President Yoweri Museveni has said that there is no better place for tourism in the world than Uganda.

The President made the remarks at the Uganda Giants’ Club Conservation and Tourism Investment Forum that took place at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa Hotel in Wakiso district on Friday

Museveni said that from his geography studies while in school and travels around the world since he became President, he has not seen any part of the world more interesting than Uganda.

“Uganda’s lowest point is 650 meters above sea level while the highest point is 5009 meters above sea level. This location makes Uganda unique for agriculture and tourism,” he said.

He said that this location enables the country have good flora and fauna.

“Whatever tourists want to do in agriculture and tourism can be done in Uganda,” he said.  Museveni said that tourism is a very big industry in the world hence the need to talk about conservation and also the business opportunities it brings.

“Tourism accounts for 9% of the global GDP (USD 6.6 trillion) and out of 11 jobs in the world; one job is in tourism. When we talk about the conservation, it is not just coming out for nature but having business goals. We can get a lot of money from tourism,” Museveni told the delegates.

Museveni said that despite the inefficiency of the administrators and policy people, the tourist arrivals in Uganda have grown from 700 people in 1986 to over 1.3 million people. He noted security; strong laws against poaching and infrastructure development, have contributed to the rise in tourist numbers. “There are still a few gaps but otherwise we have a sufficient system here. Here, we never need the United Nations. Here we guard ourselves,” he said.

Museveni called upon the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and other actors in the tourism sector to develop these products by adding the cultural elements so as to help tourists understand the history of the places, people and animals saying that some of the birds and animals are not found in the countries where tourists come from and therefore they merely describe the animals and places.

“When studying biology in school, they were using many Latin names like medulla oblongata. We need to also store the knowledge of the ancient people and share it with the world,” he said. President Museveni said that his government is committed to working on roads adding that it would work on roads to Karamoja’s Kidepo National Park.

Paul Alistair of the Africa Wildlife Foundation said now is the right time for the Giant Stars to get into Uganda. “The Giant Stars are aligned for Uganda and are looking at five National Parks: Murchison, Kidepo, Queen Elizabeth and Semilki,” he said.

He called for the development of more infrastructure such as road and accommodation facilities saying that Uganda has a lot to offer to tourists.  “There is a diversity of products and tourist attractions. Apart from the chimpanzees, Uganda is home to many bird species that cannot be found anywhere else in the world,” he said.

The Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu, said a new chapter has been opened in Uganda’s tourism and conservation efforts. He called upon the different actors to march the words spoken at the event with results.

Former British Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, the United Nations Environment Programme Executive Director, Erik Solheim, UNDP Resident Representative, Rosa Malango, Uganda Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Asiimwe, Uganda Investment Authority Executive Director, Jolly Kaguhangire, UWA Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Andrew Seguya and Great Lakes’ Safaris Chief Executive Officer, Amos Wekesa, attended the function.

LWENGO – What started as mourning the death and burial of Mzee Vincent Nsamba (76 years); father to Masaka Municipality MP Mathias Mpuuga turned politically chaotic a few minutes after the arrival of Kabula county Member of Parliament James Kakooza one of the MPs supporting the removal of the constitutional age limit for the Presidency. The incident happened on Sunday evening at Nakawanga village, Kisseka Sub County, Lwengo district where a group of mourners got angry upon seeing Kakooza and attempted to rough him up; only to be saved by Buganda Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga.

Kakooza, who arrived at the burial grounds at around 3.00 pm, was first denied a break through to the congregation where several MPs and dignitaries were seated, kept smiling as several youths heckled and abused him, while chanting the “Togikwatako” slogan and threatening to throw stones to hit the former primary health care state minister.

“He should not come here or else we attack him” Youths dressed in T shirts branded with the “Togikwatako” slogan shouted.  “He is a traitor, he should leave. We can’t welcome him here,” they added.

The chorused mockery instantly attracted attention of the whole congregation that many people were seen rising to catch a glimpse of Kakooza as a group of charged youth advanced to rough him up, but MP Mpuuga swiftly intervened and to cool down public temper by dissuade the youths

“No you let him attend, Kakooza is my friend. He is just like many of our fellows who deserve to be liberated from the wreckages of rotten system in which they got trapped,” Mpuuga noted as he secured Kakooza from the charged mob.

