Little is known of a place so magnificent & rich in culture, scenery and people a part of the greater Lango region, it is characterized by Savannah like vegetation, flattish expanses of land with isolated mini-mountains, Apac fills you with a unique picturesque vision that you can only find here! Well this time I didn’t feel the adrenaline like that of the Kigezi Region, however the beauty of this place indeed infects one very slowly “like a Mona Lisa smile” and before you realize how much you are attracted, bingo its all over….
You want, to walk the plains, build country homes, picnic at the foot of the mini-mountains and land your Cessna on the swamps – they are so tempting and look like large football fields… You can not even start to imagine why you had not seen all this before….
The trip to Apac from Kampala is indeed a very short one 3 to 4 hours, the shortest being through the Gulu highway all the way to Kafu bridge near Masindi. About 15 minutes after the bridge a turn off to the right leads one to Masindi Port, here one meets the mighty River Nile as it makes its way to Egypt. Where the ferry man tells of the people living along the Nile, their small fishing villages.
A multi-ethnic settlement with minimum of five languages spoken in the villages along the shores including English, Swahili, Lunyoro, Luganda, Lango….. an interesting mix he adds “This place has all East Africans”, we are indeed one in Africa, “you people from Kampala talk about tribes and countries here we live together in harmony” he adds.
Riding aboard the ferry among business people carrying their merchandise including fish, cassava, many fresh foods, paraffin among others, you see this unfolding site of papyrus touching gently on the banks of the river, swaying slowly as if singing songs of harmony and praise to life and its beauties. Landing at the Lango side of the Nile - one gets accosted by the epitome of humorous people………. Also very Dutch (direct - these guys don’t mince their words) like Arjan my Dutch friend and one of the most inspiring partners in my recent life.
Apac is mainly a settlement for the Langi people one of the larger tribes of Uganda. Lango, as it was referred to in the earlier years, is proud to have produced one of the greatest leaders of Uganda a true nationalist, not very well known by the current youthful generation though.
Driving along the murrum road through Akokoro (a Sub-county in Maruzi county of Apac District), the feel of murrum, though considered second class road, is ecstatic the lose gravel gives you a sense of adventure. Looking out through the window, one sees a wide range of trees mostly short beautiful trees with thin leaves and thorns, in the distance you see grasslands clean and green rolling to the small rocks in the background to one side. Turning to the other side, you’re filled with site of the Nile winding along like another big road to Egypt only this time its blue……
Somewhere in the middle of no where emerges this small town next to a fishing village, here you meet Mr. Olinga Otollo Very humorous chap he tales of the pride of the sub-county “one of the great leaders comes from here his home is just 1000 meters a head” he says Obote is still a name to reckon. Indeed as we drive the first Ugandan Prime Minister’s home emerges, a small neat home there is no fence around the homestead as if to say welcome everyone this is home…… Still musing with the scenery we arrive at Ibuje, Jimmy the Mayor of Apac Town tells us of a giant footstep on top of the Ibuje hill where it is believed the biggest giant man in the world lived and left that famous foot-mark.
From the ferry point to Apac Town it is about an hours drive, a small town with a few streets, it’s amazing how much space is there between the streets and the shops, Kampala could learn from this small town the plots are well organized and indeed admirable.
Two main places one should know if you need a place to sleep Lamco and Nami. It’s still very difficult to eat out in Apac, the people are very much family people and will be in their homes for dinner. It is not surprising that visitors to this town, with out local hosts, eat BBQ (roast chicken or meat) for dinner once in a while. The food in Apac is so rich that one could easily put on 10 kg's in a week (Don’t know if its scientifically possible).
The Langi are believed to have remarkable leadership qualities and this was a highly respected standard for any individual who had the qualities, they are also a welcoming people and are known for honesty. “Our women are very beautiful too like the Iteso where your Mum comes from they do not put on so much weight, they are models” The Bar Man at Lamco adds…… Very funny indeed but very true I muse…….
Visiting the sub-counties of Aduku, Inomo, Bala and Ayer one comes across a think forest a rare site in this district however amazingly the forest is home to many species of monkeys, local picnic sites and traditional herbs used for treatment. I wonder in amazement “This district has potential for tourism. I think about the sites from the ferry, the homes of the great leaders, the Ibuje rock and now this forest looking just like the equatorial rain forests……..”
Then comes the mango trees, so many mangoes in the trees. he villager tells us "they are still raw that’s why you see green only, when they ripen you see a mix of yellow and green with a golden reflection from the sun over the trees and you know its time to harvest mangoes” He says. They also make money by selling off some of it to the fruits to makers of Splash Juice.
I look forward to going back to Apac where we shall launch one of the first of its kind of e-Society programmes to support the development initiatives of the people of Apac, Local Government and Civil Society as well as Private Sector Organizations.
Anyway I say to my self Uganda is beautiful and the people even more beautiful, it’s a wonder some times why so many ethnic differences and tribalism destroying human nature of living together in harmony with each other and the environment!
