By GILBERT MWIJUKE

More by this Author

The Covid-19 pandemic has left many people yearning for a change of scenery. Since the beginning of 2020, most of us have found it difficult to get our travel fix due to the numerous Covid-19-induced travel restrictions, financial distress, prohibitive transport costs and health risks.

To curtail the spread of the virus, the government of Uganda put in place strict, travel-dissuading guidelines for both local and international travellers, including masking up, sanitising and public transport seating operating at 50 percent capacity (which led to doubling of transport costs). Such restrictions have, throughout the year, forced many people to stay home as the better option.

However, now that the festive season is with us, many people are tempted to hit the road again and get that much needed change of scenery. Personally, I recently ventured out again, on a long and tiring road trip to Fort Portal, a tranquil city 300km northwest of Uganda’s rumbustious capital Kampala.

The first instalment of my trip began on a rather sour note. It was on that day when riots were running riot in Kampala following the arrest of Robert Kyagulanyi, President Yoweri Museveni’s main challenger in the January 2021 General Election.

The riots found me in Old Kampala on my way to the Link Bus terminal downtown, to board the next available bus to Fort Portal. Suddenly, it dawned on me that Kampala was on fire as rioters had taken the city by storm.

Baby riots

The Kyagulanyi protests were far worse than Dr Kizza Besigye’s (formerly Museveni’s main challenger).

As tear gas canisters and live bullets turned Kampala into a war zone, I hid in one corner, from where it took me a good four hours to muster the courage to walk through the smouldering streets to the bus terminal, a mere 200 metres away.

From 11am, it was not until 3pm that I finally made it to the Fort Portal-bound bus. After paying for a one-way ticket ($15), I was asked for my name, phone number, and residence, so they could contact me if they thought I could have come in contact with someone with coronavirus.

I was then asked to sanitise, mask up and get seated in the bus as it was about to take off – “and it’s the last one for today”. We left Kampala’s riots and their devastating statistics: millions of shillings lost in property destroyed by rioters, 58 people dead and hundreds others injured.

Once inside the bus, the sound of gunshots and stifling tear gas faded away, the five-hour ride to Fort Portal turned out to be uneventful and peaceful, save for the strict observation of Covid-19 SOPs: masking up all the way, sanitising all the time, and social distancing (which, of course, is unrealistic in the bus).

Along the way, there weren’t any scenic views to write home about as dusk fell before we could make it to the most scenic parts of the Kampala-Fort Portal stretch.

We missed the unbeatable views of undulating hills, tropical forests and vast tea plantations on Fort Portal’s countryside.

In Fort Portal, there were armed soldiers in almost every corner, most likely aimed to bar the youth here from following in the footsteps of their Kampala counterparts. Shops suspected to be selling alcohol were ordered by soldiers to close even before the official curfew time of 9pm.

Given no chance to hang out and sample a bit Fort Portal’s nightlife, I checked into a budget guest house which, for about $10, offered me a good night’s sleep and a delicious breakfast next day.

What I discovered then, and later on, was that unlike the high-end and mid-range hotels (and buses), most budget accommodations in Uganda don’t follow any Covid-19 SOPs.

This reluctance is perhaps due to dwindled numbers of clients; most accommodations, like my abode, have been operating at an average occupancy rate of 25 percent.

And even though high-end hotels have the Covid-19 measures in place, they are usually the typical ones – and quite lax: washing hands and temperature check at the entrance (a must), masking up and social distancing in communal areas as well as sanitising all the time during your stay.

While some activities such as mass gatherings are still restricted, there’s still plenty to do and see while in Fort Portal, depending on your taste.

Kibale Forest National Park tops the list of most people’s must-visit places while in Fort Portal.

Also known as the Primate Capital of the World, this magnificent rainforest hosts more than 5,000 chimpanzees and 12 other primates, including the Colobus and blue monkeys, Grey-Cheeked Mangabey, and a plethora of Albertine Rift endemic bird species such as the Great Blue Turaco.

The Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary, home to eight primate species and several other fauna and flora; Semuliki National Park, which harbours a range of wildlife species; Rwenzori Mountains, Africa’s highest mountain range; and Lake Albert, Africa’s 7th largest lake, are some of the other top attractions.

For a little bit culture, you can swing by the Tooro Royal Museum at the King’s Palace, which is devoted to Tooro Kingdom’s history and culture. Alternatively, you can journey through Amabeere ga Nyina Mwiru caves (meaning Breasts of Nyinamwiru in Lutooro, the local language here), which are believed to be the birthplace of Ndahura, the first king of the legendary Bachwezi.