Last adrenalin rush at the Bujagali rapids

On Sunday February 27, it was business unusual as lovers of high adrenalin sports prepared to take their last rides down the Bujagali Falls — considered one of East Africa’s extreme adventure capital — famous for the extreme sports of white water rafting, kayaking, bungee jumping, quad biking, mountain bike tours, boat riding and deep water fishing.

It is a festering 27°C — the perfect weather for a rafting expedition — but for the faint hearted it was good enough for at least an easy dip in the emerald waters of the Nile.

Everyone was in a hurry. Rafters, tour guides, boat operators, swimmers, even environmental lobbyists were purposefully walking about.

Half naked children were trying to get their last catch of tilapia; as others did their laundry in the traditional river bank style — a quick dipping of the dirty clothes into the water and repeatedly slapping on the rocks by the river bank.

Officially, February 27 was the last day of sporting on the Bujagali stretch of the Nile ahead of the flooding of the five rapids spread over three kilometres of the river at the uppermost part of the Nile.

A stretch of nearly three kilometres covering Donald Duck, Bujagali Falls, Easy Rider, Sibling Rivalry and Big Brother/Silverback, boat rides, tours of “spirit” islands and fishing activity will be history.

The flooding of the rapids is part of the final stages of the construction of the Bujagali hydropower dam. The flooding will make generation of electricity possible.

So on this day, water sports lovers were out in force. There are over 200 rafters from Adrift Adventures and Nile River Explorers, getting their gear ready.

The raft masters are tying the harness on the left wrist of each rafter. The kayakers — most of whom are really first timers — are looking a tad terrified by the sheer force of the water.

On seeing the amount of water reverberating before their eyes, some get apprehensive and try to wiggle out of the excursion.

“Not this one. I’ll start at the next rapid. See, I am kind of inexperienced, so am not going to go all the way. I won’t do the tough rapids. I’ve actually chickened out of this one,” says Michael Hodgson, one of three kayakers who would not dare the Grade IV Donald Duck rapid at the entrance of Bujagali Falls.

Hodgson’s fear is what tells the story of Bujagali Falls.

White water rafting has been a popular sport at Bujagali since 1996.

The allure of the cascading rapids is such that it invites even those that have no affinity for water sports, which is why Hodgson was keen on trying the rapids just once before they are flooded and lost forever.

“It’s sad that this rapid will be extinct but I am excited to be part of the last activity here. The experience here is one of the best in the world, I am told. I live in Kenya but you don’t find many of this type,” he said as he lifted his kayak out of the water to launch his plunge at the next rapid — another Grade IV Bujagali Falls — which is actually a big, two-in-one rapid, the size of Grade V rapids on most rivers, including Africa’s other best, the Zambezi in Zimbabwe.