•Zebra Safari Lodge-Kidepo is set on 12 acres of virgin Ugandan savannah grasslands of Karamoja. This all-suites permanent cottages lodge is found on the north
AN APPEAL TO H.E. THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA ON THE IMPACT OF HEALTH-RELATED TRAVEL ADVISORIES ON TOURISM
For God and My Country
Your Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni,
I write to you as a concerned Ugandan and tourism operator on behalf of many citizens whose livelihoods depend directly and indirectly on tourism.
First and foremost, we appreciate your leadership and the Government of Uganda for the strong response systems in security, health emergencies, and national stability. Uganda has built a reputation across Africa for handling emergencies with speed, discipline, and coordination. Our security and medical response teams continue to demonstrate commitment whenever crises arise.
However, Your Excellency, despite these efforts, the tourism sector continues to suffer heavily due to the way health-related communication and international publicity are managed globally. Every outbreak announcement, travel advisory, or international publication concerning diseases such as Ebola, Marburg, and previously COVID-19 immediately triggers panic cancellations from tourists and foreign partners.
As tourism operators, we are now facing:
Massive booking cancellations
Pressure to process refunds from hotels, airlines, permits, and transport providers
Loss of confidence from international markets
Reduced safari bookings and conference tourism
Financial distress among tour operators, guides, drivers, hotels, and local communities dependent on tourism
Tourism employs thousands of Ugandans directly and supports many more through hospitality, crafts, transport, agriculture, entertainment, and conservation. Yet one international publication or advisory can economically isolate Uganda for months or even years.
Your Excellency, we feel that Uganda is increasingly losing business and competitiveness in the region. While neighboring destinations such as Rwanda and Tanzania continue receiving tourists, Uganda often suffers prolonged reputational damage despite having strong emergency response capabilities.
We respectfully request your intervention and leadership in the following areas:
Strengthening Uganda’s international public relations and crisis communication strategy.
Engaging diplomatic missions and international media to provide balanced reporting about Uganda.
Supporting tourism operators affected by cancellations and financial losses.
Creating a national emergency tourism recovery framework whenever outbreaks occur.
Promoting factual communication that protects both public health and economic survival.
Your Excellency, our appeal is not against public health measures. We fully support disease prevention and national safety. Our concern is the long-term economic suffocation affecting ordinary Ugandans whose survival depends on tourism.
We believe Uganda can protect both lives and livelihoods through strategic communication, coordinated diplomacy, and stronger tourism recovery mechanisms.
I would also appreciate an opportunity to present detailed research, testimonies, and facts showing how these repeated advisories continue to affect citizens, businesses, employment, and Uganda’s tourism image internationally.
For God and My Country.
Yours faithfully,
Akampurira Rodgers ( Travel specialist )
Tourism Operator
Uganda
@KagutaMuseveni ,@mkainerugaba@StateHouseUg@GovUganda@MinofHealthUG@TourismBoardUg@MTWAUganda@RMalango2021
MY ROOTS, MY LOVE💖
Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, is home to me in every sense. This festive season I packed my clan with a couple of the children’s buddiez in the family ride, and zoomed off on a truly refreshing road trip from Port Victoria on the shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya all the way to Entebbe on the Ugandan side of Africa’s biggest and the world’s second largest fresh water lake. The road took us through Busia, to Tororo, Jinja (my birthplace and the source of the great River Nile) and Kampala City (the stomping grounds of my beloved late parents Peter and Agatha). We spent a day and a night in each of these beautiful towns, with three nights in Entebbe being the highlight of the excursion. It was a delight for each one of the 9 of us. We love UGANDA🇺🇬 in similar manner as we love KENYA🇰🇪 and deeply cherish AFRICA. #TembeaAfrica
Spanish visa
When I posted on Monday about the visa appointment, I got one for today at 9am and was there on time. Thank u guys!
But on checking one of my expired passport, I found out I had an old Visa valid until March 2026. Saved me some money!
Anyways, in a discussion on x, some guys were saying why don’t we just use technology instead of traveling to these countries.
If it was as easy as that, then visa conditions wouldn’t be as bad as they are becoming lately.
Truth is no country in the world that can prosper without having its business people going out to push for opportunities.
An economy is a composition of many businesses and a country that doesn’t do international business, can boost of an economy.
Serious countries business wise, make sure their entrepreneurs have smooth or free movements to places they can get business opportunities.
The businesses employ people, obviously pay all sorts of taxes and entrepreneurs make or turn raw opportunities into finished products for markets.
Without external business opportunities, there won’t be what’s called open market job opportunities. Many of these foreign embassies you see in uganda, is to work its citizens in harnessing opportunities.
Their ambassadors will jump in to discuss with our Government should their entrepreneurs face any challenges because they know their success is their countries success, they remit profits to their home country.
The above is just one example but most countries build their countries into massive brands that everybody with an opportunity will want to associate with, Dubai is an example. It’s massive brand.
Anyways
Learn this from today, when you have a population of 45.9m people, you potentially have 45.9m challenges.
There will never be a time when people aren’t fighting each other somehow amongst those people.
You only fight to reduce internal challenges as you handle external ones. There biggest problem comes from sharing available resources.
The more you push for external opportunities, the more you reduce internal challenges
Bwana @adoniaayebare
There is an issue yes, but Governments have a responsibility of understanding the problems of its business community.
Governments fight umbrella black listing of its citizens. Especially those that pay the taxes , those who go out fighting for business.
I for example spent 2 months, trying to get an appointment for a Spanish visa, if I hadn’t posted on X, I was going to miss business opportunities that helps employ Ugandans, pay taxes etc
You must listen to your business community, you will know the bad ones, but good ones must be fought for because they create an economy.
When we met the President recently, he too first asked what we Ugandans want in other countries?
After explaining to him that other nationalities do business here in uganda and we too need to push for business in other countries, he quickly understood.
We also push for negative travel advisories and we got the English to remove theirs from uganda.
Any barrier against business must be fought and fought hard and it’s none partisan issue , it’s just business
Dr. Zac Niringiye
I first met Dr @dzniringiye when I was working as an office messenger many years ago.
He used to buy his travel tickets through a company where I was an office messenger and therefore, my role was partly to take tickets to him and once in a while drive him to the airport.
We actually became friends until now and once in a while like today morning we catch up over breakfast and do some general talk about life.
He is 20 yrs my senior in age and yes, while in many adults age comes alone, his definitely came with lots of wisdom and therefore, a lot to learn from him.
@dzniringiye has also networked me a lot around the world, he is very well connected and one of those people who will mention my name in the room full of opportunities.
He introduced me to my current business mentor many years ago and not regretted at all. Dr @dzniringiye is one of those people whose advice I will listen to keenly!
I don’t go around looking for advise from everyone, because generally speaking many Ugandans really love giving advise even in things they have no idea at all.
Mzee engineer Byengoma who I have also known for many years happened to be where I had breakfast with @dzniringiye today morning.
On ground at Kidepo Valley National Park, capturing the wild beauty ahead of #OpenParksDay2025. Every frame tells the story of Uganda’s untamed wilderness
#ExploreUganda
📸@marvinmiles256
New week, new adventures. Unleash that wild travel plan. Safari Chapter is here to take you to beautiful places—near or far. Cheers to exploring, learning, and living fully! 💫 #NewWeekNewAdventures#travels