While the outside world perception about Uganda is so vibrant according to the beautiful sceneries, the Gorillas, Africa’s big five, amazing fresh water bodies including the great River Nile among many more, there’s plenty more to this nation than anything else anyone can imagine..
With our vibrant culture, sense of humor and adaptability, Uganda has become the “Giant of Africa” in more ways.
In remembrance of Uganda’s Independence date October 9th, below are 10 things of the many reasons why destination Uganda is number one where five out of ten Africans call home that stands out from the rest. You may be inspired to add the Pearl Of Africa to your travel list this fourth coming Festive season:
01. Wedding Ceremonies
Talking about marriage in Uganda, it does not just come on mere say that ‘’I want to marry you’’ and next thing she’s in your house, the procedures surrounding marriage range from family acceptance to state and church or mosque (Okuwowa – for our muslim brothers and sisters) recognition as we have different types of marriage; Customary, Civil and Church marriage processes atleast each has to go through one.
Depending on the different tribes, we have different ceremonies accompanied to this bold decision done by many and If you have hit your 29th birthday and not mentioning anything like marriage and children, society and family will get wowed of you.
First depending on the tribe, it all begins with a pre-visit to the parents of the girl; the Baganda call it ‘’Okukyala’’ and the Ankole say ‘’Okuhinjira’’ then followed by Introduction ceremonies and next walking down the aisle on a wedding day approximately three major procedures to go through, atleast you will witness a wedding ceremony every weekend if you happen to visit Uganda.
Weddings are a sacred part of cultural life, but also an excuse to show off cuisine, fabulous clothing, music and dance moves in one life-affirming, chromatic bonanza.
With more than 40 indigenous ethnic groups, the ceremonies come in a variety of styles, depending on your region, culture and culture.
In the western region, the groom and his friends disappear the girl after secret talks with her family that she goes unnoticed, kept at the grooms place until she is pronounced bride after some weeks while at the grooms’ place that it’s hard for her to come out though well given enough care.
In other regions, the bride and groom’s families send each other letters of proposal and acceptance before getting down to dowry negotiations.
Once the serious stuff is done, it’s back to lots of food music and dancing and, best of all, drinking till drop.
If you haven’t experienced a traditional Ugandan wedding, you haven’t experienced Uganda.
02. Highest Alcohol consuming Nation
If you have alcohol consumers in your country, I bet they cannot surpass our local alcohol lovers. We were recently ranked among one of the top alcoholic consuming nations in Africa.
The Government has on several occasions debated about Alcohol consumption including banning sachet waragi, locally distilled waragi, regulated drinking hours among other measures but all seem to be not working out; just try walking around the slums of Kampala and other parts of the country, you will witness people enjoying their favorite alcoholic drinks as early as 7am in the morning on a working day.
When you step at Parties, you will witness more love for the bitter while those dressed in suits drink like there’s no tomorrow or like depots are closing down the next day, they will make sure they take the swallow until all bottles are bent down and witnessed that no more liquid runs out not even a single drop.
Here, Alcohol is the order of the day; some youths are fond of consuming waragi while even at work places in secret with the reason that it gives them energy to work hard and in cold night’s foristance musicians and some boda boda riders.
03. Events driven Nation
If you are to list top five countries in Africa that are popular for events, Uganda won’t miss out on the list in the first three let alone the business aspect surrounding them, here its party after party after party with no clear day or hour for partying. From house parties to night clubs and outdoor concerts Ugandans have every reason to party every day of the week.
Atleast a weekend doesn’t go by minus a Concert, Festival, Kids Parties, or Campus Bazaars, a typical reason why there are a lot of foreign entertainers arriving here for music shows almost every month due to our brilliant events and night life.
Among popular Festivals that have topped rankings when you Google about Uganda, Nyege Nyege Festival won’t miss the first search followed by Festivals such as Bayimba Festival, Rolex Festival, Imbalu Festivities, Twins Festival among many more others.
Actually here, people will have every reason to party, some say its one way they do away with stress, others its for networking while to some is looking for relationship hook ups.
Of late, you will also notice mushrooming events companies and promoters in the country.
04. Love for Boda Boda
Looking forward for simple, faster and reliable transportation, Boda Boda’s (Motorcycles) will simplify your life while in any part of the Country, here Ugandans love Boda Boda transportation to an extent that one can leave their own car at a parking lot and opt for boda boda to cruise around the city for different reasons.
It’s somehow the fastest means of rushing around the city especially if you’re caught up on time and have something urgent to catch up with whether business or meeting someone.
Besides providing quick and fast transport in major towns across Uganda, Boda Boda’s have also managed to employ many of the country’s youth as they are guaranteed of a daily income to keep their lives and those of the families thriving on a daily.