“We should Blacklist him. He is part of the team that has left us suffering all this long” some elderly women asked youths as Kakooza arrived.

Coincidentally, Kakooza’s armed escort was blocked at the entrance, and as Katikkiro Mayiga’s security details was securing for him entrance into the congregation, several residents turned to stoning the MP’s vehicle in protest of his presence at the opposition dominated burial.

The unpredictable situation prompted the driver of the MP’s vehicle (Pajero Mitsubishi) together with a host of different security persons to hide the vehicle which prompted the Buganda Premier Charles Peter Mayiga to also plead with the angry congregation to “forgive” MP Kakooza since it was time to mourn the late MP Mpuuga’s father.

“You are all Kabaka’s subjects and am your elder brother, so I would not like to witness any embarrassing scenes amidst us, I will request you not to do anything bad to (MP) Kakooza,” Buganda Premier Peter Mayiga pleaded is his speech, before castigating legislators who sell their conscience at the expense of the country’s tranquility and will of the electorates.

The Controversial legislator could hardly find comfort at the burial as all speakers directly rebuked him and the ruling government.

“What is happening in the countryside is a direct indicator that majority of citizens are no longer supportive of your selfish agendas. I wonder why Kakooza and his group have adamantly kept a deaf ear to such indicators” the Kampala capital city mayor Elias Lukwago noted amid chants from the congregation.

Earlier in the day, Reverend Monsignor George William Lubega, the former Vicor General of Masaka diocesan, who led the requiem mass, extolled MPs opposed lifting of the presidential age limit, for standing their grounds to reject the amendment amid tough challenges.

He likened the MPs that were brutally thrown out parliamentary chambers, to heroes whom he said the electorates ought to hold in high esteem for struggling to defend the constitution.

Fr Lubega also read out what he said was message written in 2005, by Cardinal Emmanuel Wamala warning parliamentarians against the repealing the presidential age limit. The last cap after they removed the term limits.

Democratic Party Legislators laying a wreath on the casket of the Late Vincent Nsamba Father of the Masaka Municipality MP Mathias Mpuuga on Sunday

The Forum for Democratic Change FDC former presidential candidate Kiiza Besigye, revealed that their next course of action would include going around the country imploring the citizens to join the MPs to resist what her said was bad rule and reclaim the country’s leadership.

The current political stalemate stems from a motion tabled by the Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi seeking leave of Parliament to draft a private members bill on constitutional amendment with a proposal to lift the presidential age limits.

However, when contacted via his cellphone Kakooza downplayed the threats against him. “My intention was to go for burial and I did. Those who threatened me were planted by several opposition politicians who wanted to frustrate me. Instead of writing on such an incident, why don’t you talk about Mao (DP President) who spend the day abusing the President (Yoweri Museveni)”

The Judicial Land commission of Inquiry chaired by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire, has instructed businessman John Ssebalamu, to produce all the land titles he purportedly secured in Lwera, a wetland along the Kampala-Masaka highway.

The Commissioners on Wednesday started examining land disputes in the Masaka sub-region begun with a locust visit to Lwera wetland in Kalungu district, as one of the places with sharp land ownership disputes between businessmen and local communities.

The commission has faulted Businessman Sebalamu for depleting the wetland by opening up deep and wide ditches without being sensitive on the negative environmental impacts.

Amid lengthy verbal altercation with the commissioners, businessman Ssebalamu opened up that he regularly secured a 2 square miles land title in the wetland, which Justice Bamugemereire has instructed him to produces before the committee.

According to him, he successfully secured the relevant approvals from the responsible government departments that cleared him to carryout commercial sand mining in the wetland; however his explanation was found lacking by the commissioners.

Other persons to face the commission are Bukoto South MP Hajji Muyanja Mbabaali, Synagogue Church pastor Samuel Kakande, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister Vincent Ssempijja, Deputy Chief of Defense Officer, Lieutenant General Wilson Mbaddi, Masaka district NRM chairperson Peter Ssenkungu among others who are said to have disputed ownership of land in greater Masaka region.