Nyamulia Rock- the hidden wonder of Nebbi District

The total solar eclipse will be credited for booming the tourism resources in the northern region of Uganda just like the Nyamuli rock.
Wang- Nyamulia rock is located in Ogul Valley, Alwi Sub-county in Nebbi District. This cultural site has been little known by both Ugandans and the foreign tourists all over the world. No great attention was given to this tourist attraction but when people started preparing for the viewing of the hybrid solar eclipse at Owiny Primary school, the district leaders came in and mobilized the community members to promote all the tourism attractions within their area.
Mr John Olum- a care taker at Nyamulia cultural site says that the site belongs to the Madi clan who are always performing their cultural rituals at the site. The whole site is made of rocks and caves that have water flowing all the time through them in different directions.
The site was initially discovered a thousand years ago before the collonisation of Africa by the whites.

History of the site
A popular tale was told about these rocks. It says that some time back, a man- named Okul who belonged to the Madi clan got married to a very beautiful woman that every one at that village admitted not to have seen before. All the people at the village admired the lady and as a result she was named Nyamulia, a Luo word meaning “bride”.
One day in the morning, Nyamulia went alone to fetch water in Ogul valley but unfortunately she did not come back home! “This impelled Madi- her husband along with his neighbors to set off and start searching her. Upon reaching the valley, they found a rock which slightly resembled this beautiful woman. The rock had Nyamulia’s beads and looking for her around , she was nowhere to be seen. This made these people to believe that she might have been locked inside her rock- thus the name Nyamulia rock” Olum says.

Olun added that Okul- Nyamulia’s husband went on following her wife’s footprints on the rock and also disappeared after some time.
“Afew years after the incident, lightening stuck the rock and Namulia’s beads disappeared from the rock. It was since then, that place considered as a holly site and several people started coming to have prayers from this place.” Olum narrates.
A visit to this cultural site is quite challenging more so reaching the rocks where Nyamulia said to have disappeared from. To visit the site, your supposed to be checked by the ushers at the entrance gate made from sticks and then meet the Madi leaders putting on wild animal hides.
They first perform some rituals to the visitors before being allowed to access the place.
Visitors are strictly told to put off their shoes before entering on to the site because it is believed to be a holly place. The rock is usually hot from the direct sunshine that strike on to it which gives hardship to visitors who are supposed to walk bare footed while in this site.
Representatives from Madi community take you through a guided walk in the site through the flowing waters to the steep rocks until you get to the Nyamulia rock.
Residents of this village say that the site has some snakes and bees which they claim not to be harmful to man. They added that there is no case raised about a snake bite or bees stinging someone in and around this place.
“Women with problems especially those who have failed to bear children come into this place and ask to be healed by the blessings of Nyamulia and afterwards get children. Plus other problems get solved from this place” Olum reveals.
Olum said that men who happen to fall while hiking on the rock, they stand a risk of becoming impotent and women becoming barren however there was no proof to verify them. Women are not allowed to take a bath from this site while naked. The Nyamulia rock, even though the elders at the site say that the rock resembles a beautiful bride who disappeared, no sign can be seen by a visitor as a way proving their words.
Olum urges to the government for some support in terms of funds, designers and tourism specialists to plan how best they can develop the site so that it’s well known wild wide as well as attracting large number of tourists both within and outside Africa.
Devine powers
Child bearing; Women, most especially those who have failed to get pregnant or to bear their pregnancy for the 9 months gather at the rock to ask for blessings from Nyamulia and afterward get children. Also those who come at the site with other problems get solved after asking for blessings from Nyamulia.

On the other hand, men who fall on the rock while climbimg, they stand a reisk of becoming impotent and women becoming barren. Women are also prohibited from taking a shower from this place while necked.
The site is also a habitant to some snakes and bees which are said to have no harm to human beings. This is evidenced by the fact that no case has ever been raised about a snake bite or bees stinging someone.

Little-known tourism sites
Little is known about the possible uganda safari adventures that tourists can experience in the Northern part of the country. NorthernUganda comprises of a variety of tourist attractions categorized into cultural, historical and tourism sites all summing up to about 41 sites. The region has several lakes including Fort Dufile of Emin Pasha in Moyo district which is located on River Nileand Gordon hills in the south of southern Sudan.
Alikua Pyramids constructed by the Belians is one of the tourism attractions offered in Maracha district. In Koboko district, there is lake Adola Milan which has no access by road and no sign posts to guide touritsts while visiting it, and in Nebbi district, there is the Puvungu area which is said to be the area where the Luo immigrants splinted from plus the Nyamulia rock.
Other tourist attractions in the region include the Indriani in Adjumani District, a place where the first missionaries constructed a church in 1911. Also, there memorial sites including Vurra and Ombaci in Arua district, the rolling hills in Nebbi district whose steep escarpments  overlap on the shores of Lake Albert.
It is believed that if these sites are developed and promoted, they will attract more tourists thus generating more income to the government and also creating employment opportunities to the citizens within the respective areas.