Olu gqatso lubizwa ngokuba yiTusker Lite Rwenzori Marathon, luza kuqhutywa nge-2 kaSeptemba 2023, kwisithili saseKasese kumazantsi eemitha ezisi-5,109 zeemitha iRuwenzori ekwintshona yeUganda. Ngokomxhasi ophambili womdyarho weembaleki, uTusker Lite, injongo yomdyarho kukukhuthaza impilo esempilweni, ukukhulisa ukhenketho kulo mmandla, nokuxhasa uluntu lwasekuhlaleni ngamandla okubaleka ngokuhlanganisa iimbaleki zalapha ekhaya nezamazwe ngamazwe.
Lo mnyhadala unethemba lokubonisa imbonakalo-mhlaba emangalisayo yeeNtaba zeRwenzori kunye neQueen Elizabeth National Park, kubandakanywa nomkhenkce odumileyo, iincochoyi eziphakamileyo, amahlathi ashinyeneyo, kunye nesavannah enkulu. Eyona njongo iphambili kukwenza i-Rwenzori Marathon ibe ngumsitho ekufuneka uzimase iimbaleki kunye nabathandi bangaphandle abavela kwihlabathi liphela. Esi siganeko sikwajolise ekudaleni impembelelo ehlala ixesha elide kummandla, ukuxhasa uluntu lwasekuhlaleni kunye ukukhuthaza uphuhliso oluzinzileyo.
Etyhila umsitho ngoLwesine, umhla wama-24 ku-Agasti, eKampala Sheraton Hotel, iCEO ye-Uganda Lodges u-Amos Wekesa uthethe namalungu oonondaba kunye nemibutho yezokhenketho ngokubanzi equka uMphathiswa oHloniphekileyo weSizwe wezoKhenketho kwiZilwanyana zaseNdle nezinto zakudala, uMugara Bahinduka; I-CEO yeBhodi yezoKhenketho yase-Uganda, uLilly Ajarova; UMlawuli woShishino lwe-Wildlife Authority, uStephen Sanyi Masaba; abameli abavela kwicandelo labucala; kunye nabaphembeleli ababandakanya imbethi-manqindi ekhabayo yomlomo wemoto uMoses Golola, imvumi uPasaso, uFina Masanyaraze, et al.
Kwintetho yakhe ebinovelwano kubaphulaphuli, uWekesa uthe: “Ndibalekise isiqingatha sembaleki e-’Kili’ (Kilimanjaro) kulo nyaka, kwaye ndiyawazi ukuba yintoni umphumo wento eyenziwa yilo mdyarho. Ke sicinge ukuba kulungile, uKili wenza malunga nama-65,000 abantu abakhwela loo ntaba, iNtaba iRwenzori eyona ntaba ibalaseleyo kwilizwekazi ibisenza abantu basemzini abangaphantsi kwama-2,000 ngonyaka. Sacinga ukuba, siyityhala njani le ajenda ukuze ibe nokhuphiswano ngokwenene? Sinabantu abangama-65,000 abanyukayo minyaka le, ngamnye wabo uhlawula umyinge wama-5,000 eedola; sithetha ngaphezulu kwe-300 yezigidi zeedola ezifunyanwa kuqoqosho lwaseTanzania.
“UKili yintaba entle ehamba. Eyona ntaba yobugcisa eneneni i-Ruwenzoris enencopho ezili-16, ezi-5 zazo ziphakathi kwezona ntaba zili-10 ziphakamileyo kwilizwekazi. Ndinyuke iRwenzori kulo nyaka uphelileyo, ndehla ngeekhilogram ezisi-7 kwiintsuku ezisi-7.”
“Akukho nto inokukulungiselela umngeni njengokuba kungekho nto inokukulungiselela ubuhle obubona kulaa ntaba.”
Kutheni abantu abangaphantsi kwayo bengamahlwempu? Abantu abangaphantsi kwayo banokuphuma njani kubuhlwempu? Ke leyo ibiyingcinga emva komdyarho weRuwenzori. Ngoko ke kulo nyaka uphelileyo siqale ukutyhala iajenda yoMdyarho iRuwenzori. Besisoloko sikuwo, kwaye ndingakuxelela ukuba awukho umcimbi ofana nomdyarho weRuwenzori otyhalwayo.
“Kunyaka ophelileyo sibe neembaleki ezingama-800, abantu baseUganda abali-150 abayimizekelo yethu ekujoliswe kubo. Ukuza kuthi ga ngoku sine-1,500 ebhalisiweyo. Sijonge ukuba neembaleki ezimalunga nama-2,500 kwimpelaveki ezayo. Nantso ke impembelelo yolu gqatso lomgama oza kuba yiyo. Ngoku sithethayo, zonke iihotele zaseKasese sele zibhukisiwe, iFort Portal iyaqala ukugcwala. Kunyaka ophelileyo, iivenkile ezinkulu ngoSeptemba 3 zaphelelwa yinkukhu, zaphelelwa ngamaqanda, kuyo yonke into, kwaye kwafuneka ukuba baye eFort Portal beze nokutya okungakumbi. Yiloo nto ekhuthaza uqoqosho ukuba lukhule.”
