River Sezibwa on Sezibwa Falls is believed to have been active spiritually; that’s why the spirits such as Nalongo Kkubo helped it overcome the obstacles along the way. Nalongo’s spirit took the form of a snake and established its home with the rock caves. The late Kabaka Mwanga of the Buganda kingdom based on the Sezibwa falls to elect chiefs in 1884. The Twin Rivers were born to a mother who was known as Nakkungu Tebatuusa on her way to a place called Kavuma Bukunja, the Bwanda twin is said to have flowed towards the mother’s village in the east and Sezibwa flowed to the west.
The Sezibwa twin that flowed to the west passed through many hardships on the way, but due to its determination, it said, “No obstacle can stop me from moving,” meaning “Sezibwa kkubo,” hence the origin of its name. Sezibwa Falls is from the Sezibwa River. Sezibwa is now a place where many locals come for traditional healing and also obtain blessings. There is an olive tree that’s still standing to date, built by Kabaka Mwanga of the Buganda kingdom.
Ssezibwa Falls inflows are from the wetlands within Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga. The falls are about 7 meters high, providing outstanding scenery. Though the place has been used for traditional practices, it has been transformed into a destination for nature lovers, bird enthusiasts, and research projects are also carried out here.
Sezibwa Falls also contains a shrine site where you can find some traditional elements used in consulting spirits. These are calabashes, cowrie shells, bark cloth, pots, coffee beans, and spears, among many. Apart from being a cultural heritage site, Sezibwa falls provides other tourist-related activities that can be seen below:
There is a public campsite a few meters away from the waterfallswith basic facilities you will need for the night. Continental meals are provided from the restaurant, and the well-stocked bar will give you a variety of drinks to choose from; hard and soft drinks are available.
Sezibwa Falls is endowed with over 150 species of birds; this makes it a birder’s paradise where bird enthusiasts can go for a 1 day Uganda birding tour. Some of the birds found in Sezibwa Falls are woodland kingfishers, snake birds, olive birds, cormorant birds, parrots, lesser striped swallows, black manakins, white manakins, red-eyed doves, white-throated bee-eaters, white-chested nigro finches, great blue turacos, red-chested cuckoos, and warblers, to mention a few.
The surrounding area of Sezibwa falls is home to some wild animals, such as horned adders, snakes, red-tailed monkeys, cobras, skinks and green mambas, among the rest.
Tourists can also hike up to the falls and cross the splendid waters before cascading into a seven-meter fall. Tourists can engage in swimming in the falls, jumping off the cliff on top of the falls to the stream down below; this makes your visit more interesting.
It is advisable that tourists come with their own packed foods and picnic within the rocks or by the riverside, listening to the chattering of the birds and whispers of the falls. Tourists can also take nature walks to tea and sugar plantations.
Apart from the healing provided by the traditional healers through the spirits, there are other natural trees that are used for treating many diseases, such as the fig tree that treats toothache, the Africanacurrip tree used to treat stomach upsets and skin rashes, and the wild olive tree that is used for treating sore throats.
Sezibwa Falls can be reached from Kampala in 32 kilometers; it’s situated on the Kampala-Jinja road highway about 2 kilometers off the main road, and it’s the best stopoverdestination for tourists travelling to the eastern parts of Uganda.
Sezibwa Falls can be visited all year round; however, during the dry season, tourists will have to come with a four-wheel-drive car due to the road from Kayanjja village to the falls, which is underdeveloped and muddy.
