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Sex Harassment at Makerere University is Real

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Makerere University Uganda’s premier first university and the first university in East Africa, is bedevilled by sex harassment of female students by lecturers. This vice came to an epitome in March this year when the vice Chancellor decided to set up a committee to investigate allegations surrounding the issue. The committee’s report is now out and is unequivocally confirming that lecturers sexually abuse students and far reaching recommendations including but not limited to expulsion of proven offenders were included.

The committee found out sexual harassment is at it peak during examinations and graduation time where lecturers demand for sex from female students or else they frustrate their graduation. Students more often than not find them selves between a hard surface and a rock thus succumbing to this inhuman treatment.

While receiving the report, professor Nawangwe acknowledged that “sexual harassment is a crime that affects many institutions in the world”. He committed the university’s administration to stamp out the vice. Last year 6 students at the college of business and management sciences were sexually harassed by a lecturer. These students testified to the committee. One doctor who under the influence of alcohol, locks up students and suggestively makes sexual advances to the students was pointed out.

The committee recommended review of the existing university policy with change of name to “Policy and Regulations Against Sexual Harassment.

Proposal to government to amend the education policy for pre primary, Primary, post primary act as well as that of tertiary institutions so that issues of sexual harassment are also included. The committee chairperson Sylivia Tamale vehemently objected to the assertion that skimpily dressed female students induce sexual harassment thus in its report, the committee declined to recommend a dress code.

Driving In Uganda : Tips For a Successful Self Drive

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Uganda’s roads are generally in good condition. The tarmac roads allow for a smooth ride and the dirt roads are usually in good condition though slippery in rainy seasons. However, you are still driving in Africa. When you are in Entebbe, the most exciting things to do in Entebbe is exploring Lake Victoria; the largest lake in Africa. Entebbe sits on the shores of the lake, which makes it a resort city and also a commercial hub because it has Uganda’s international airport. There is a number of car rental Uganda companies which organize Entebbe excursions to explore and discover the hidden gems of Entebbe.

Here are interesting things to do in Entebbe during your safari with a hired car. You will visit Uganda Wildlife Educational Centre; Also known as the national zoo, this wildlife sanctuary takes care of orphaned and injured animals. Animals to see include lions, elephants, hyenas, leopards and a variety of bird species. Uganda Educational Centre is located on the shores of Lake Victoria.

Entebbe Botanical Gardens; the pristine 30-acre sanctuary was established at the start of the 1900s. It is situated on the shores of Lake Victoria. Animals and plants to see include birds, butterflies, monkeys and tropical trees. You will be driven and enjoy the boat ride / cruise on Lake Victoria; Boat riding is one of the best things to do in Entebbe. Cruise the idyllic lake that is shared by three East Africa countries. Fishing is one of the main economic activities in the region.

Even though most of the major highways in Uganda are tarmacked and in good conditions, many tourist attractions are only accessible via gravel/dirty roads. Some attractions like the Lake Mburo National Park are open to 2WD vehicles but if you are to venture into the Bwindi Impenetrable, Queen Elizabeth, Murchison falls, Kidepo valley National parks, you will need to hire 4×4 car.

You will have to plan your route according to your vehicle and your driving skills. Most maps will classify the roads into tarred major roads; gravel major roads, gravel district roads and 4×4 only. The weather plays an important role as well. The rainy season is from March till May and October till November. Light rain season falls in November and December can make driving a lot more difficult. You might have to navigate along soaked gravel roads.

There are also great distances between towns and many of the roads are less than busy, so it might be a while before help arrives though at Travel 256 we have stationed ourselves in most parts of the country. The best thing is to be well prepared which obviously includes driving the right vehicle. There is a lot of wildlife crossing roads in Uganda especially near conservation areas. It is obviously not the most desirable thing to collide with any living creature, but having an antelope crashing into the driver’s cabin might cause more than a guilty conscience. Sharp corners, potholes and the wildlife might call for sudden changes in direction, which are even harder to manage on gravel roads. So slow down and enjoy the ride. Clearance and maneuverability are major issues and both are affected by overloading. So make sure you have the right sized vehicle for whatever you need to carry. If you go into 4WD terrain it is advisable to slightly reduce tire pressure. Just make sure to bring a pump and restore the status quo when you get back onto tarred roads.

