Mparo Royal Tombs, Bunyoro Kingdom burial ground, is being given a cultural facelift, six years after renovation by the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF).
The site located about 3 Km from Hoima town on Masindi road is where Bunyoro’s great King Omukama Kabalega and his son Omukama Sir Tito Winyi are buried. The site also has graves for the Queen Mothers and other royals.
The tombs sit on a six acre piece of land enclosed in a perimeter wall, erected by the UPDF during renovation in 2008. In front of the site is a monument erected to mark the day King Kabalega met explorer Dr. Emin Pasha in September 1877.
All these and artifacts on Kabalega’s grave, make Mparo a place of cultural importance and a major tourist potential. However, according to Bunyoro Minister of culture Bruhan Kyakuhaire, the site is yet to fetch much for the kingdom through tourist attraction, because it had not been developed and equipped to required standards.
Kyakuhaire says this face-lifting is intended to make the site appear more cultural and attractive to tourists.
A perimeter wall initially built with bricks and iron bars, has now been covered by reeds, also huts for King Kabalega and Sir Tito Winyi’s mausoleums have had iron sheets covered by grass and the plastered walls also covered by reeds.
Signposting for each grave is also in progress and walkways are being paved inside the site to give it a more impressive look. The renovation exercise started a month ago. According to Kyakuhaire this work is to cost 83 million shillings.