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A picture at Kisiizi falls portraying the Joy, parents would share whenever a girl child would be born. Stuart Twinomujuni/Torch Media Africa
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Located in Nyarushanje sub-county, Rukungiri district, Kisiizi falls are just a few meters from Kisiizi Hospital, a church founded facility under North Kigezi diocese that borders Kabale district in Western Uganda.
From Mbarara city, It takes Four hours using public means on the road to get to Kisiizi, through Rukungiri branching off at Kebisoni township.
From Kebisoni trading centre, one enjoys a dusty stretch up to the area that has been a pivot on which life in Kigezi spins.
Beautiful scenery of water falls at Kisiizi that is a Centre of attraction to tourists in North Kigezi. (Photo by Stuart Twinomujuni)
The waters drop up from about 28 meters high to form a flowing river known as Kyabamba.
A celestial ambience of the falls is heard about 100 meters away and is a factor of attraction to the beautiful sight.
The falls possess a scaring cultural history in a Bakiga dominated society which up to today has never left people’s minds.
Oral history has it that in early days unmarried Bakiga girls who became pregnant would be brought and thrown over the falls to go and meet their death down the cliff.
The Victims would usually be pushed over the edge by their brother since he would be the most affected by their pregnancy.
The pregnancy meant that the girl would no longer bring in the bride price that the brother could rely on to make arrangements for his own marriage.
Picture showing how a Mukiga girl child would suffer the punishment of getting pregnant before marriage.(Stuart Twinomujuni/Torch Media Africa).
According to some old Bakiga that are well connected to this cultural history, the punishment done at these falls is believed to have imparted good morals in the unmarried girls in the area.
‘’When a girl got pregnant, she would be escorted by the father and the brother would release her to fall off the cliff where she would meet her death’’. Narrated Wednesday Twinomujuni, apparently the Nyakishenyi sub-county Lc3 chairperson.
He says this was done to scare off other girls from engaging in premarital sex that often led to pregnancy.
‘’In the Bakiga society it was an abomination to see a girl carrying a pregnancy before she was married off, and the practice ensured girls stayed virgins until marriage’’. Twinomujuni stressed.
It is however believed that the practice came to an end in 1920’s when a young lady who became pregnant before marriage was brought to the top of the cliff to be pushed down the water falls as it always had been and onset, the girl pulled the father and the brother.
Following the incident, the practice was stopped as they realized more girls would do the same.
In order to bring memories of what happened in the past to the current generation, a unique and magnificent Monument was designed in an extraordinary artwork by great craftsmen.
It portrays the transformation that has occurred with time, from being Kisiizi a place of death and despair in history to a place of healing and hope today.
Tourism at Kisiizi today.
The area has been cited as one of the tourist destinations in the Kigezi sub- region which one shouldn’t cross without having just a camp.
There is a small forest surrounding Kisiizi falls which One can take advantage of to have a picnic in the area, take a short forest hike for beautiful views of the Kigezi hills and valleys.
One of the good views is hiking up the Kisiizi falls and watching them from the top and the surrounding area.
It takes you about four hours of maximum enjoyment while exploring this beautiful area.
The trees in the area have provided shelter to numerous species of birds one can locate. Some use the area for breeding and others enjoy the presence of food.
Some of the birds seen in this area include; Black Headed Weaver, Black Kite, Black-winged Red Bishop, Sunbird, Speckled Mousebird, and Yellow-backed Weaver among others.
Other activities include bicycle rides, zip lining and mountain climbing. These are supported by the factor of cool weather that has made everything work out for visitors with ease.
Observations made in the community around Kisiizi falls
There is a high fertility rate in the area and this has made it possible for prices of food to hike because of the demand.
It is a place where food crops like Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, sorghum and maize are dominantly cultivated because of its topography (being hilly) and the foods are commonly sold to neighboring countries of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
