The Ugandan government has set aside 15 billion shillings to purchase land next to the Catholic, Anglican and Muslim Martyrs’ shrines in Namugongo, Wakiso District.
The minister of state tourism, Godfrey Kiwanda also said that the huge sum has already been included and approved in the 2018/19 financial year’s budget which begins next month.
The project will be part of government’s initiative to upgrade the holy sites in order to attract more tourists and increase foreign exchange earnings.
According to him, different ministries and government agencies would be responsible for executing the different parts of the planned project, from road construction, water provision, the erection of malls and car parks etc.
In an earlier development, Tourism minister, Professor Ephraim Kamuntu, also noted that the government has realised that as Uganda’s Martyrs shrines are a great tourists’ magnet, upgrading the shrines would further increase earnings from faith-related tourism, which is currently at 10 trillion shillings to 4.5 billion dollars which amount 17 trillion shillings by 2020.
Image Credit: DAILY MONITOR
