As the world travels again, Uganda wishes to issue a gentle, heartfelt apology to all adventurers preparing to touch down on our soil.
We apologise for the landscapes that greet you long before your itinerary begins. For the hills that roll endlessly into the horizon, and for the kind of green that refuses to fade, fed by rainfall that works full-time, all year round, without supervision.
We apologise for our drums, for when they begin to roar, they have a habit of calling even the most unsuspecting guests to their feet. If you find yourself dancing to rhythms you didn’t plan for, blame the drums not yourself, they are part of who we are.
We apologise for the wildlife that insists on punctuality; gorillas that appear in the mist as though summoned; tree-climbing lions that defy logic; rhinos that browse calmly as if posing for your camera; and lions and elephants that wander through golden savannahs with cinematic precision.
We apologise for the mountains that carry their own winter, unbothered by the equator. For the snow on Rwenzori peaks; for crater lakes that appear like gemstones; and for the rivers that rush through untouched forests.
We apologise for our coffee both Arabica and Robusta whose flavour owes everything to volcanic soils that are almost unfairly fertile. If you return home searching for that exact aroma and can’t find it anywhere else, we offer our deepest regrets of not packing some when departing our land.
We apologise for our athletes, whose speed keeps surprising the world. We thought global running legends were enough but Uganda keeps adding new ones.
We apologise for our culture, for our warmth, for our music, for our laughter, for our cousins. None of it was intended to win you over so quickly. And finally, we apologise for embodying exactly what Sir Winston Churchill observed when he honoured Uganda as “The Pearl of Africa.” Uganda remains proud of this distinction and humbly apologises for living up to the name so completely.
Forgive us for being unforgettable. A nation that welcomes the world with a smile and a friendly apology.
