Kampala finally goes to the Central Government

Uganda’s Capital city, Kampala has been on news since 2007 when the proposed bill for the take over of its management was being debated, in 2009 the bill was read for the second time and the city will now be managed by the central government after lawmakers passed the Kampala City Bill (2009). The new law, which now awaits presidential assent, shifts power from the Lord Mayor’s office to that of an executive director appointed by the President, with qualifications required for the same level as permanent secretary in a ministry.

The Bill that had lasted for more than a year on the shelves of Parliament,  this was a remarkable political development after Local Government Minister Adolf Mwesige returned it to the floor for its second reading on 02^nd Nov, 2010,Tuesday and set in the motion debate leading to the process of its eventual passing.

The new law will also see the police take direct orders from the Executive Director without prior permission from the Inspector General of Police. First tabled on the floor in June 2009 amid anxiety and protests from the opposition, Mr Mwesige cooled tensions after he revealed the government had agreed to abandon its earlier proposal in the Bill to have Kampala’s mayor elected by an electoral college of councilors and told MPs the current system of universal adult suffrage should be upheld.

The new law disbands the Kampala City Council, creating a new Kampala City Council Authority to govern the city on behalf of the central government. In the same breath, the Bill now tasks the central government to be responsible for the management of all of Kampala’s roads, street lights, sewers and all transport ways.

Mean while the City managers have also been handed power to borrow money from any financial institution without seeking parliamentary approval. There was efforts by Budadiri MP Nandala Mafabi to block the decision arguing that no government institution should borrow without Parliament’s sanction were quashed.

A new Metropolitan Physical Planning Authority has been provided for in the new law, to directly manage the capital’s infrastructure development. Provisions have been included to have professionals such as associations of architects, doctors and lawyers to participate in the decision making processes of the Authority.

Already the race for mayor has started and more than 10 aspirants are expected to be nominated to compete for the position which will be effective in 2011.

The idea  of this for Kampala city, is to return the disorganize city  to  its original  glory that it had 40 years a go and make it attractive to the tourist who set their eyes to Uganda’s only capital city.

Antelopes of the shapes and sizes exist in Uganda in fairly large numbers. One most often associated with the country (often referred to as its ‘national antelope’) is the Uganda kob, a stocky, russet – colored animal about size of a water buck, to which it is related. Preferring moist, savannah – like habitats, the Uganda kob (also known as Thomas’s kob) can be easily seen in Lake Mburo, Murchision Falls, and Queen Elizabeth national park. In Queen Elizabeth, in particular, it is worth spending time at the kob mating ground, which is demarcated with signs, to observe some of the interesting habits of this animal.

Another, much smaller, antelope is endemic to Uganda: Bate’s pigmy antelope, weighing only tree kilos 9 seven 1bs). The smallest ungulate in East Africa, it inhabits the country’s western forests, but is rarely seen as it prefers thick cover and is very shy. Africa’s largest antelope, the eland, is also found in the country. The rare giant, or Land Derby’s eland – the male of which could weigh up to 900 kilos (2,000 1bs)  -was once was found in Northern Uganda west of the Albert Nile, but it is doubtful that any remain.

The smaller common eland  -weighing in at round 700 kilos (1,500 1bs), occurs in kidepo Valley  National park in the south of the country .Both  species feature long, spiraled horns and large dewlaps.

Kidepo Valley national park is also a home of two other beautiful, spiral – horned antelope, the greater kudu and the lesser kudu. Although, true to its name, the lesser kudu is about half the size of greater, both varieties having light brown coats and delicates white stripes down the sides of their bodies. Only the males have horns.  Two species of the awkward – looking hartebeest, with its long mournful face, exist in Uganda. Most common is Jackson’s hartebeest found Kidepo and Lake Mburo national parks. While the lewdly hartebeest occurs west of the Nile. The hartebeest’s darker cousin, the topi, is frequently seen in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Any visitor is pretty sure to see the shaggy – looking water buck while on safari in Uganda, as it occurs trough out the country, often grazing near water the variety that occurs there is the defassa water buck which has a solid white rump. (Its relative, the common water buck, found further to the East, has a white ring on its rump.)

The handsome roan antelope is a red –dish- brown animal with short, back ward – curving horns and a small mane on the  on the back of its neck. Although said to be present in Lake Mburo and Kidepo valley National parks, it must be few in number, as sightings are rare. The rapier – horned, gregarious beisa Oryx, weighing over 200kilos (440 1bs), is a truly desert – adapted species that makes its home in Uganda in the drier parts of Kidepo Valley National Park.

