Karamoja: Uganda’s best kept secret

Uganda's northeastern region of Karimoja has long suffered isolation and economic neglect while being ravaged by insecurity. But not anymore.

The region has in the past decade been opened up to tourism, nature and adventure lovers thanks to its pristine parks, endless savannah grasslands and abundant wildlife.

Recently, telecom giant Airtel used Karimoja in an advertising campaign to promote its 4G network in the country. In the advert, a harried mobile phone user – city slicker – is stranded in the ''wild'' and cannot find a mobile phone signal to call for help.

He is seen desperately running around trying to find a signal, and then he turns to a bemused Karimojong man. To the shock of the city slicker, the Karimojong man not only owns a smartphone, but can also receive the high speed signal.

Meanwhile, a social enterprise and international tour company operating in Karimojong, Kara-Tunga, will soon a launch a film, Discover Karamoja: Uganda’s Best Kept Secret.

According to Theo Vos, the founder of Kara-Tunga, it took his regional tourism stakeholders two years of planning before enlisting the services of professional film makers Dietrich Mangold and Britta Mangold to film and edit the first regional tourism marketing film for Karamoja.

The film’s 91-second preview, released on March 4, captures almost everything about the semi-arid rugged beauty of this area tucked away in Uganda’s northeastern region: From the spectacular scenery to the sights and sounds of the wild, the rising and setting sun to the welcoming smiles of the Karimojong people.

The preview covers in snippets a full day of life in Karamoja, opening to the slow beat of a drum, an everyday thing here, mixing with the wild stampede and cries of wildlife in the background. It captures everyday life interspersed with tourist activities.

The drumbeat rises to a crescendo, punctuated by a yodel, before slowing into the original rhythm again. The preview ends with the sun sliding down the horizon in the distance.

Since the preview's posting on social media, the reaction from the public has been one of awe. “Must be thrilling. I love, especially the sounds,” comments Daniel Wanyina, on Facebook. -