Which part of Uganda is Murchison falls? — Everything you need to know

Which part of Uganda is Murchison falls? – Which district is Murchison falls national park?

Which part of Uganda is Murchison falls? – Murchison Falls National Park is a protected conservation area managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. It is in north-western Uganda, spreading inland from the shores of Lake Albert around the Victoria Nile up to the Karuma Falls. Together with the adjacent 748 square kilometres Bugungu Wildlife Reserve and the 720 square kilometres Karuma Wildlife Reserve, the National Park forms the Murchison Falls Conservation Area.

Location

Murchison Falls National Park straddles the Ugandan districts of Buliisa, Nwoya, Kiryandongo, and Masindi districts. The driving distance from Masindi, is the nearest large town, to the National Park about 78 kilometres. This area is about 302 kilometres, by road north-west of Kampala the capital and largest city of Uganda.

History

The explorers John Speke and James Grant were the first Europeans to visit the present day Murchison Falls Conservation Area in 1862. It was more thoroughly explored by Samuel and Florence Baker in 1863–1864. Baker named the falls Murchison Falls after the geologist Roderick Murchison, then the president of the Royal Geographical Society.

Between 1907 and 1912, the inhabitants of an area of about 13,000 square kilometres were evacuated due to the sleeping sickness spread by tse-tse flies. In 1910, the Bunyoro Game Reserve was created south of the River Nile. That area roughly corresponds to the part of the Murchison Falls National Park that is in the districts of Buliisa, Masindi, and Kiryandongo. In 1928, the boundaries were extended north of the river into the modern-day Nwoya District. In 1952, the British administration established the National Parks Act of Uganda. The area described above became Murchison Falls National Park

Wildlife

Murchison Falls Conservation Area and the adjacent Bugondo Forest Reserve have 76 species of mammals as well as Uganda’s largest population of Nile Crocodiles, 450 bird species are present ranging from easy variety of water birds, including the rare Shoebill stork, Budongo’s 59 “restricted range” species, dwarf Kingfisher, Goliath heron, white-thighed hornbill and the great blue Turaco. Since 2005, the protected area is considered a Lion Conservation Unit.

The National Park is bisected by the Victoria Nile dividing it in to two forming the north and the southern sector of the park and the Nile lies 40 metres over the remnant rift valley wall creating the dramatic Murchison Falls with breath taking sceneries and the centrepiece of the park with the final event in an 80 kilometres stretch of rapids. The mighty cascade drains the last of the river’s energy, transforming it into a broad, placid stream that flows quietly across the rift valley floor into Lake Albert.

This stretch of river provides a remarkable wildlife view and the regular visitors to the riverbanks include elephants, giraffes and buffaloes; while hippos, Nile crocodiles and aquatic birds are permanent residents in the lake with all these attractions, you will have the best of Murchison falls national park, a life time experience.

From Kampala, the distance is about 305 kilometres by road travelling northwest of Kampala the capital city of Uganda and drive time is approximately 5-6hours to Murchison Falls National Park