Jinja: Dear reader,
Do you have faith in your leg muscles or do you just have a knack for some wild fun far away from your daily hustle?
Kagulu Rock in Kamuli is standing tall, daring your adrenaline the weekend of 26 May.
A solid rock rising at 3,600ft above sea level Kagulu is believed to be the first migration and settlement Center in Busoga for the Royal family from Bunyoro— it is said that Bunyoro kings sought sanctuary and spent most of their leisure time a top the rock sucking in the cool breeze and the thrilling view of the sprawling grasslands laid out in the valleys yonder.
That is where your money, and energy’s worth is—the view and feeling from atop the hill.
There, Helena Namutamba, Busoga’s tourism minister says, you can view the beauty of Busoga from the water streams atop the rock and the ancient caves and Lake Kyoga interacting with the Nile from a distance.
“Kagulu rock is not beautiful because of its height and the challenge it gives to those who climb it but it has beautiful caves which offered sanctuary to the early settlers
“It’s believed that the caves were discovered around 1686 during king Olimi’s reign of Bunyoro,” she said.
Prince Mukama was among the first Banyoro traditional leaders to conquer Busoga and he settled in the caves on Kagulu rock after entering the region through Iyingo landing site, few kilometers from Kagulu rock
“He left a copper short stabbing spear, a boat at Iyingo culture site and those will be seen and felt by the climbers
“Kagulu rock is also a home for rare birds like the shy Shoebill, wild birds, baboons and crocodile that graze freely on the top which are attracted by the peninsulas of Lake Kyoga,” Minister Helena said.
By the time former president Idi Amin was ousted, he had embarked on an ambitious project to construct a palace on the top so that he could view and communicate effectively with the people across Lake Kyoga while having an eagle bird’s view of Teso and Lango.
What remains of that ambition is a concrete structure—a communication Center constructed there in 1972
From a far, it might look like an ordinary rock— the ones you see around the country side— but as you approach its beauty unfolds, like a serene blooming of a flower, unleashing a provoking thoughts for a climb.
“We welcome all fun loving Ugandans and none Ugandans to come and cut a sweat and embrace the cool breeze that awaits them atop Busoga’s pride,” the tourism minister said.
