By Aggrey Nshekanabo
I have watched Isaiah Rwanyekiro from close quarters from as early as 2007. Tall and elegant with an aura of a man on a mission. At first, he wanted to be a Catholic priest. When he was at Katigigondo Major Seminary, he stepped away from the spiritual call after bagging a higher degree in Philosophy, Sociology and Theology jointly awarded with Makerere University Kampala.
He later pursued a post graduate diploma in Mass Communication & Journalism from Makerere. Before, he could complete it, The Red Pepper, then a hair-raising newspaper snatched him and; he did many ground-breaking stories in the entertainment world.
In 2010, he worked on the profile of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, in a colourful magazine that celebrated the Tooro Kingdom when the young King took control of his Kingdom when he turned 18. Isaiah’s skin complexion, height and appearance resonated with that of the King.
Some circles wondered if he was not a Tooro unknown prince himself, how could he have access to the King and the Queen Mother? Interestingly, the man has no relation including being a subject of the King of Tooro. He was born and bred in present day Ibanda district to humble Catholic parents.
So, why does he do what he does?
When we met a few weeks ago at Naalya Motel’s tented backyard bar, he had this to say; “Each one of us is born with a mission. It takes the grace of God to know what that mission is. At first, I thought my mission was to serve God as a church minister; only to realise that that was not my mission when I was a few steps away from being ordained a deacon and later a priest;
I simply admired priests because they were smart, knowledgeable, respected and very much believed. I come from a very staunch Catholic family and if I became a priest, it would please my parents. My mission on earth is very simple. To do things that please my heart and show the world Uganda is beautiful. I have been to 1,756 tourism hotspots in the last few years and I can tell you, I need over 20 years plus to showcase them, which I cannot. It is now my job, before I step away to pursue other interests, to showcase a few than I can. I just need the grace of God and partners to achieve that mission”
He started off with the ‘Big Boys Caravan’ with support from Uganda Tourism Board among other partners during the COVID-19 lockdown and in 32 days, they went across the country and could not believe that Uganda’s tourism story is half told.
Among the places they visited during the Big Boys Caravan was Pian Upe & Lokichar Game Reserves in Karamoja Sub region. He found this place quite breathtaking and he had to found “Breathtaking Uganda” with a few patriotic Ugandans to showcase the rest of Uganda.
“I do not have long to live and therefore, it is my patriotic duty to showcase Uganda. Maybe, maybe, those who will come after us, will pick from there” he said.
So, is his life ending soon?
“No one knows when his life on earth is ending. For me, I am living my second chance after surviving colon cancer. And so, before that second chance is taken away, I need to showcase how breathtaking Uganda is. These campaigns that showcase different destinations are now part of my overall mission to demystify domestic tourism in an audio-visual manner. Did you know for example that, from Mbale to Pian Upe, it takes just one hour on a road better than Entebbe Express?” he says.
To achieve this mission, he is working with conservation and tourism promotion agencies such as Uganda Wildlife Authority, which has the mandate to conserve these 10 national parks and 12 game reserves and the mother ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities. He has since worked with the different Ministers of State for Tourism including Hon. Martin Mugarra Bahinduka with whom, he travelled with to Pian Upe.
During the launch of “Love in the Wilderness” focusing on Lake Mburo National Park at the Uganda Media Centre, that will run between the 14th and 18th February, 2024, Hon. Wilson Kajwengye, the MP for Nyabushozi County who represented the Minister of State for Tourism said; “No one tells the story of an area than the people of that area”
“This initiative is not only about raising a flag for domestic travel but also giving us an opportunity to tell our own stories. I am pleased that as an indigenous boy of Lake Mburo, I have been chosen as the Chief Guide for this expedition and I want to thank Mr. Rwanyekiro and team for choosing to showcase my home area which is rich in flora and fauna and great history of man’s creation” Kajwengye said.
Aggrey is a retired journalist who in his free time curates tour, travel and general tourism stories and individual profiles. He is the team leader at Naalya Motel & Kyambura Safaris Ltd. Email: anshekanabo@gmail.com, +256 703 688 447
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