The untold crumbling heritage of Kampala
Known as Uganda’s capital city, Kampala comprises of people from different cultures and backgrounds who are attracted by the job opportunities available. The diverse culture and people from the various tribes in the country make Kampala a wonderful city worth visiting. Although some visitors find it easy to notice, it’s not easy for a first-time visitor to discover because of the absence of buildings and monuments to reflect Uganda’s culture. This is the reason why a first-time visitor requires a person to guide and narrate o him/her the history behind each and every historical site in the city.
With the increasing drive to modernity by the government, most of the historical buildings in Kampala have been razed down. This is the reason why some tourists are enticed to continue to some small trading centers simply to search for great better adventurous views which portray the background of this great nation. The destruction of these historical buildings in Kampala has led to erasing of the country’s visual features and origin making it hard to trace the true original background of the local people. Historical buildings are one of the leading attractions when it comes to cultural tourism as many people from different parts of the world visit to look at the old fashioned buildings.
One of the leading interesting places in Kampala is the Uganda Museum; an L-shaped building that was constructed in 1954.The building has a unique look that portrays the original ancient architecture. The shape of the building is so unique and it is said to be the only building in the country with such a shape which acts as an attraction tool attracting a lot of attention from both the local people and visitors. Another historical building in Kampala is the house of the city mayor in Luganda known as “Enyumba y’omukulu we kibuga” located in Rubaga Division (a Kampala suburb).
However, there is fear that some of these wonderful buildings may be history if they are not preserved from demolition. There is need for educating the local people about the good things that come with cultural tourism to preserve some historical buildings. If this is emphasized, the country will have a fascinating attraction just like other historical buildings like; Pyramid of Djoser in Egypt, Amiens Cathedral (a Roman Catholic cathedral) that overlooks the River Somme in Amiens and many more.
Protection of these buildings is better done by both the people and the government specifically those found in Kampala. Though modernity is the way to go, originality and culture must exist for pride.
Apart from Kampala, there are other towns where a visitor can extend his/her safari to like Jinja, Mbale, Mbarara, Tororo and more others. In Jinja, there are Indian-styled buildings that were constructed by the Indians before their suspension by Idi Amin. Still in Jinja, a visitor can visit Busoga’s royal palace found on Bugembe hill and get a chance of seeing the various historical objects of this kingdom. The rich culture of Bagisu people in Mbale town provides another tourism activity on a trip. A visitor can meet the Bagisu people (also known as Bamasaba) and even view their unique activities like dances and songs.