I-Wekesa ithathele ingqalelo abaxhasi abakhulu abaquka abavelisi bebhiya beTusker Lite abagalela malunga nebhiliyoni yeeshili, iStanchart Bank igalele i-100 lezigidi zeeshili, i-UNDP (iNkqubo yoPhuhliso yeZizwe eziManyeneyo) ibeke ngaphezulu kwe-300 yezigidi zeeshili, kunye nezinye ezivela kuCoca-Cola, njl. ukuba i-Ofisi yoKhenketho iyavuya kakhulu xa ingena: ;…babeke malunga ne-50 yezigidi zeesheleni, siye saba ne-UWA (Uganda Wildlife Authority) ifaka imali, isinika iibhasi kuloo nto, kwaye siyatyhala. yona. Kulo nyaka sifuna ukuchitha malunga ne-500 yezigidi zeeshiling ukuthengisa nje iRuwenzori ngaphandle kwaseUganda. Siqeshe inkampani yezentengiso ebizwa ngokuba yiPindrop kwaye ubone ukuba sikwindawo yokuqala e-USA. Ukuba besingenalo i-'gay bill' epasisiweyo, besiza kuba namaNgesi angaphezu kwama-500 abezayo. Njengoko sithetha ngoku, sinabantu ababhalisiweyo abavela kumazwe ali-13 kwihlabathi liphela. Amazwe alithoba ngokwenene ngamazwe aseAfrika. Sine-Egypt, uMzantsi Afrika, i-Ethiopia, nazo zonke ezi ndawo. Ngoko sijonge ukunibona. ”…
UMphathiswa weLizwe wezoKhenketho, iZilwanyana zaseNdle kunye nezinto zakudala, oHloniphekileyo uMugara Bahinduka, ubabulele abaphembeleli kunye noonondaba abakhoyo. Waqaphela uBonifence Byamukama,, uSihlalo, i-ESTOA (i-Exclusive Sustainable Tour Operators Association), kunye noJean Byamugisha, i-CEO, i-Uganda Hotel Owners Association (UHOA), phakathi kwabanye. Ukwanike imbeko kowandulelayo, obekekileyo uGodfrey Kiwanda, ngokukhuthaza ukhenketho lwasekhaya. Uliqaphele igalelo labakhenkethi bamazwe angaphandle ngokuzisa imali eninzi kodwa waqaphela ukuba kubalulekile ukukhuthaza ukhenketho lwasekhaya ukuze bakwazi ukugcina eli candelo. Uyivumile imiceli mngeni yobhubhani we-COVID-19 kunye ne-Ebola kodwa wathi ekuphela kwendlela abanokoyisa ngayo loo mingeni kukukhuthaza ukhenketho lwasekhaya. Ubulele bonke abakwiphulo lasekhaya lokukhuthaza ukhenketho lwasekhaya elibizwa “Tulambule” apho eli phulo liye lasiwa empuma, entshona, nakumantla eUganda. Ubulele abo baye baqhubeka nokutyelela kunye ne "Explore Uganda" nangemva kwamaphulo.
IRuwenzori Marathon
Kunyaka ophelileyo, iNtaba iRwenzori igqwesile kuluhlu lweyona ndawo intle yeembaleki zehlabathi ezidityaniswe yi-Outdoorswire USA namhlanje amajelo eendaba echaza iintaba ezigqunywe likhephu ezikufutshane ne-ikhweyitha kunye nokulandelela iigorila.
IRuwenzori Marathon isekwe ngasemva kweeNtaba zeRwenzori, ezikwaziwa ngokuba “ziiNtaba zeNyanga” eziqhayisa ngeyona ncopho yesithathu iphakamileyo eAfrika, iMargherita Peak (5,109 yeemitha zeASL).
Imi kummandla osentshona we-Uganda, ingingqi yaseRwenzori ibonelela ngeendawo ezintle zomhlaba, iintyatyambo nezilwanyana ezikhethekileyo, kunye namathuba okuzonwabisa angenakuthelekiswa nanto. Ukususela kwiincopho eziphakamileyo eziphezu kwamafu ukuya kumachibi anomkhenkce acwebe njengekristale namahlathi ashinyeneyo athe thaa kule ndawo, iiRwenzoris ziyamangalisa ngokwenene.
Ekubeni umphengululi wamandulo ongumGrike uPtolemy wathi ezi “Ntaba zeNyanga” zingumthombo womlambo umNayile, iiNtaba zeRwenzori ziye zathimba ingqalelo yabakhenkethi nabakhenkethi. Ukubhalisela ugqatso, Cofa apha.
