The birthplace of the mighty Nile river in Jinja (or one of them anyway…), here the water spills out of Lake Victoria on its journey to the Mediterranean flowing fast from the get-go. It’s estimated no more than 5% of water here will end up in Egypt. There’s a landmark identifying the source and a few restaurants and bars, which can make for a nice place for a sunset beer. Exploring the source by boat (per person USh50,000) is another popular option.
Despite being touted as one of Jinja’s premier drawcards, on the Jinja side of the river there really isn’t much to see. It’s more pleasant across the river on the western bank with the Source of the Nile Gardens and Speke Monument – a pillar commemorating where the British explorer first laid claim to the historic source of the Nile in 1858. In recent times the source has been traced anywhere from Rwanda to Burundi.
Jinja is in Jinja District, Busoga sub-region, in the Eastern Region of Uganda. The town is approximately 81 kilometres (50 mi), by road, east of Kampala, the capital and largest city of Uganda. It sits along the northern shores of Lake Victoria, near the source of the White Nile.
Jinja is commonly regarded as “the adventure capital of East Africa” due to the very many activities in town that one could engage in, especially for tourists.
Local attractions include white-water rafting, the “Source of the Nile”, Bungee Jumping, and the Nile Breweries Limited’s large brewery. About 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Jinja is the Bujagali Power Station. The hydroelectric facility is providing 250 megawatts of electric power.
There is an active Hindu temple near Jinja, which has a bronze bust of Gandhi.