Another species preferring the arid lands found in Kidepo is the delicate Grant’s gazelle, a light brown animal with lyre- shaped horns. Although herds can number up to 400, it is more common to see 20 to 400 of these gazelles grazing together on the plains.

Although quite common elsewhere in East Africa, the chestnut-colored Impala is found in Uganda only in Lake Mburo National park. Only the males have horns. Impala are tremendous jumpers, and it’s a fantastic sight to see a heard, white tails flashing, leaping over bushes and rocks, often seemingly just for the sheer joy of it.

More elusive is the bushbuck, common but shy antelope of the forest and rerine woodland. In Uganda, bushbuck can be found in most forest and national parks; it is particularly plentiful in Queen Elizabeth National park. The male bushbuck is handsome animal with dark chestnut coat flecked with white spots and stripes. The female is smaller and lighter colored and is often mistaken for a duiker, of which there are numerous species in Uganda. Most Ugandan duikers prefer forest as their habitat, but one, the grey duiker, is more often seen in woodland and savannah. The red Harvey’s, blue and yellow-backed duikers are wide spread in the country’s forests.

One of the more unusual antelope’s resident in Uganda is the situnga, found in many of the country’s papyrus swamps, where the animal’s greatly elongated hooves enable it to walk on floating vegetation. Its is very shy and hence difficult to see; when confronted, it dives under the water and hides, with only its nose showing.

The medium-sized, yellowish Bohor reedbuck, which prefers rank, medium-height grasslands as its home, may be found in Lake Mburo, Queen Elizabeth, Murchison falls national parks. Featuring small, crescent-shaped horns, it is often seen in pairs in open country near water.

Look for the smaller, 18-kilo (40-1b) Klipspringer prancing about on cliffs, rocky hillsides, and mountain screes. It is thought that the klipspringer mates for life; they are often seen in pairs. Lake Mburo National park’s home to the straw-colored Oribi, readily Identified by a large black mark, a gland, below each ear. Very much a grassland animal, it lives in small herds

It is said all the Big five – elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, and rhinoceros still exist in the country although whether any rhinos remain is questionable. It is thought that a few black rhinos may be clinging to existence in the Zoo and Nakasongola privately protected area before they are transferred to Murchison fall National Park.

The largest land animals in the world is the Elephant, has surprisingly managed to hang on, despite massive poaching and its numbers are once again climbing. Two races are recognized in the country, the savannah elephants and the forest elephants, and the two are thought to interbreed in parts of western Uganda. Particularly large herds exist in the kidepo valley National park, but elephants can also be found in Murchison falls, Queen Elizabeth and kibale forest national parks.

You shouldn’t have any trouble at all to see one of the big five in any Ugandan safari; The African Buffalo is hardy and adaptable animal is found virtually all the national park and forest, often in large herds. You may even spot a mixed breed of savannah buffalo and the West African red buffalo in queen Elizabeth National park.

Heavy poaching has made Africa’s largest cat, the lion, scarce; nevertheless it does continue to exist. Your best chance of seeing these impressive predators is in Kidepo valley National park, but it is also present in Murchison falls and Queen Elizabeth National parks.

Although rarely seen because of the nocturnal and secretive nature, the leopard is also found virtually in almost in all Uganda’s National parks and forest as well in areas close to human inhabitation. It has resotte-shaped spots and is more stockily built than the streamlined cheetah, which in Uganda is found in kidepo valley national park.

Other members of the cat family present in Uganda are the Caracal and the serval, although both are rarely seen as the are nocturnal. Also nocturnal are the catlike civet and genet, which are wide spread through out the country. While the genet may often be spotted slinking around campsites at night, the civet is seldom seen.

Of the other predators resident in Uganda, the most likely to be seen is the spotted hyena, which is surprisingly more related to the mongoose and the cat than it is to the dog, which it more closely resembles. Living in clans dominated by females, the hyena is widespread and common through out the country, though it prefers the savannah and woodland habitats.

The African hunting dog is a ferocious and successful hunter, but it is on the brink of extinction because of its susceptibility to canine disease. This highly social animal, many of whose characteristics resemble those of the domestic dog, is said to be present in Queen Elizabeth National Park, but its numbers are few.

Two races of another member of the dog family reside in the country: the black backed jackal and the side striped jackal. Both are present in many of Uganda’s national parks, although the latter is the most likely to seen.