Driving on dry gravel roads might get you caught in a cloud of dust. Switching on your lights might not increase your visibility but I will allow other drivers to see you. Speed limits and warning signs are there for a reason. So comply with the instructions, it’s that simple.

Go Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

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Bwindi Silverback Gorilla

It’s hard to imagine how it feels to be with mountain gorillas for one hour in their wild jungle home. Is it your travel dream?, are you still wondering if the price will be reasonable?, just make a move of a fantastic gorilla trekking safari to Bwindi forest national park without considering the pricy gorilla permit fee and other associated safari essentials. A three day two nights gorilla tour offers really plenty of time to see everything without tiring though you travel with young kids. It’s a great family tour for those planning to move with kids and relatives.

The morning for the trek is tense because no one is sure when and where to find the mountain gorillas but the surprise come when you meet them in less than two hours though the estimated gorilla tracking time is 2-8 hours. Park rangers are too knowledgeable that they keep showing all attractive forest creatures and even give details a thing that keeps you busy and occupied to the time you find the giant apes. They do everything to ensure that you find mountain gorillas as soon as possible by communicating with other rangers close to the gorilla family you chose to track that day. Remember, they monitor these apes for 24hrs every day.

One can chose to meet the gorillas over and over again for a number of times tracking different gorilla families depending on your budget and interest but one trek is allowed per day and eight people are allowed to meet a particular gorilla family for issues of conservation.

If you book a private gorilla tour, you realize how Uganda travel experts care from the start to the end ensuring that everything is just fine even beyond your expectation. Gorilla tracking is a highlight of many Uganda safaris and it’s easy to book when using trip experts. However, those booking it for themselves, also find it easy because many backpack tourists make it for gorilla tracking on different days daily.

Gorilla permits go for $800 dollars but Uganda offers discounted prices to travelers who chose to see endangered mountain gorillas, in April, May and November. This is the time when the country promotes gorilla tourism to all travelers. Even tour experts arrange many gorilla group safaris to Bwindi forest at less than $800 dollars giving chance to many tourists to engage in the trek.

Groups usually are made in groups of eight so that you can track a particular gorilla family as a team. It’s fun to track gorillas with friends and especially on cheap offers. After the trek you can decide whether to check out other national parks close to Bwindi forest or to proceed back to the city for your back home flights.

There are many gorilla safari accommodations of all budgets and tourists make a choice depending on the price rates. Remember, the park has four sectors each with different gorilla families and you must confirm the sector of your trek before booking accommodation.

If you want to go budget, Buhoma rest camp, friendly gorilla campsite, Nshongi gorilla camp, Wagtail eco lodge, Broadbill campsite, Gift of nature and many others are ready to make your stay outstanding. However, for if you budget is fine, tryout lodges like Gorilla forest camp, Mahogany springs, Buhoma lodge, Bakiga lodge, Gorilla safari lodge, Gorilla resort, Gorilla mist camp, Clouds lodge and many others.

Zari to Judge at the Miss Uganda Pageant

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Zari

Its official, Uganda’s Zarinah Hassan aka Zari the Boss lady will be gracing the Miss Uganda Pageant as one of the judges and patrons of the event. Zari will be attending the grand finale event on August 10th at the Sheraton Hotel. She will also be a guest speaker at a CSR (corporate social responsibility) activity targeted to young girls organised by the Miss Uganda Foundation.

Zari is one of Africa’s biggest celebrities with a social media following of more than 5 million fans. She is an entrepreneur, reality TV star, digital influencer, a mother of five and a fashion icon. Zari’s annual white party which take place in December every year is one the most celebrated events on the Ugandan social calendar.

Brenda Nanyonjo, CEO of the Miss Uganda Foundation states “Zari is the perfect example of our motto at Miss Uganda which is beauty with a purpose! She is not only a beautiful women but she has managed to achieve so much in her career as a business women while she is raising 5 children. We believe she will be an excellent judge for the pageant.

Talent Africa’s CEO Aly Allibhai states “We are really excited to have Zari as a part of our team for the Miss Uganda Pageant. She is a strong independent women who is an inspiration and role model to young women in Uganda. The things she has achieved are phenomenal, she has been though many hardships but she always find a way to bounce back and keep developing and building her personal brand to be one of Uganda’s most celebrated personalities.”

