Lake Mburo National Park

Overview

Lake Mburo, at 146 square miles (379 km²), is Uganda's smallest national park. It is located in Myabushozi Country, in the Kirusha District, making it a convenient stopover for visitors traveling from Kampala to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

The park is an excellent way for visitors to stretch their legs and experience nature outside a car. Lake Mburo offers many ways to explore, the most popular being its boat rides. There are also horseriding safaris, mountain biking, and walking tours for the active and adventurous.

The park is unique for being 20% wetland, making it an ideal home for hippos, crocodiles, otters, birds, and other wildlife that depend on this specific habitat. Lake Mburo is only one of the 13 lakes in the area that are part of the 31-mile (50 km) long wetland system.

However, this precious landscape and its wildlife have been threatened repeatedly. The first attack came from fears of tsetse flies. The second threats were farmers and poachers, the first eating away at the land while the latter illegally harvested the animals.

If not for the Banyankole Bahima, all may have been lost before the park was gazette in 1983. Their pastoralist lifestyle and cattle tradition prevented the surrounding farms and ranches from gobbling the entire land and completely draining the wetlands. 

Now, the park is a haven for wildlife while investing in the local communities. In addition to providing jobs, the park has committed 20% of its entrance fee to fund local projects like schools and clinics. It is also where the Banyankole Bahima cattle tradition continues to this day.