Kichwamba

Kichwamba 

It is located in Kichwamba at the edge  of Queen Elizabeth national park Rubirizi district.

Kichwamba houses the Mystery Twin lakes Miraambi and Katiinda which that largely shrouds the formation of kichwmba’s twin crater lakes Katiinda and Miraambi. The pair located in Kichwamba sub county bordering Kichwamba orphanage foundation among the 32 craters lakes out of said 56craters  in Bunyaruguru county and bordering Queen Elizabeth national park formally kaziinga national park.

Important to note is that Kichwamba-Rubirizi district sites two pairs of twin lakes in the western arm of the East African rift valley that’s Katiinda and Miraambi in Kichwamba sub county and Kyema and Kamweru in Magambo sub county.

The two pairs got some similarities in that all are separated by a small portion of land almost 350 metres block of land.,the two pairs has got greenish water and clear waters which is said the green water is due to the fish droppings in Runyankore local language know as “Omuboyo”. here Miraambi and Kyema has got greenish water as Kamweru and Katiinda has got clear waters so each pair has got greenish water and clear waters.

However Miraambi and Katiinda  are twin lakes they have got differences mainly on altitude where Miraambi is seen to be on a high altitude than Katiinda which sites  to make change in there depth. The fish caught  in the two lakes tests different as they are of the same specie meaning the two lakes basement Rocks differs,.

This sites to make the change of the fish droppings (Omuboyo) thus changing water colour. You wonder the difference bringing the similarities of the two pairs Kyema of Magambo sub county an Miraambi of Kichwamba .Katiinda has got a clear heart shape.

This sites it the best for Honeymooners Travelers as Miraambi looks like the utirus of women as making the place a beauty of lovers. The two lakes Katiinda and Katiinda are bordered by a sharp starring escarpment of Kichwamba.

This escarpment is very fertile supporting community to practice agriculture. These lakes supports the kichwamba orphanage foundation and the entire community with domestic water as Kichwamba has got few moving streams.

Kichwamba and magambo are not only blessed with the twin lakes but they the have also got the starring Twin swamps Kyampeyo and Rutuguru The swamps are shared by the two sub counties being in the borders.

However the swamps are twins they have two similarities, having nature plants in the shape of Africa and their formation scientists proves to have formed due to volcanic activity. Kyampeyo has an African shaped natural forest called  Akagombe with a Madagascar forest shaped island though Rutunguru is occupied by an African shaped natural banana plantation. The swamps can get burnt by fire but the natural plantation & forest will never get  burnt sighting the blessing of Africa.

Kichwamba’s Kyampeyo swamp differs from Rutunguru having a fire resistant African shaped forest, eight/8 conners Boarded by six/6 escarpments nyakasungu, katuntu busonga  kanyinabakoba  Reamakora and kyamusumba making it an octagon swamps  harbouring the African heritage forest to harbour different bird species to watch which one walks in. The swamps supports fishing where mudfish is the fish type with in and provides domestic water and wood for housing.

Although science attributes the formation of these lakes and wetlands to volcanic eruption in the 17th Century, folklore tales of interesting stories, a lot of which form the mystery of these lakes.
According to local people of Magambo, Lake Kamweru was a crater which later got filled up with water from a nearby lake Nzuguto, that is now a wetland.

“The Nzuguto lake shifted from the current Nzuguto wetland and filled Kamweru crater to form the current Kamweru crater lake in the 1930s. Many people who lived in Kamweru crater died, and nobody took record of it.
It’s side by the locals,King Endyoka was the owner of the lakes. Mysteriously transferred the water of Lake Nzuguto to Kamweru.
Endyoka mukama we Nyanja (Endyoka king of the lake), passed through the soil via the cave and transferred water from then Lake Nzuguto to Kamweru

However,Scientist has this to say. “Due to volcanicity, the land developed fault lines to the crater and water followed through to fill Kamweru  crater to become lake Kamweru. Regarding people’s stories as thoughts that cannot be proved scientifically. Generally people attribute a lot of things to these Twin lakes. But there is no scientific proofs″,

Nevertheless these are the only conjoined lakes in Africa, which makes Kichwamba Rubirizi good tourism potential.
Lake Kamweru has a heritage cave besides it which fills the crater with water and there are many tree species around it harbouring monkeys and other wild animals.
The heritage cave is said to have been the residents’ hiding place during the Idi Amin and Milton Obote regimes as well as during the NRA bush war.