Another predator found through out Uganda but rarely seen is ratel, or honey badger which has an amazing symbiotic relational ship with greater honey guide. The bird, wanting honey, will lead the ratel to beehive. The ratel then obligingly tears the hive open, eating what it wants, leaving the rest for the honey guide

Caring for the Young
Mountain gorillas have a slow rate of reproduction. Females give birth for the first time at about age 10 and will have more offspring every three or four years. A male begins to breed between 12 and 15 years, when he is in charge of his own group. Able to conceive for only about three days each month, the female produces a single young. Newborn gorillas are weak and tiny, weighing in at about 4 pounds. Their movements are as awkward as those of human infants, but their development is roughly twice as fast. At 3 or 4 months, the gorilla infant can sit upright and can stand with support soon after. It suckles regularly for about a year and is gradually weaned at about 31/2 years, when it becomes more independent.

Vocal communication among gorillas is important in within-group interactions as well as extra-group interactions. Within-group calls, include “copulatory grunts” and “whimpers” during copulation, “whines” and “whimpers” by infants, “play chuckles” during play, “intense” and “mild cough grunts” during mild threat displays, and “close” calls that include both “syllabled” and “non-syllabled” calls such as “train-grunts” and “dog whines”.”Close” calls are commonly given within the group in situations of either potential separation or potential conflict. Extra-group calls serve to alert group members of potential predation and include “barks” or are given as long-distance threat displays upon detection of another group and include the “hoot series,” which may be accompanied by chest beating. Most calling occurs within-groups during feeding times, though gorillas also call during rest periods as well.

Habitat
The most serious threat to gorillas is habitat loss. The rich volcanic soil of the Virungas is as highly valued as farming land. In Rwanda, Uganda and Congo, a regional conservation program stressing the importance of maintaining the virgin forest watershed and the need to habituate some groups of mountain gorillas for tourist visits has helped ease encroachment.

Silverbacks are typically more aggressive than other group members since the troop’s safety is their responsibility. The silverback makes all group decisions, is responsible for most of the calls, receives the dominant portion of food (even when resources are limited) and can terminate troublesome behavior with just a look. A male must have an established home range and great strength to confront any rival before acquiring his own troop. Therefore most silverbacks are usually solitary for about four years and turn 15 before acquiring a troop of their own.

The oldest and strongest adult male silverback is usually dominant in the troop and has exclusive breeding rights to the females. Adolescent females transfer to another troop before reproducing at around eight years of age. Generally the first troop a female reproduces in will become her permanent family. A female’s status or rank in the family is generally determined by the order in which she was recruited into the troop. Late arrivals do not receive the benefits of high ranking females such as having their offspring remain close to the dominant silverback for protection. It is for this reason that females most often join a lone silverback or a newly formed troop rather than a long-established one.

An adolescent male most often splits from his parent group due to lack of breeding opportunity. Usually the adolescent male will remain solitary until he forms his own troop. This process takes several years and begins by the juvenile male separating himself just outside from the troop. As time progresses, his distances increase from the parental group.

Troop populations usually range in size from 2 to 12 individuals with 9 being the average. They are highly synchronized in their activity patterns. If a troop consists of multiple silverbacks they are usually the sons of the dominant adult male silverback. One of the largest gorilla troops identified had 4 silverbacks, 5 blackbacks, 12 adult females, and 16 young.

Feeding
Gorillas spend about 14 hours feeding and foraging and about 10 hours resting every day,   moves about 400-1,000 meters (0.24-0.60 mi) per day which is about 88-219 miles per year.
Feeding/foraging activity peaks during the first three to four hours of the day. Then there is usually an extended rest period during midday until mid-late afternoon at which point feeding/foraging activity resumes.

Accommodation
Gorillas construct “beds” to sleep in at the end of the day. They gather vegetation around them in trees or on the ground. Gorillas construct a new nest each night because they travel to different locations during the day foraging. The daily construction of new nests also helps avoid parasites that may nest in the bedding. Infants sleep in their mother’s nest until they are about three years of age. However, some offspring as young as eight months practice nest building. Nests function to keep the mountain gorillas off the cold ground, prevent them slipping down a slope, or support them in a tree during the night. Researchers can identify the size, age, activity and make-up of a gorilla troop based on their nests.

