Nyero rock painting, where the past meets the present

Deep in Kumi District is a wonderful treasure trove to visit and learn about the Uganda history , as told through beautiful and well preserved rock paintings. Nyero rock painting is its name, a rocky setting with three beautiful sets of paintings that date to before 1250 CE. The most beautiful of these is made of concentric circles in white, a representation of the galaxies beauty. It is considered the most unique prehistoric art, a reason as to why it graces the face of the 1,000 Ugandan shilling notes, as designed in 2010.

Painting at Nyero Rock.

Nyero’s paintings are believed to have been drawn been dyed by the Batwa, one of the two indigenous tribes of Uganda. They are a pygmy tribe that occupied Eastern Uganda before the migration of its current occupants, Nilotics and Luo.

The paintings are a treasure to the locals living in the area too as it connects them to the yester-world. They have don’t a great job developing it without tampering with the drawings on the rock. As such, they are still as beautiful as they were over 300 years back.
Some of the rocks that make up Nyero
Some of the rocks that make up Nyero

Apart from its historical significance, Nyero offers rock climbing and hiking opportunities off-the-beaten-track. There are three main areas to visit, each sheltered by enormous rocks, each more beautiful than the last. The tour here entails climbing and down rocks, but worry not, you will pull it off even if you are not physically fit.

The guides are extremely knowledgeable and helpful, offering support during the climbing. Enough drinking water and a good hiking boot is a must.

Touring Nyero costs 10,000UGX.

Solomon Oleny

I am a creative self-driven professional Travel Journalist with a passion for profiling for Travel magazines and platforms understated but outstanding tourism destinations and experiences around the world. Like my Tourism and Conservation Godmother Dr. Goodall Jane, my aspiration is to live life to its fullest spiritually, career-wise, physically and economically. Though madly in love with multitasking, I am a strong believer in teamwork and I love helping people realize their positive goals—as I also accomplish mine.

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