The Miss Uganda Pageant is less than 2 months away and the organisers are set to bring an unparalleled amount of show biz to this year’s pageant.

NBS TV Recruits Urban TV’s DJ Bush Baby

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All is done for the Renowned old skool City deejay, DJ Bush Baby to join the Kamwokya based TV station, NBS.

According to close sources, the seasoned media personality will be working in the background as a creative and will be heading the creative at  the station.

Bush baby was officially unveiled to staffers during their 10 year celebration on Friday. He has formerly been working with Vision Group’s, Urban TV where he was a head honcho before putting his resignation papers on the the table of his bosses to focus doing projects with the station for
instance.

Rumor has it that he is the brains behind the new show; salute the DJ.

Keep buzzing for more entertainment news and celebrity gossip.

Hellen Lukoma off the Dating Grid, Reportedly gets engaged

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To all the smart wires who have been feasting on the aging Actress cum singer and model Hellen Lukoma’s forbidden treasures, it’s time to  silently call off your lust as she is reportedly got engaged.

Lukoma who is starring in the new Local Television serie, Empeke Town as Mercy is finally off the market after a yet to be identified man asking for her hand in marriage.

She refers to her ‘new man’ as ” Mr A” in her social media platforms posts of numerous photos of her self with an engagement ring captioned;

God has been good to me. Am always down on my knees thanking him. Thank u or Lord you saved me from my self. Pink coconut on the decor. Mr A on the….

Meanwhile, this is not the first time for the former HB Toxic member getting engaged as she was previously engaged to actor, Dean Nsubuga.
She was later dumped as Dean claimed that Lukoma had a bad friend (Leila Kayondo) who was influencing her in wrong ideas. This might be
the reason why Hellen Lukoma is now a sworn enemy with the faded singer, Leila Kayondo.

The Amazing Annual Batalo-Dance Festival is back with More Fun

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Fifth Annual Batalo Dance Festival 2017 #batalodf17 #bataloeast

Who: Batalo East

What: Fifth Annual Batalo Dance Fest

When: Friday 25 August – 7 PM; Saturday 16 August – noon/12 PM; Sunday 28 August – 7 pm.

Where: Ndere Cultural Centre

The fifth annual Batalo Dance Fest will be at the Ndere Cultural Centre this year, and promises workshops, competitions and performances showcasing groundbreaking new fusion of traditional and urban dance. The Fest welcomes dancers and spectators of all kinds, with tickets available at the box office at only 10k for adults and free for children under 10 years.

For this year’s Dance Fest, Batalo East will host DESTINO Dance Company from Ethiopia; Michèle Moss of Decidedly Jazz Danceworks (DJD) and the School of Creative and Performing Arts at the University of Calgary in Canada; guests from Music and Dance Africa (MuDA) in Tanzania, East African Nights of Tolerance (EANT) from Rwanda, and dancers from as far away as Egypt, Zimbabwe, the eastern DRC and throughout Uganda.

The Fest will start with an intensive five-day dance programme, the Batalo East Academy, from 21st – 25th August. This is a unique opportunity for 45 dancers who have applied from around Africa to participate in classes taught by local and international experts on dance pedagogy, fusion technique and conditioning.

On the evening of Friday 25 August 2017 at 7 PM, Batalo East hosts the first ever Urban Films Festival (UFF) final in Africa, a short urban film and dance film competition, in partnership with Alliance Française Kampala. The winner of the short film section of the UFF will to take part in the global UFF final in France. A team of French videographers will film eight selected dancers from east Africa who will later compete in a video dance battle, alongside the short film competition.

On Saturday 26 August 2017 from noon/12 PM, over 100 talented dancers will battle it out in dance eliminations for Afro House, Top Rock, Krump, New style Hip Hop, Style Yake and all style crew battles, along with dance showcases and open workshops, all the way through to the finals. The DRC dancers always bring strong competition – will the Ugandan dancers prevail and take the trophies?

