This festive season took me back to my roots in Bunyaruguru, Rubirizi district, after 16 years, and I found a treasure that is rarely talked about.

I decided to blend in with village life and fetch water from the stream. On my way, i saw tourists, mostly whites, taking pictures around a certain water-body. Out of curiosity, I asked my cousins, who were headed with me to the stream, why the place was crowded with close to 50 whites.

I was then told that there is a lake called Nkugute that is in the shape of a map of Africa, and all through the year, they witness a number of tourists who are astonished by the sight and sounds of the lake.

Lake Nkugute, also known as Rutoto, is a mysterious lake shaped in the map of Africa. It is believed to have been formed over 12,000 years ago as a result of volcanic activity. Lake Rutoto is a popular destination for tourists, especially those heading to Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Those who visit capture the unique shape of the lake and its surrounding scenery. Having an estimated landscape elevation above sea level of 4645 feet, it is a place of mystery, with the local people having several tales surrounding its origin and behavior.

The lake’s lack of proof regarding its depth has contributed to its mysterious reputation. Locals claim that it has an unquenchable appetite for humans. They say that it swallows people when they get closer, and it is said to have spiritual guardians who watch over the lake.

“People who came to wash from the lake’s shore would at times forget to pay attention to their children who enjoyed swimming from the lake, and before they knew it, one of the children would be seen helplessly screaming while being “swallowed” by the lake. Those who attempted to rescue the drowning child would sometimes also be “swallowed,” a local narrated.

Some claim that Bunyaruguru is the reason Winston Churchill and the former United Kingdom Prime Minister (1940–1945) named Uganda the pearl of Africa after seeing Lake Nkugute and several other features in the area.

Natives complain that the tourists who come just take pictures and leave because the area lacks hotels and accommodations, yet the tourist attraction could be utilized and developed to boost the tourism industry.

Lake Nkugute is a crater lake, and its estimated terrain elevation above sea level is 4645 feet. It can be visited as one heads to Queen Elizabeth National Park via the Mbarara Kasese road.