Lutembe Beach

(Tuesday, June 15) The first stretch of one of our long, early morning walks in Uganda ended at Lutembe Beach. A young guard awaited visitors – to a place unlikely to have been visited for many decades. He expected payment for entry and 3,000 shillings did the trick. I can’t imagine this guard truly held that job, perhaps he saw us coming and took the opportunity.

Gabriel told me that this gated, guarded, and all but abandoned land was once owned by Idi Amin. Amin was the third president in Uganda and held office from 1971 to 1979. His reign was characterized by human rights abuses, political repression, ethnic persecution, extrajudicial killings, nepotism, corruption, and gross economic mismanagement. International observers estimated that between 100,000 and 500,000 people were killed as a result of his regime.

Amin entertained here, on the beautiful shores of Lake Victoria, in what appeared to have been grand style. Two swimming pools, a few cabanas, some guest houses, and signs advertising darts, volleyball, and basketball littered the grounds. I could almost feel the presence of very important people gathering with Amin to be caught up in his regime. There was a supernatural buzz about the grey, run down, estate.

Beauty and history were in stark contrast at this remote beach location.