Uganda Government to put down the Murchison Falls – “the World’s Most Powerful Falls” to generate Hydro Electricity this has made the Uganda Tourism Industry which is a service export to lock horns with the energy sector over the past two decades.
This has greatly risen because the Uganda’s tourism sector has a goal to increase the contribution of tourism to the GDP of the country from sh7.3 trillion to sh14.6 trillion by 2020 but how will this be achieved when the Murchison Falls found in the largest Uganda Safari national park is going to be replaced by a Hydro dam.
Murchison Falls is a seven meter gorge fall that forces the mighty river Nile flow through a narrow gap, powering down with a thunderous roar and accompanying mist. These gushing waters are the most powerful falls in the world and are a spectacle to behold. However these spectacular waterfall in found in the Largest Uganda National Park – Murchison Falls National Park located in Northern Uganda.
The park is a habitat to a variety of wildlife including Giraffe(the most common), African Bush Elephants, Lions(King of the Jungle), African Buffaloes, Leopards, a number of Primates, Hippos which are majorly found in the river Nile, and so many others. There also a number of Birds found in the park including the rare Shoe-bill.
Reasons Why Ministry of Tourism and Uganda Tour Operators are crying a lot to Leave Murchison Falls Alone is because 100% of the visitors to Murchison Falls National Park, always have a boat cruise at Victoria Nile and also Hike to top of Murchison Falls for an Adventure of the World’s Most Powerful Waterfall.
Also almost 60% of visitor to Uganda, visit Murchison Falls, If the Government of Uganda still Persists to replacing the falls with a dam, then it should be ready to lose a number of Tourists to Uganda and this will make the GDP to drop instead of Rising as expected.
Uganda’s Vision 2030 to be achieved when there is no sector destroyed should borrow a leaf from Kenya which is investing in Renewable Energy.
The Lake Turkana Wind Power Project in Kenya is a Single largest private investment in Kenya’s history. The wind farm covers 160 square kilometers and is located in Loiyangalani district which is one of the windiest places on earth. This project was launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya in July -2019 and of current its generating 310-Megawatts of power in Kenya.
The wind speeds in this inter-tropical convergence zone are on average of 11.3m/s, which is extremely high. Northwestern Kenya and Northeastern Uganda is one region. No need to reinvent the wheel. Moroto and Karamoja are across the border. Making this matter worse, wind is free so Uganda’s Ministry of Energy should go and utilize that free wind instead of destroying the Murchison Falls which is and which always brought in money to the state, Local people, and many tour operators in the World especially Uganda.