Language barrier and accidents are interrupting the Great Africa Cycling Safari (GACS), the longest cycling tour in Africa. On Wednesday evening, 28 bicycle cyclists from various countries in East Africa entered Uganda through the Katuna border in Kabale district from Rwanda. They include 3 riders from the Democratic Republic of Congo, 1 from Rwanda, 11 from Kenya, 10 from Uganda, 3 from Tanzania, 1 from Burundi, and 1 from South Sudan.
The 55-day east African cycling tour kicked off on August 1 from the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa, Kenya. The cyclists went through Tanzania, Burundi, and Rwanda on their way to Uganda, where they were met by Rwandan security and government officials led by Gicumbi District Mayor Emmanuel Zabonimpa and cheers from the locals.
They were received by Ugandan authorities led by Godfrey Nyakahuma, the Kabale Resident District Commissioner, and Dr. Andrew Musiime, the Director in Charge of East African Community Affairs in the Ministry of East African Community Affairs.
John-Bosco Barongo, the Director of Great Africa Cycling Safari, says that the tour is aimed at promoting the merits of East African Community Integration through interacting with locals, tourism, and trade, and highlighting the impact of climate change and environmental conservation. He says that cyclists are also taking pictures of natural resources that could be lost because of climate change.
Barongo says that they have so far planted 11,000 of the targeted 200,000 trees this year throughout the journey as a way of promoting environmental protection.
Barongo, however, says that the tour is being affected by the language barrier. He says that they have opted to use Kiswahili since some of the riders, like the Congolese and Burundian cyclists, are not familiar with the English language. Without revealing figures, he also says that some of the riders have had accidents along the road. The riders are also facing difficulties resulting from the weather changes.
Musiime and Nyakahuma say that the cyclists will spend 10 days in Uganda before crossing into Kenya through the Busia border.