FRANTIC RACE TO GET READY FOR THE POPE’S VISIT
(Posted 23rd October 2015)
With just five weeks to go until Pope Francis arrives in Uganda – the third Pope to visit the country after Pope Paul VI’s visit in 1969 and Pope John Paul II’nd in 1993 – are preparations said to reach fever stage. Both the Kampala Capital City Authority and the central government are now in a frantic rush to get the various sites ready for the papal visit, roads and locations alike. Reports from the Martyrs Shrine in Namugongo suggest that work is now ongoing around the clock while road works along key transit routes are also busy filling potholes and repainting curb stones. The shrine is focal point for the annual Martyrs Day celebrations on the 03rd of June, remembering both Catholic and Anglican victims of Kabaka Mwanga between 1885 and 1887. The 22 Catholic victims were made Saints by the Catholic Church while the 23 Anglican victims of the murderous king were given special remembrance status. Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the elevation into sainthood, a date many had hoped that the Pope would come to Uganda before learning that the visit had been postponed by a year due to logistical challenges.
Reportedly will Pope Francis stay at the residence of the Papal Nuntius to Uganda in lower Mbuya from where he will visit the Martyrs Shrine. There is also speculation that he may visit the main Catholic National Seminary in Gaba which is located a stone throw from this correspondent’s own residence and ongoing roadworks in that vicinity suggest that this might indeed be the case.
Pope Francis will arrive in Uganda from Kenya after a visit to the Central African Republic, his first stop on this African tour. Kenya is preparing for its first ever Papal visit ever and like Uganda banks on the positive impact on the country’s image abroad, hoping to welcome more tourists in the aftermath of the Pope’s tour.
While this high profile whirlwind tour of the Pope, especially to Uganda and Kenya, has ignited hopes for a boost in visitor interest have Ugandan tourism source over the past days expressed their concerns over the general economic outlook for the country ahead of the elections slated for the first quarter of next year.
‘We have concerns on several levels and those have been growing in intensity. For one we need assurances that the budgets set aside for tourism promotion, the Ministry and the Uganda Tourism Board, are not cut. We know that whenever there is a cash crunch tourism fell victim to budget realignments to fill holes elsewhere with our sector’s money. Secondly is the trend of inflation worrying. Fuel prices are nearing record highs after the dramatic fall of the value of the Uganda Shilling. Rate rises by Bank of Uganda have driven the cost of credit up. Negative reporting in the international media over opposition politicians being beaten, arrested and harassed are not helping the country to shine as a desirable and valid destination. If such reports continue this will amount to decampaigning the country. We have all invested a lot in the sector and do not want to see our efforts and expenses voided by negative publicity. Our government should be aware that the choices made have consequences. Tourism is the biggest foreign exchange earner and if inflows of tourist dollars reduce it will have a further impact on the value of our Shilling. We don’t want to go to London for WTM and find bad pictures from back home splashed on front pages of newspapers or making headlines in international TV news channels. Let us not spoil the gains the Pope visit can bring us’ said a regular contributor, understandably refusing to have a name published.
Election cycles in Africa have in the past had measurable impacts on travel by tourists to such countries, with few exceptions like the Seychelles for instance. However, travel to mainland Africa, and to countries where elections are taking place, have always shown a dent in the arrival statistics, as is presently the case with Tanzania where a general and presidential election is taking place this coming Sunday. Needless to say are tourism stakeholders concerned that the upcoming election in Uganda too will impact on their business, hence the appeals made.
The visit of Pope Francis to Uganda will take place from the 27th to the 29th of November arriving from Kenya where he will be from the 25th to the 27th of November.
