Super User 18 July 2023

Travel Guide To Kitagata Hot Springs Safari In Uganda

Concealed away in the secluded Sheema district in western Uganda, there lies the twin hot springs of Mulago and Ekyomugabe (locally referred to as Mugabe), which draw crowds of visitors. Here, people with a variety of health complaints come to soak in the springs, believing the natural waters are healing.

The Two Kitagata Hot Springs;

The Mulago and Mugabe hot springs, called Kitagawa, which means warm water in the Runyankole language, lie side by side, separated by a single road. The most popular hot spring is Mulago, not just for its thought-healing powers, but also because it has moderate temperature levels that are body-friendly. In contrast, the waters of Mugabe are steaming hot. This natural feature is one of the top tourist destinations in Uganda. The people who come to soak in the hot springs refer to themselves as patients, although there is no doctor to diagnose the nature of their diseases — only one witch doctor, who has a stall next to the water area.

The Three Theories about the Two Hot Springs;

Three theories are given by the local authorities regarding the formation of the hot springs. The first belief is that this place simply happened as a creation of God. He willed the creation of the hot springs to cure various ailments of the people of western Uganda.

The second theory is that the earliest settlers of this place were the Bachwezi and that the Bachwezi were semi-gods who possessed mysterious powers slightly above the average human being. They lived for a while on Earth and later decided to leave the way they had come, without a trace of their previous or next destination. The Bachwezi, however, left marks on the earth that continue to baffle people.

One amazing spot is found in the earth around Kitagata, it's in the shape of a footprint believed to have been made by the Bachwezi dynasty prime minister, Kallisa. When the spot is half full of water it turns into a heart shape, and when it is viewed from another angle, it takes the shape of the map of Africa. Kallisa is believed to have lived a symmetrical life, with one side of his body visible to the world and the other side visible to the spiritual world. This is why only one footprint appears on the ground, as only one side of his body is visible on Earth.

The third theory for the formation of the hot springs is a geographical one, which explains how hot magma forms in the mantle of the Earth. A line of weakness formed in the Earth’s crust and forced its way out, spilling hot magma onto the Earth’s surface, which later cooled and formed the stones that Kitagata patients now anchor themselves to in the hot springs. As a result of the hot magma, the outlet continues to issue hot water, connecting the Earth’s crust to the world above.

Kitagata Hot Springs, the Place for Healing Mystery;

The Kitagata waters are enjoyed by many of the local tribes of Banyankole, Batooro, and Bakiga. There is no age limitation and the patients say everybody is entitled to the free healing powers, or the medication, of the waters. There is no case of discrimination. Whatever illness one has, they all meet and mix in the same water for as long as they want. Men, women, and children bathe in the same warm waters of Kitagata Mulago, and sometimes in large numbers as big as 200 in a day.

Mulago shares a name with Mulago National Referral Hospital in Uganda’s capital city, Kampala. Similar to the hospital, the pool welcomes many patients from different corners of the country. Mugabe, which has the hottest waters, was named so because the Omugabe of Nkore, John Patrick Barigye, the former king of Ankole, would often use the pool. Today, most people choose to soak in the waters of Mulago.

The patients are charged a small maintenance fee for as long as they want to use the water while the price for tourists and researchers who visit the hot springs varies and depends on the group size. At Kitagata, the characteristic behavior is to strip off one’s clothing and get into the water. Here, the shy does not get healed. The rich minerals cleanse one’s body, as the waters are rich in several minerals, including calcium sulfate.

Many patients do not care about the chemical composition of the water. What matters to them is they feel a lot better after soaking in the hot springs. Some stay for days, enjoying the hot waters in both the morning and evening hours. The hot steam rises to the sky before sunrise and slowly fades as the tempo of the sun gains momentum, later showing up again after sunset. Locals drink the hot spring's water as well.

The waters in Kitagatta hot springs can warm up to 80 °C (176 °F). River Ngaromwenda ensures a constant supply of water to the Kitagatta hot springs and at times the springs get flooded causing the springs to be warm rather than hot.

The Kitagatta hot springs are easily accessible by road and the road passes through a swamp which also provides a beautiful scenic view along the way with sightings of conical hills, inselbergs, beautiful ever-green vegetation, trees, and grasslands.

Therefore Kitagatta Hot Springs should be on any tourist checklist. Arrange with ULTIMATE WILD SAFARIS for this lifetime expedition.

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