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Wetlands cover roughly a tenth of Uganda, from the papyrus swamps around Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga to the river valleys of the south-west. They filter water, reduce floods and support fisheries, and they hold some of Uganda’s most sought-after wildlife: the shoebill, the sitatunga antelope and papyrus specialist birds found almost nowhere else. Several, including Mabamba Bay, Lake George and the Murchison Falls–Albert delta, are protected as Ramsar wetlands of international importance. Here is why they matter and where to visit.
Papyrus and its wildlife
Papyrus, a giant sedge up to 5 metres tall, forms dense swamps along slow rivers and lake edges. A group of birds lives only in or near papyrus, including the papyrus gonolek, white-winged swamp warbler, papyrus canary and Carruthers’s cisticola, making wetlands a priority for birders. The shy sitatunga antelope, with long splayed hooves for walking on floating vegetation, hides in swamps such as Bigodi and Mabamba. See our guide to the papyrus gonolek.
The shoebill
The shoebill is the star of Uganda’s wetlands: a tall, grey bird with a huge bill, which hunts lungfish and catfish in papyrus channels. Mabamba Swamp west of Entebbe is the most accessible place to look for it, by canoe in the morning, with the Murchison Falls delta and Lake Mburo as other options. See our guide to finding the shoebill at Mabamba.
Why wetlands are under pressure
Uganda’s wetland area has shrunk over recent decades as swamps are drained for rice, sugarcane and vegetables, cut for brick-making and built over as towns grow, especially around Kampala. Losing them increases flooding, reduces clean water and fish, and removes habitat for shoebills and other species. Uganda has laws protecting wetlands and has listed a dozen Ramsar sites, and community tourism, such as Mabamba’s canoe guides and Bigodi’s sanctuary, gives local people an income from keeping swamps intact.
Wetlands to visit
Mabamba Swamp near Entebbe for shoebills; Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary next to Kibale for monkeys and papyrus birds; the Kazinga Channel and Lake George in Queen Elizabeth; the Murchison delta; and Lake Mburo’s fringing swamps. Many fit easily around a gorilla trip, where the permit costs US$800, or US$600 in April, May and November. See our guides to Uganda birding and Kibale and Bigodi.
Frequently asked questions
Mabamba Swamp near Entebbe, visited by canoe in the morning.
Shoebills, sitatunga, papyrus gonoleks and other specialist birds.
Drainage for farming, brick-making and urban growth.
A wetland of international importance listed under the Ramsar Convention.
