Kampala is a city that has overcome enormous challenges. The network of local NGOs is vital to the sustainable development that is improving conditions of vulnerable populations. Before we can understand where the city is, we have to understand where it has come from.
We begin our Kampala tour at the Uganda Parliament to hear how the country gained independence. We’ll then proceed through the streets of Kampala, stopping at the Nakasero and Owino markets, Hindu temple, old taxi park, and chat with local street vendors and boda-boda cyclists. This will bring us to the Kisenyi slums, where we’ll meet a volunteer of the Slum Aid Project who will escort us through the slum to see what life is like there. We’ll hear the stories of struggle from street children and refugees to understand the difficult journey that brought them to the slum. We’ll see the contributions of the Slum Aid Project, and how their grassroots efforts are improving the lives of local families, women, and children in Kampala’s slums.
From rags to riches, we will continue our Kampala walking tour to the Buganda King’s palace and listen to the rich history of the kingdom. We’ll get the inside scoop on the kings that ruled Buganda, one of whom would become the first Ugandan president and one who killed Ugandan martyrs for turning to Christianity.
We end our tour at Gaddafi’s mosque dedicated to the former Libyan president Murmur Gaddafi. We’ll climb to the top of the mosque for a spectacular view of the city and the seven hills that make Kampala.
Although over 50% of the population is considered impoverished, Uganda has made substantial economic progress in bringing people out of poverty. This is in large part due to local grassroots initiatives that promote sustainable farming, education and literacy, and entrepreneurship.
We begin our Kampala tour with a brief visit to a number of local landmarks including the Kampala Taxi Park, Nakasero Market, Constitutional Square, and Uganda parliament. From there, we drive through the busy streets of Kampala towards Eastern Uganda, passing the Mandela football stadium named after the late Nelson Mandela. On the way, we confront the tragic history of Ugandan martyrdom in which 23 Anglican and 22 Catholic converts were executed in the late 19th century. Known for its beautiful architecture, the Uganda Martyrs Shrine was built to commemorate their sacrifice and is a local site of prayer and worship.
From there, we will have the opportunity to visit two out of three grassroots development projects located in Kampala. A local expert will brief us on the history and significance of each initiative. The Katende Harambe Rural-Urban Training Center in Namugongo is a family-run agricultural training centre whose mission is to accelerate wealth through sustainable integrated farming practices. The Kawempe Youth Centre is an NGO that focuses on improving education and literacy among Kampala’s Youth. The Kinawataka Woman’s Initiative empowers woman in Kampala to become local entrepreneurs and open small businesses to support economic development.
Understanding the importance of grassroots development in Uganda provides a unique insight into the local culture of Kampala. When you get dropped off at your hotel, be sure to ask your local guide about other lesser-known ways to explore Uganda’s capital.
Traditional medicine is a vital part of the health system in Uganda. The collaboration between traditional health practitioners and medical doctors is a relationship that tells a unique story of the local culture and history.
We begin our Kampala tour with a walk to Katwe, meeting and chatting with locals along the way. We’ll pay a visit to a local blacksmith to see his traditional household wares, before driving to explore the Nakasero and Owino markets and Old Taxi Park. From there, we’ll meet a member of THETA, an NGO that focuses on collaborative health between traditional and biomedical health systems. They will be our guide as we visit three traditional health practitioners: an herbalist, a spiritualist, and a traditional birth attendant. At each location, we’ll get a demonstration of their practice and have the opportunity to learn about how it works. These visits will provide valuable insight into the relationship of traditional medicine with modern hospitals and doctors in Kampala. Now, it’s time to take a look back in time to understand how these traditional customs developed into modern practices. The formation of the Buganda Kingdom is such a vital part of Uganda’s history that its name provided the basis for the local language, customs, and country itself – Luganda, Kiganda, and indeed, Uganda.
Our first stop in this interactive Buganda history lesson will be to the majestic Kabaka’s Palace and manmade Kabaka’s Lake atop Mengo Hill. We’ll also be sure to check out the Buganda Parliament and Court of Justice to round out our exploration of the country’s oldest kingdom.
Our Kampala tour ends at one of the holiest sites in Uganda. A gift to the Muslim population from Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, the Uganda National Mosque is the city’s only skyscraper mosque, seating an impressive 15,000 worshippers – and accommodating over 200,000 during holy events like Eid.
On this community Kampala tour, you’ll get a look into the difficult lives of East African refugees. At the heart of refugee support is YARID – Young African Refugees Integral Development – a Ugandan NGO focused on education and empowerment in Kampala’s refugee community.
Our first stop is at YARID’s newest development program, the Nsambya-YARID centre, a vocational training centre for women. Here, we will learn why women are among the most vulnerable refugees and how YARID is working to support refugee communities through job training, peer counseling, and entrepreneurship workshops. From there, we will continue our walking tour through the streets of Kampala to get a snapshot of local life by visiting the Nakasero markets, Old Taxi Park, Hindu temple as well as the Owino market.
Our walk will take us to the main YARID centre – the site of their main development programs in literacy, computer literacy, and microfinance. We will meet with local refugees and hear their personal stories about why they left, what life is like in Uganda, and whether they plan to repatriate. To understand the historical development of Uganda, we will take a van to Lubiri Palace to learn about the formation of the Buganda Kingdom, one of the oldest in Ugandan history. Official residence to the king of Buganda, this majestic colonial palace at the peak of Bulange hill is a prime example of traditional royal architecture. From the King’s parliament, we visit Uganda National Mosque. Formerly known as Gaddafi National Mosque, this 15,000 seat skyscraper mosque was commissioned by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi of Libya as a gift to the Ugandan Muslims.
Our Kampala walking tour concludes with a final debriefing on current local issues and a chance to ask your local guide for recommendations of other interesting places to check out in Kampala.