Behavior
This gigantic animal is shy and retiring rather than ferocious and treacherous, it only reacts when harassed but will valiantly defend its family group if threatened. Family groups are close-knit and may have up to 30 members, but even if smaller, the group usually consists of at least one older male, one or more females and a few juveniles. Gorillas have strong attachments to members of their own group and even when groups meet and mingle and then subsequently part, each animal tends to remain with its respective unit. An adult male called a silverback named for the silvery gray hairs on its back normally leads each group, serving as its chief protector and defender. Gorillas continually wander through their home ranges of 10 to 15 square miles, feeding and resting throughout the day. Because gorillas are nomadic, they build new nests each day at dusk, constructing them of bent branches in a tree or of grasses on the ground.

A group’s hierarchy, ritualized behavior and bluff charges between males prevent conflict among and between groups. Gorillas scream, grab foliage and stuff it in their mouths, stand erect on their hind legs, tear up and throw plants, drum on the chest with hands or fists, stamp their feet, strike the ground with the palms of their hands and gallop in a mock attack on all fours.
Physical Characteristics
The gorilla is massive, with a short, thick trunk and broad chest and shoulders. Its eyes and ears are dwarfed by its large head and hairless, shiny black muzzle. Older males develop a crown of muscle and hair that makes the head look even longer. The arms are longer than the stubby legs. The fully adult male mountain gorilla is twice as large as the femal

Physical Characteristics
to describe the mountain gorilla is what one has to hear when the the story is told, the Ape is so massive, with a short, thick trunk and broad chest and shoulders. Its eyes and ears are dwarfed by its large head and hairless, shiny black muzzle. Older males develop a crown of muscle and hair that makes the head look even longer. The arms are longer than the stubby legs. The fully adult male mountain gorilla is twice as large as the female.

The Scientific name of the mountain Gorilla is Gorilla beringei, size 6 feet tall, weight 300 to 425 pounds,lifespan -53years in captivity,  habitat-dense forest, rain forest, diet –vegetation,preditors-leopards, crocodiles, humans. Gorillas are non-territorial and live in groups called troops that generally consist of 1 to 4 adult males (called silverbacks), some juvenile males (called black-backs), several adult females and young.

BAGAMOYO

Bagamoyo one of the cities of Tanzania is found 75 kilometres north of Dar es Salaam biggest main city, this was once a port well know for slaves that were brought from the main land, especially in the northern parts of Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda including Congo.

This was later turned into the first German colonial administration capital. Its considerably significant place to the world history, both as an entry point for Arab, European missionaries, explorers, traders in East, Central Africa, and in the history of slave trade. This has led to the inclusion of this city to one of the best selected heritage site in East Africa by UNESCO for conservation and protection of the fascinating Gothic and Afro-Arabic architecture in this coastal settlement.

Some of the best sites include: the Kaole ruins dating back to the 12th century thought to mark one of the earliest contacts of Islam with Africa; the Oldest Fort built in 1860 for holding slaves for shipment to Zanzibar; the first Roman Catholic Church in East Africa built around 1868 used as a base to run a camp of about 650 freed slaves; the German colonial administration headquarters, the Boma, in the first capital of German East Africa; the Mission Museum displaying history of Bagamoyo; and the Livingstone Memorial Church and many more. The best white beaches in the world and are considered to be the finest on the whole of the East African coast. Never the less a good place to relax under the bright cold sun.

Uganda good food, Uganda’s good living

As soon as you land down to Entebbe international airport, the first welcome is the good fresh Air than enters through you nose, however any thing more is that you will be living in the Land that where any thing grows! Your meals, will therefore likely to be packed with colorful, delicious produce, fresh from the local markets.

Not only does this ensure that you will be thoroughly nourished, ready to make most of your Uganda safari Adventure interesting, it also means that you will be contributing to the national economy with through the payment of your bills after enjoying the fresh food. Policies are made to encourage visitors to source from the producers as much as possible for the goods consumed by our Uganda trail guests. This makes for better value, a more solid and stable local employment system, fresh food and healthier planet.

Besides it seems insane to fly food from whole over the world when the local trees and fields are groaning under the weight of our own produce. While you are with us, make sure you try the local dishes such as Nile parch or tilapia for those who enjoy fish dishes, or tuck into the gloriously tasty and colorful local fruits salads and vegetables.

Those who prefer to stay with what they know will still benefit – because even the other dishes like the British, Italian, Indian, Greek, Chinese, and other international fare on offer are still made with freshly local ingredients in different hotels, Lodges and restaurants, the choice is yours