On Sunday 27 August 2017 at 7 PM, Batalo East presents an evening of East Africa’s best hip hop and social development dance theatre performances in collaboration with over seven carefully-selected dance companies. Come prepared to see the top choreography and social messages being produced by dancers throughout the region – impactful urban traditional fusion for your senses!

There will be an ongoing urban market throughout the Fest where you can expect to find traditional meets urban fusion in clothing and other merchandise.

Batalo East was formed to build a bridge between traditional and urban dance, encouraging young people and dancers to value and incorporate traditional African art forms into their lives and artistry alongside their development as global citizens and artists on the international stage.

Batalo Dance Fest is presented in partnership with: Stichting DOEN, Ndere Cultural Centre, Magic 1HD, Alliance Française Kampala, Urban Films Festival, Viva Con Agua, Tabu Flo Dance Company and Urban Market.

The Bayimba International Festival of the Arts

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One of Ugandans most prestigious and respected cultural festival’s is back this weekend 16th – 18th September 2018 at the national theater.

Bayimba festival is an event organized by the Bayimba foundation annually bringing together different cultures from Uganda, Africa and world over, thus The Bayimba international festival.

The festival grants the chance to anyone interested to have an experience and adventure of different cultural practices and versatility from all around the globe in one place.

The festival is sletted to be graced by international acts like Yatatchi (Swiss) and Amadinda sound system (Ug/Austria).

A Journey To Explore Northern Uganda

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Northern Uganda is one of the 4 major regions in Uganda that has an approximate population of 12,000,000 people (as of 2014) and has a myriad of different of tribes and languages. This region is also among the most beautiful areas to visit during a guided tour or road trip in Uganda. The main attractions in this region include rich culture, wildlife and amazing scenery.

Kidepo national park.

Kidepo valley national park is Africa’s finest wilderness park that boasts of a rich biodiversity and stunning scenery. From Apoka, in the heart of this wilderness park, an undulating savanna landscape that stretches in all directions, disappearing into the horizon marked by distant mountain ranges.

Kidepo national park experiences a semi-arid climate with just one rainy season throughout a year (April-September). The southern part of the park, the Narus river valley receives about 890mm of rain per year and the northern part in Kidepo valley receives just 635mm of rain per year.

Kidepo Park is home to Uganda’s notable wildlife including the Big 4, and the rarest cheetah, ostrich, spotted hyena and a variety of birdlife. Other animals include large herds of Buffaloes, elephants, antelopes and Giraffes, intertwined with marvelous culture of the Karamojong people which is one of the unspoilt culture in the world.

Karuma falls.

The spectacular Karuma Falls are situated on the beautiful Victoria Nile and is one of the most inspiring and breath taking waterfalls along the Nile River. They are named “Karuma falls”, a local name used to refer to a historical spirit that inhabited this place and it is belived that the spirit is responsible for positioning the rocks that would later break the Nile waters to create these exhilarating falls.

These deafening Falls are on the eastern boundary of Murchison Falls National Park (the largest conservation area in Uganda) and just an hour’s drive from the northern town of Gulu.

Murchison falls conservation area stretches to Karuma falls and the place boasts of a wide assortment of monkeys, baboons, antelopes, buffaloes, Hartebeest, elephants, Uganda Kobs and amazing birdlife.

Murchison falls national park.  

The Murchison Falls National Park is another gem within the northern extreme of Albertine Rift Valley, where the vast Bunyoro escarpment integrates into the undulating Acholi plains. One of Uganda’s oldest national parks, Murchison falls national park was originally established as a game reserve in 1926 to preserve a savanna that Winston Churchill admired in 1907 and poetically described as ‘Kew Gardens and the zoo combined on an unlimited scale’.

Murchison Falls Park is intersected by the spectacular Victoria Nile which first races down 80km of white-water rapids before plunging 40m over the hanging rift valley wall at Murchison Falls, the proud highlight of the park.

The water falls drains the river’s remaining energy, turning it into a wide, calm stream that flows gently across the rift valley floor for 55km to Lake Albert. This stretch presents one of Uganda’s most spectacular wildlife views, including elephants, buffaloes, water bucks, Kobs and the permanent residents, Hippos and Nile crocodiles.

