The Parliamentary Committee on Tourism, Trade, and Industry has called for immediate investment in tourism infrastructure across key sites in Northern Uganda.

In their report presented during plenary sitting in Gulu City on Friday, 30 August 2024, the Committee Deputy Chairperson who doubles as the Northern Uganda Youth Representative, Hon. Boniface Okot highlighted that many of the sites like the Barlonyo Massacre Site in Lira District, Abok Massacre Site in Oyam District, and Sir Samuel Baker’s Fort in Gulu are in dire need of development to attract both domestic and international tourists.
“The state of infrastructure at these sites is concerning. Roads leading to the sites are almost impassable, and the lack of basic facilities such as electricity, water, and sanitation is a major deterrent to visitors,” Okot said.

One of the key recommendations of the report is the collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities and other stakeholders to ensure that critical infrastructure is developed. This includes improving road networks and providing essential utilities at the sites.

The committee also underscored the importance of enhancing the visitor experience by introducing captivating features at the sites.
 “For sites like the Barlonyo Massacre Site and Abok Massacre Site, the absence of graphic images and artefacts that depict the tragic events makes it difficult for visitors to connect with the history,” the report noted.

In addition to infrastructure development, the committee urged the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities to expedite the process of collecting and documenting the rich verbal history associated with these sites.

 The report warns that the loss of individuals who possess this knowledge will be a significant blow to the preservation of Uganda’s cultural heritage.
“We cannot afford to lose this invaluable history. It is imperative that the ministry acts swiftly to document and preserve the stories and memories associated with these sites,” Okot added.

The committee’s findings also revealed a lack of legal ownership of land on which some of the tourist sites are situated posing a risk of third-party interests.
The report recommends that the ministry partners with relevant government institutions to expedite the processing of land titles to secure the sites for future generations.

The committee also emphasised that with the right investments, Northern Uganda’s tourism sector has the potential to significantly contribute to the country’s economic growth.

Following the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency in Northern Uganda, several massacre places have been turned into memorials where relatives, friends, the community of the deceased go to honour those that were killed by the LRA. The LRA war that lasted for over two decades saw thousands killed and millions displaced.

Some of the other sites in Acholi include, Lukodi Memorial in Gulu and  Odek Massacre.

Oyam District Woman Representative, Hon. Santa Alum stated that at Barlonyo, the site is poorly managed with very poor roads and sanitation facilities.
“When you reach there, there are no pictures to depict what happened. The minister is here; I hope you have ever gone to the genocide memorial in Rwanda, we can start from there. There is no fence and people are vandalising the place,” she said.

Bugweri District Woman Representative, Hon. Rachel Magoola proposed that there should be an increase in focus on cultural tourism instead of concentrating on cultural sites.
“We tend to focus on sites and animals, but when you leave out the people, you have left out the main ingredient that makes tourism worth it,” she said.

Gulu City Woman MP, Hon. Betty Aol Ocan said several sites have been left out in the allocation to cultural and historical sites like Aruu Falls and Fort Patiko.
She called for the inclusion of the two and construction of facilities to support its growth.
“In Northern Uganda, efforts have not been made to develop the tourism sites. I would like to remind the committee on the Aruu Falls which is loved by the young people. We need to develop it. Additionally, the Sir Samuel Baker site known as Fort Patiko is very bad,” she added.

Omoro County MP, Hon. Andrew Ojok Oulanyah said that several national roads which lead to tourism sites have not been worked on.
He proposed the building of the capacity of the nation to be tourism centric.

The Minister of State for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Hon. Martin Mugarra said that of the 19 tourism sites in Northern Uganda, the ministry is only responsible for nine. He attributed this to limited resources saying that, more investment in the tourism industry will support better management of the site.