed to marry self-reliance and partnership in the development of its new museum. Since the UNESCO report Our Creative Diversity in 1995, attention to culture and development has risen. One of the needs felt in later years was more documentation of examples of best practice in this field. The development of the Zanzibar House of Wonders Museum can serve as such an example. It has been exemplary in many ways: in its contribution to the safeguarding of Zanzibar s heritage and in its wider scope; its approach to self-reliance and autonomy; and in the sustainability of its results. Part of this development has been a training program, which has a unique character and has contributed greatly to the overall results.”
Lying in the remote hills of southwest Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest harbors elephants, chimpanzees, monkeys, and half the world’s population of endangered mountain gorillas. For two years, Thor Hanson called that forest home, working with local guides and trackers to develop an ecotourism program for the newly-formed Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Thoroughly researched and beautifully told, Hanson’s story blends natural history with cultural insight to place the forest and the gorillas in the context of modern Africa. The Impenetrable Forest offers a rare glimpse into the world of mountain gorillas, and the human cultures that surround them. A must-read for anyone interested in gorilla tracking, endangered species, or travel to Uganda.
Idi Amin was one of the most evil dictators in modern history, butchering hundreds of thousands of his own people. And for one young novelist he became an obsession. As the tyrant lies on his deathbed, Giles Foden recalls the remarkable life of his tragicomic hero. I’ll be glad when he goes, not least because I won’t have to write about him any more. But it’s been a fine romance. It all began on my parents’ verandah in Mbarara, western Uganda. The year was 1990. I had won a creative writing studentship from Cambridge and had ambitions to write a novel about an African dictator. I had invented one called Dipsenza – a very bad man, as George Bush would put it, but he didn’t quite work. — The Guardian
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families
by Philip Gourevitch
In April of 1994, the government of Rwanda called on everyone in the Hutu majority to kill everyone in the Tutsi minority. Over the next three months, 800,000 Tutsis were murdered in the most unambiguous case of genocide since Hitler’s war against the Jews. Philip Gourevitch’s haunting work is an anatomy of the killings in Rwanda, a vivid history of the genocide’s background, and an unforgettable account of what it means to survive in its aftermath. — Goodreads
Kalinda is a page in Mwanga’s palace. His life is centred on pleasing the Kabaka. The beauty of Mwanga’s second wife, Nagawa, threatens his relationship with the Kabaka. Nagawa desperately wants to give Mwanga an heir, but the religious war with in Buganda, coordinated by Reverend Clement tests Kalinda and Nagawa’s loyalty towards their Kabaka.
Nakisanze Segawa was born in the Luweero Triangle. She is both a fiction writer and a Luganda performance poet. Her poetry and short stories have been published by Jalada and Femrite. Nakisanze is a contributor to both the Daily Monitor and Global Press Journal.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: We should all be feminists
We teach girls that they can have ambition, but not too much … to be successful, but not too successful, or they’ll threaten men, says author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. In this classic talk that started a worldwide conversation about feminism, Adichie asks that we begin to dream about and plan for a different, fairer world — of happier men and… https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_we_should_all_be_feminists Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story
Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice — and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding. https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | TED Speaker
Inspired by Nigerian history and tragedies all but forgotten by recent generations of westerners, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novels and stories are jewels in the crown of diasporan literature. Novelist https://www.ted.com/speakers/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie
Now that Entebbe Airport has reopened, and your Ugandan safari can finally become a reality, this article will give you an idea of what to expect as you transit through the airport, and travel about the country. As always, your safety is our primary concern, so you may be assured that we are taking all necessary precautions to keep you safe. We look forward to welcoming you soon!
