UGANDA: UGANDA’S INVESTOR, ABALO HOTEL SAFARIS TO DEVELOP FORT PATIKO AT SH 5 BILLION

Promote Acholi tourism/ Promote Uganda Tourism.

The local investor is negotiating with the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities to build a modern state-of-the-art hotel, Museum, recreation center, and health facilities, including a gym.

Where else   government is to put UGX 700 million to develop as part of promoting Uganda Tourism and Antiquities

GULU DISTRICT-THURSDAY MARCH 26, 2026.

By Okumu Livingstone Langol, Our Correspondent 

UN votes to recognize enslavement of Africans as ‘gravest crime against humanity’

Patrick Kitara, the Manager of Tourism, Gulu District, revealed that Local Investor Abalo Hotel Safaris is to invest at Fort Baker Patiko at the UGX 5 billion. The local investor is negotiating with the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities to build a state-of-the-art international hotel that will attract global tourists.

“We have taken the document to the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities last November 2025, for negotiation. Abalo Hotel Safaris wants 100 acres of land for the site. The Abalo Hotel Safaris want full autonomy and full control of the business, or a Public-Private Partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities. The negotiation is almost succeeding.

Patrick Kitara applauded Abalo Hotel Safaris for its wish development initiative. She advises local investors in the region to pick the best form of Abalo Hotel Safaris, says the Patiko community is ready to give land for developing local business, and to invest in the Gulu District.

The Abalo Hotel Safaris is going to be one of the international hotels that will serve global tourists, as well as local tourists, which will sell and attract tourists both from within and outside Uganda. And the business community will sell art and craft, and Souvenirs for tourists who will come.” Patrick Kitara proudly noted.

Ms Eunice Tworekirwe, the Public Relations Officer, Ministry of Tourism, Uganda Wildlife and Antiquities, a fortnight ago, during a media tour to Fort Patiko and Aruu fall, revealed that the Ministry of Tourism, Uganda Wildlife and Antiquities is soon constructing modern state of the Art facilities at Fort Baker and Aruu fall as part of promoting Acholi tourist and Promoting Uganda tourists.

Oketta Charles, the spokesperson for Fort Patiko, confirmed that the Patiko community is ready to give more land demanded by Abalo Hotel Safaris.

“We are ready as Patiko Community to support Abalo Hotel Safaris to construct state-of-the-art facilities in Ajulu, Fort Baker. Even local investors from the Acholi Sub Region are welcome to invest.” Oketta Charles stressed.

“This place, Aruu falls, the government is putting UGX 700 million to build a modern hotel, recreation center, and erect a stair corridor to allow tourists to access the falls. Although this place is a private facility.” MS Tworekirwe promised Northern Uganda Media Club journalists at the site.

Sir Samuel Baker Fort Patiko, is allocated 30.2 kilometers north of Gulu City, and is part of Ajulu hill, locally called Ocecu Anya Dwee a kilometer north of Fort Baker Patiko, the unique featuring Map of Africa, and Got Ocecu is announced for hiking.

Fort Baker, Patiko Fort has a good savanna woodland characterized by loam soil covered with a pumpkin tree with grass less than two meters high.

While Aruu Falls is sitting on a mountainous range of about 100 meters down the slope, with five falls flowing during the dry season, the local tour guide revealed that during the rainy season, Aruu Falls has over six falls.

The distance from Aruu Falls to Angagura is 8 kilometers south, the environment is covered with dotted Bamboo trees, and beautiful Shea tree coverage. During May and June, both local tourists and international tourists are served with Shea nut and shea butter oil. The only African Indigenous Shea oil that can cure all kinds of ailments

Okello Ronald, local tour guide, at Fort Baker Patiko, the narrative form local Tour this Got is to us similar mala mean cooper to us, in the 18th century, the Arabs invaded the Patiko chiefdom, which had admirable agricultural riches, as well as livestock farming. The Patiko chiefdom had built their homestead nitty, OT atota well structure, a grass thatch homestead with a well-designed granary for storing food stuff.

“At the advent of Sir Samuel Baker, in Luo Gang home to Patiko chiefdom, he came at the onset of rainfall, to whom Sir Samuel Baker described his own ward. I have moved all around Africa, but I have never come across a well-planned garden or millet plantation lining up the field. And I have never found well-fed cattle, which I have found in the healthy cows of Luo Gang.

The Luo Gang’s dances are very attractive; they all line up in circular dances, where they all beat the small drum in one rhythm, in a circular movement. While they sing warriors’ songs. To make a mock fight, men put on feathers with a marching spear in their hand, and other Scutum-like oils are smeared on their faces to stop sweat.

Their women dance in circles to march their husbands, while they sing the song to answer the demand from their worries. Women wear beads, Ogul Mala, as protection against invaders; they all look wild.

I have moved elsewhere in Africa, but I have never found women after giving birth who cover and wash their kids with hot water, not even in Europe, but in Luo Gang. The women wash their young ones, and later they smear their kids with Red Oxide mixed with Shea butter {Pala}, and the children sleep quietly for hours without interference, even from flies.” This is what Sir Samuel Baker quoted.

Our people suffered at the hands of Arab, when the Arab toured inland, inviting those who came to trade were arrested and made slaves. Arab stayed in Patiko Fort, which they built as a garrison for 17 years, until Sir Samuel Baker came in 1872.

Foot notes

Ahead of the vote, speaker after speaker expressed similar views.

The UK, one of the major powers involved in the transatlantic slave trade, said it recognized the untold harm and misery that had been caused to millions of people over many decades.

But its ambassador to the UN, James Kariuki, told the assembly in his speech that the resolution was problematic in terms of its wording and international law.

“No single set of atrocities should be regarded as more or less significant as another,” he said.