05. Excessive love for Football and Sports Betting
The spirit for soccer and sports betting in Uganda will never cease as it increases everyday among many Ugandans; from supporting our local soccer stars to foreign football clubs across the globe, atleast a Ugandan will find any soccer team to attach to for identity, not forgetting, some youth here get to an extent of naming themselves after foreign players especially if their interest gets to an extent of directly participating in playing football, while some are witnessed branding foreign player’s names at the back of their soccer jerseys.
And while, rating the most sports betting Countries, Uganda can’t be left out on the list as youth here have psychologically turned sports betting into a Job and a means of livelihood much as there are lots of disclaimer messages and rules regulating the betting industry, Gambling to the youth is part of their livelihood and means of survival while it’s a garden of reaping hugely for Sports betting Companies.
06. Addiction to Nightlife
Few months ago, I went down to a night club to catch some fun only to find this sixty (60) year old gentleman with fine young girls surrounding him, old dude must have been loaded and wondered whether he literally had no house or bed to be resting at by 2am in the night? Only to reply myself in seconds –the addiction rate and love for nightlife will never end for many Ugandans. Here people hop bar to bar looking for fun even when late in the night and sometimes that’s how some meet their business prospects during the fan and interaction, no wonder the mushrooming bars and entertainment centres across the country.
07. Optimism
For all its political and economic troubles, Ugandans are somehow still among the most optimistic and happy people on the planet.
Opportunity doesn’t come knocking — we chase it, with the help of God, who we all know is on our side.
The Lord may have rested on the seventh day of Earth’s creation, but that’s the last day off he’s enjoyed ever since.
Ugandans call upon Him 24/7, spending days, nights and years in and out praying and pumping fists and demanding His favors.
Evidence of our optimistic spirit lies everywhere: It’s in the billboards that promise “a divine upgrade”, or our hustling entrepreneurial spirit. There’s no room for despair when we see ourselves as “temporarily embarrassed millionaires” (to quote Steinbeck) on the expressway to heaven.
So next time a Ugandan tells you “I will become the greatest by force!” understand that they’re not bragging — they’re just speaking their dreams into existence and this has lived to be witnessed from Musicians like Eddy Kenzo who came from the Ghetto, prayed and now ranked among the most Influential Africans on the top 100 list for 2019.
08. UGA- Wood Films
Gradually becoming the next Nollywood of Africa, Uganda is slowly proving to having diverse talents especially those arising from the UGA –Wood community. Only UGA -Wood and India’s Bollywood make more movies than elsewhere.
If you turned on any local Television station from local programming to English programming stations, you’ll not go by a day without catching a Ugandan Soap Opera or Movie popularly refered to as ‘’Kina Uganda’’ in indigenous Luganda language.
Known as UGA- Wood, our film industry is slowly developing into the next big business.
With average flicks churned out in under a two weeks, UGA wood films are famous for their poor (albeit improving) production values.
But what they lack in sophistication they make up for in story lines that are an entertaining window on Ugandan moral values and byzantine social dynamics.
Narratives exploring servant-master relationships, the supernatural, corruption and infidelity are delivered with lashings of shouty, eye-bulging overacting.
The movies draw a big audience in the rest of Africa, where viewers from more reserved societies can revel vicariously in Uganda’s outlandishness and even pick up some of our slang.
09. Eating Pork to the Bone
Much as it’s null and void to our Muslim brothers and sisters and the entire Muslim community, it’s adored by several other religions much as the bible prohibits it as pigs are listed among animals that do not chew the curd. Pork is beef that is generated out of Pigs and feasted on to the bone by several Ugandans especially in hangout joints, if you want a Ugandan to hint praises for you, dare call them for a pork session and there you will be their tightest buddy.
While we’re still on the subject of food, Ugandans are champions at eating pork to the bone and beyond.
It’s not enough to simply eat the beef. We break the bone, suck out the marrow and pulverize the remainder until there’s almost nothing left.
If your pork is still forensically identifiable at the end of the meal then you haven’t done it right. Take more look at the piece your holding in your palms, chew it to the utmost!
10. Luwombo
Luwombo is a popular food signature in the Central part though adopted by other regions across the country for different occasions, at Restaurants, functions among other purposes to serve. Luwombo calls for mixture of different food stuffs sometimes it can be chicken Luwombo, Meat Luwombo, G-nut Luwombo, Matooke and Rice placed on with any sauce in one platter, there are several ways to cook it!
While it’s widely accepted that Baganda invented this dish, the concept spread to East African countries.
About Guide2Uganda
Guide2Uganda (www.guide2uganda.ug) is the most comprehensive source of information about Uganda that exists on the web, with more content on Uganda and surrounding towns, attractions, museums and galleries than any other online guide that currently exists for Uganda as well as being a dynamic news and comprehensive events driven site with content being added daily.
According to WeFollow & Peer Index (whom both measure online influence) we are among the most influential online media organizations in Uganda. We were also awarded for ‘’Best Destination Website in Uganda’’ by Jumia Travel Uganda in the 2017-2018 Africa Travel Awards. If you are planning a visit to Uganda you can always reach us on; info@guide2uganda.ug