“During Obote and Amin’s regimes people would prepare food early before the soldiers would attack them and hide in the cave for some days. Equally so, The NRA rebels would pass by the cave without noticing that there were people hiding in it. But before those political events, the cave was used for sacrifice by the owners of the lake, the Bagesera clan,’’(King’s Clan Endyoka)
The cave is one of the attractions, David Birungi, the owner of Nyanzibiri Eco Tourism site along Lake Kamweru takes pride in.

The Twin lakes Miraambi and Katiinda is one of the most attractions being bordered by may tree species harbouring different  bird species monkeys and Queen Elizabeth national park viewing point, Edison Kyagaba and Donat kananura the founders of Kichwamba orphanage foundation school and Jenal Uganda safaris takes a pride in the beautiful nature sceneries of Kichwamba Rubirizi.through promoting tourism around and within the community as sceneries supports Kichwamba orphanage foundation

However, the government has neglected Rubirizi District tourism features so individuals have decided to develop tourism in the district themselves even if they are being frustrated by hash laws.
Though local government attributes changing the local people thought of Rubirizi district being neglected. “As a district would love to have its district tourism funds.

Residents and Kichwamba orphanage foundation Community hope the district and sub-counties would set up rules regulating human activity on the lake like Over fishing, cultivating near them which has contributed to dry of some crater due to soil erosion, and deforestation around them which also accelerates erosion.
This would lead to high productivity and earn the for government a lot of revenue so that we can get better services.

Twin lakes myths at Kichwamba orphanage foundation 

An interesting story goes that, in the June and July, fish floated on the twin lakes  waters allowing residents to easily fish them out with baskets or spears. It is said to have been due to heat at the bottom of the lakes/earth’s inner core and the phenomenon was termed as “Okuffa kwe Nyanja’’ (dying of a lake). However, a clan believed to be the owners of the lake, called the Bazumira couldn’t participate in this. They were respected for their role as locaters of dead bodies of those who had drowned in the lakes. They carried out rituals and were believed to sacrifice sheep to prevent death in the lakes. Though the current advent of Christianity, such traditional clans and rituals have since died and currently no one owns the twin lakes.

Nature supporting Culture These natural beautiful sceneries sarounding  Kichwamba orphanage foundation gives the orphanage a pride to show out  how useful the Twin lakes,Twin swamps and Queen Elizabeth national park supports them through craft making and cultural dances. The orphanage services are sold to the passing by tourists at it’s craft show office.At the orphanage you meet and experience more than two culture experience that’s to say Bakiigga banyankore culture dance, Bakonjjo culture and Banyaruguru .

Bunyaruguru County  currently rubirizi district  settled in by Banyaruguru is located in south western part of Uganda, in the western arm of the East African Rift Valley, Rubirizi is endowed with 56 craters of which 32 are crater lakes. Among the lakes are two pairs of twin lakes according to the district planner’s database. The two pairs of lakes Kyema and Kamweru, Katinda and Murambi are found in Bunyaruguru County in the sub-counties of Magambo and Kicwamba respectively.

Among the 32 crater lakes while on your travel, guided walk at Kichwamba orphanage foundation it’s a must to sight 10 of them that’s Nkungute African shape commonly called  Rutoto by the natives due to it’s black coloured water, Nyungu,Kamweru, Kyema ,Miraambi,Katiinda,  Kamunzuku commonly know as a visible lake, Mbuga ,Kyamwinga, Mugogo and others.

Where ever in Queen Elizabeth national park end ever to have a stop over budget plan at Kichwamba orphanage foundation for culture dances and charity work support

When ever you’re, planing or worried for where to spend your holiday?

Are you a traveller that believes in traveling for the cause to change and conserve nature?.

Are you looking for where you can volunteer to conserve?.

Are you a researcher ?. Jenalugandasafaris at Kichwamba orphanage foundation is your answer. Book a safari with  Jenal Uganda safaris  for all your travel needs to explore the undiscovered Uganda