Aruu falls:  

This is honestly a hidden treasure in the heart of Northern Uganda; the magnificent and breathtaking scenery of the cascading falls is irresistibly refreshing and mind blowing.

Aruu falls is situated along the Gulu – Kitgum highway, about 386km from Kampala city, 47 and 57 Km from Gulu and Kitgum towns respectively.

This overhanging water falls presents a striking beautiful view and a panoramic sight to view as water streams down the rock piles.

This is an ideal spot for adventure seekers to relish a cold shower under the waterfalls and reaching there alone is adventure in itself as the place can only be accessed through ragged rocks and undefined path.

Mount Moroto.

Mount Moroto stands at an elevation of 3,082 meters above sea level in the heart of Karamoja region in North East of Uganda, near Kidepo valley national park, one of the finest and most scenic national parks in Africa.

The great Mount Moroto with a lavish of natural blessing hails from the old district of Moroto, neighboring the charismatic Karamajong society, anchored in the North eastern region on Uganda’s border with Kenya. Mount Moroto stands firmly vast-spread, at an approximate distance of 1.9 miles (3 Kilo meters) on ground by road, east of Moroto central business district.

The great mount Moroto is a habitat for varied flora and fauna including abundant birdlife, Patas monkeys, the spectacular golden cat and a variety of tree species.

Enjoy Family Fun on a Uganda Safari

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Family trips are so amazing! They make you move as a group and reduce the cost of travel per person. It also has several benefits to the family. It’s better to move with people you share similar interest including father, mother, children and other relatives. When it comes to family safaris, Uganda is one of the potential destinations that most Ugandans overlook! There are plenty of places that you can explore together with your loved ones. Some of the best destinations include;

  • the savanna national parks where you can enjoy a traditional safari including Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo National Park, Semuliki National Park etc
  • Island Destinations such as the Ssese Islands, Lake Bunyonyi Islands, Ngamba Island etc
  • Forests including Mabira Forest, Echuya Forest etc

With family trips you can stay in family cottages/ rooms to make your safari cheaper. Within most lodges, you can as well share other facilities like toilets, beds and so on.

Things to Do

There are lots of things that you can enjoy on a family safari in Uganda. From leisurely camping in the wild to the thrilling gorilla trekking in the impenetrable jungles of the forest, a lot awaits in Uganda! When planning these adventures, please put in mind that there are essential things to know about how these activities are conducted such as essential preparation, the degree of fitness as well as age restrictions.

In case you want to go gorilla trekking, you can ask to be put in group to track the same gorilla family. This company will enjoy do the gorilla trek with the people you know, an advantage over when you move with people of different interests. You can as well enjoy other activities like boat trips, nature walks, birding, etc together.

In case of a problem say sickness, it can be solved as a family. No worries about people left behind since you all leave homes for the trip. That brings more comfort when the family is together.

How to Plan a Family Safari

There are lots of tour operators you can use to plan a family holiday. However you need a tour company that pays attention to the needs of the family so that you can get the best out of your gateway! African Jungle Adventures is one of the leading tour operators who customize family safaris to suite every members needs and interests. The elders find joy on the safari when their children are near them than leaving them behind.

On family trips, you can also celebrate birth parties, anniversary and so on. Advance arrangement is required so that the lodge/ Hotel prepare for that important event. If you alerted the tour operator in time, be rest assured that all the arrangements you need will be made by the agency.

We note that, for any family safari to be organized successfully there must be a person behind it. It could be the mother, father or elder relative. All we need from you is to fill our safari form so that you provide us with details of your family in terms of age, gender, number of days you would like to spend in Uganda, rooming arrangement, activities that interest your family members and we will go ahead and advise you on the best available options.

We organize family safaris in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We offer full package including transport, accommodation and gorilla permits for your family. For Gorilla and Chimpanzee trekking, we need to know the age of each individual so that we establish if you will need a porter or if others meet the minimum age for gorilla trekking. Minimum age for gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda is 15 years and above and should you have any member of your family below that age, then it means that we need to organize other activities for him or her as she/he will not be allowed to meet Gorillas.

With family trips, you can spend time at islands like Ssesse, Ngamba, gong to Jinja to visit the source of river Nile, visit Uganda Wildlife Education (UWEC) or you can suggest any thing, we are ready to advice.

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