travel 18 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
From Chapati Stall to Shoebill Guide: Irene Namubiru's Inspiring Journey at Mabamba Wetland
Irene Namubiru, distinct from the famous singer, transformed from selling chapati at a lakeside stall into a skilled bird guide at Mabamba Wetland after overcoming personal tragedies. Her dedication to conservation training has made her one of the few female experts leading tours to spot the iconic shoebill. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/lifestyle/travel/-the-motionless-posture-of-a-shoebill-is-a-beauty-to-behold--5427938
Irene Namubiru guides visitors through the papyrus-filled channels of Mabamba Wetland on Lake Victoria’s northern shore, a hotspot for over 200 bird species and reliable shoebill sightings.
Born in Mabamba near Entebbe, her life took a turn after her father’s assassination. Relatives helped educate her and her siblings in Kampala, but family illnesses and her husband’s death brought her back home as a widow raising two children.
To make ends meet, she sold tea and chapati to fishermen at Kagulwe Landing Site. Conservation efforts by Nature Uganda changed everything, offering training on wetland protection and ecotourism.
While many dropped out of the bird guiding program—especially women juggling home duties—Namubiru persisted. She shadowed experienced guides Huntington and Isma, learning routes, bird calls, and ecology without pay, just for the knowledge.
Her mornings involved swamp expeditions; afternoons, her stall. She mastered spotting birds like the vibrant malachite kingfisher—her favorite for its purple and orange bill—and African jacanas.
Word spread, and soon tourists sought her out. Now a local leader and rare female guide, she navigates canoes to find the shoebill, known for its massive bill, prehistoric look, and motionless stance while hunting lungfish and catfish for up to two hours.
Namubiru’s story highlights how conservation creates livelihoods in rural Uganda.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)