Bulambuli district in Eastern Uganda on the slopes of Mountain Elgon is most known for the rampant landslides during the rainy seasons with the latest happening in November 2024, which left more than 30 people dead and several homeless.
But away from the catastrophic landslides, the district has several natural tourist attractions which are unfortunately less known and yet it is strategically located enroute to Kapchorwa and Karamoja, where tourists visit Sipi falls and Kidepo Valley national park, respectively.
To give Bulambuli the much-needed visibility, the ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities recently embarked on profiling and documenting the various attractions in the district.
According to the district’s chief administrative officer Emmy Ejuku Olaboro, Bulambuli has two ecological zones; the highlands and the lowlands, with the highlands having waterfalls and cliffs, and the lowlands having streams of fresh water, caves and agro-tourism due to Arabica coffee growing.
“The district is an entry to many other places within this region. People pass here while going to Kapchorwa and Karamoja; so, they can always stop by, view the natural wonders and take a rest before proceeding. Unfortunately, most times they just bypass us,” he said.
Olaboro noted that Bulambuli’s tourism is underdeveloped mostly due to the poor infrastructure especially roads, which makes the tourist attractions inaccessible; and the landslides which tend to scare away people.
“Recently, we hosted the president in this region and we requested that some of these roads to be worked upon so as to improve accessibility. Despite the landslides, we assure the tourists of their safety while here because there are usually early warnings before these catastrophes occur and there are also places in the district where landslides don’t occur,” Olaboro said.
SISIYI FALLS
While you are still on the highway from Mbale via Sironko to Bulambuli, the Sisiyi falls stand out from a distance, with a magnificent white sheet of waters pouring down a ridge, outshining the luscious green Mt Elgon slopes in the background.
The falls are located in Simu sub-county, Tanka village, just a few metres from the main road. These falls drop about 110 metres from the Butandiga ridge with a roaring sound, emitting a steam-like splatter on the rocks below.
They are considered to be the highest and most beautiful waterfall in Bugisu, formed from the waters flowing through the Biritanyi gorge situated in the higher ground of the Butandiga ridge.
According to Benjamin Mayoga, a guide at the falls, the name Sisiyi comes from the fact that long ago, there were cattle keepers in this village who had a Swahili saying, “sisi kwa sisi’’, meaning all for us or us for us. So, they named the waterfall Sisiyi meaning the it was for all of them.
The waterfall is surrounded by a lush forest with a camping site below it and two cottages where visitors can spend a night while taking in the cool breeze and sounds of the falls.
Visitors pay Shs 5,000 to get a close experience with the falls.
BIRITANYI GORGE
Another distinct feature to behold in Bulambuli is the Biritanyi gorge located in Lusha sub-county. The beauty of the gorge is a paved 60 metres S-shaped road which was cut through the hill to connect the lowlands to the highlands.
What makes the gorge more unique is the water from the highlands which flows over the road surface instead of under a bridge, making the residents and water share the same path for 60 metres, and surprisingly, it is not slippery.
According to the local residents, it is believed that the water originally used to sink into some deep hole before re-emerging a distance away but the hole was blocked during road construction and hence the surface flow.
Water also cascades down the walls of the gorge with climbers and ferns growing and hanging along them, hence offering an eye-catching scenic beauty. It is a perfect spot for hikers, nature lovers and photographers due to its picturesque views.
THE CAVES
Since Bulambuli is mountainous, it is no surprise that it has a number of mind-boggling caves. One such cave is Gamwenya located in Namboga A village in Lusha sub-county.
The cave has a hollow stretch of about 400 metres with a pool of water at the deeper end only known by those who can crawl through the narrow pit. According to Michael Wamono, one of the residents, the cave used to act as a home for the Bagisu long ago but today, residents collect the soil from it to use as manure in their gardens.
To add beauty to this cave is a light, yet imposing waterfall which flows off the top of the cave forming a pool of water right in front of the entrance to the cave. The Gundu falls’ water is harnessed by locals for irrigation of their coffee and banana plantations.
Zebubu cave in Kagyere village, Bulaago sub-county is wider and taller with no inner tunnels, unlike Gamwenya, which has made locals turn it into a resting shelter for cattle; and since the rock has salt properties, the locals excavate the salt locally known as shilongo to feed their cattle.
Standing on top of this cave offers one a wider view of the beautiful scenery of the entire Elgon region. Here, you can view as far as the neighbouring districts of Sironko, Bukedea and Kapchorwa.
Another cave in Bulaago sub-county is Nakoko. The cave is a natural wonder with lower and upper floors and several underground rooms. The locals say the upper floor was at one time used as a safe place for keeping money by coffee growers who reckoned the hidden cave would not attract thieves.
However, today, the upper floor is used by the locals to store food while the lower floor is a cattle shelter. The edges of the cave are covered with overhanging creepers called indelema that the residents use as herbs as well as vegetables. It is locally believed that people who eat indelema rarely fall sick.
KAGYERE FALLS
Kagyere waterfall comes from River Kagyere which flows from Mt Elgon national park, creating several waterfalls along its way. One of these waterfalls is Kagyere waterfall I located in Bulaago sub-county just adjacent the Zebubu and Nakoko caves.
Kagyere falls II is located about 100 metres below Kagyere falls I and cascades over a shorter cliff. The beautiful site around Kagyere II is about 30 feet high but wide enough to provide beautiful scenery for tourists. It enjoys magnificent panoramic views with unspoilt terrain, making the site the best hidden secret in this part of Bugisu.
Bulambuli district local government plans to construct a tourist information centre and other amenities on the land surrounding Zebubu and Nakoko caves and the Kagyere falls since Bulaago sub-county owns 10 acres of land around the place.
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