Originally, Queen Elizabeth National Park was named Kazinga National Park until 1954 to commemorate a visit by Queen Elizabeth II. I agree with the reasoning at the time because such a gesture was appropriate because Uganda was still under British rule, and associating the park with the British monarchy at that time surely gave Uganda a mark of prestige.
However, in the 1970s, President Amin tried to rename it Mountain Rwenzori National Park, but of course, the royal name was restored later. Therefore, for over 70 years now, our very own spectacle of wilderness has carried the name Queen Elizabeth National Park.
I think we need to ask ourselves whether the name ‘Queen Elizabeth National Park’ is the brand that represents our culture, heritage, and the park. Honestly, it does not because using the name ‘Queen Elizabeth’ as your brand name tells more about British history than the Park’s verdant wilderness. Even the lakes surrounding the park seem foreign to us. What heritage connection do King George V, (where Lake George derives its name), and King Edward VII, (where Lake Edward derives it name), have with those lakes?
If not for the UPDF, Uganda Wildlife Authority marine officers, and local fishermen, I don’t think there is any other Ugandan who has been on either Lake Edward or George. Most people have only been on Kazinga Channel, perhaps because it kept the name. Some can’t even differentiate between Edward and George unless you show them a map first. That’s how bad we have lost connection to our heritage.
Similarly, the name ‘Queen Elizabeth’ doesn’t resonate with the wildlife or the culture of the local communities like Bakonzo and Banyaruguru or the ecological significance of the area, at least. It is just a commemorative label preserving a legacy of a queen who has long passed on and whose surviving family has no interest whatsoever in promoting or preserving the park. No senior British Royal has made a publicized visit to the park. No royal foundation has ever been established as a conservation partnership anchored on the park’s name. We are merely honoring a British queen in perpetuity without receiving anything in return.
By comparison, most successful safari destinations in Africa have kept their native names. Look at Serengeti in Tanzania, Maasai Mara in Kenya, the Okavango Delta in Botswana, and our own Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. They have become globally recognised precisely because they retained names rooted in local heritage and culture.
In a competitive tourism market where Uganda is already undervalued relative to its ecological wealth, I am afraid, carrying a name that doesn’t resonate with its rich tapestry is measurably putting us at a disadvantage.
We need to tell our own story, one rooted in our own history and identity.
Names matter because they shape how we understand places. They tell a story. It’s high time we changed from colonial names because we can’t sell or promote something we are not emotionally connected to.
People are promoting the Rwenzori Marathon because there is a heritage connection between the Rwenzori Mountains and the people.
It is easy to sell because we speak the name Rwenzori with pride since culturally embedded names generate stronger emotional resonance and invite national pride.