Recently the Uganda Tourism Board led a process of branding Destination Uganda. When the brand “Explore Uganda, the Pearl of Africa” was unveiled to the world, a few people wondered exactly what was there to explore in Uganda. Some even thought that they knew the country so well that they did not have to explore anything new. But they were wrong. Uganda never ceases to amaze, and there’s so much to explore....
Who will Harvest Queen Elizabeth II's trees in Uganda?
Posted by Chief Guide and Director, Kibale Tourist Safari Lodge on Wed September 14, 2022 in Sustainable Tourism, Uganda Travel News, and Uganda Travel Experiences.
If you have been to Fortportal, perhaps you have seen those magnificent tall eucalyptus trees in the Mpanga valley opposite the Toro Golf course. Those trees were planted in 1954 the very day Queen Elizabeth visited Tooro and perhaps after visiting and naming after herself Queen Elizabeth National Park.
The trees were planted by the queen herself in commemoration of her visit to the area, and therefore those trees are currently 68 years - way beyond the maturity period of known eucalyptus species.
This fascinating story, has been told by a couple that witnessed the function and were very much involved in the activities of the day. According to this 84year old Mzee, he was 16 years old then and a scout while his wife was an entertainer for the queen on that famous day in 1954.
The couple have very fresh memories of that event as if the function was only a few years back. More fascinating, is that the then King of Tooro fumbled and was visibly seen sweating after struggling to read a written speech that had been apparently prepared for him. Asked why the king could struggle to read a speech, the couple said the anxiety and perhaps the entire feeling that he was before the most important person in the world then, took a toll on the King.
Since then, the couple have been following the life of the queen to the extent that they knew about her sickness even before news started coming in about the queens poor health.
At around 7pm on Thursday, the old man moved from his sitting room to break the news to his wife that was outside in the kitchen. "Atenyi..... Queen yahumura" directly translated as .... the Queen has rested!! A quiet, sad and dull mood ensued in their home as the couple digested in the news of the passing on of their beloved Queen.
According to the couple, when planting those commemoration trees in Mpanga valley, the Queen had indicated that she would return herself to harvest them when mature.
The big Question to the couple is, "Who now will harvest those trees??
This is a question that was posed to the visitors that witnessed and were intrigued by the couple as it received one of the saddest breaking news of their time, that the Queen had died!!
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