West Nile Region is set to host an international cycling challenge to showcase one of Uganda’s lesser-explored regions to the world.
Dubbed Race the Nile, the inaugural event will take place from November 23 to 27, 2026, starting and ending in Arua City and covering approximately 800 kilometres across West Nile
Lilly Ajarova, one of the organisers told this website thatWest Nile was deliberately selected because of its rich but largely untapped tourism potential and that the event is more than cycling, with tourism promotion, community development and investment forming a major part of its ambition.
“West Nile is a very raw frontier that is not known even to most Ugandans, yet it is a very rich region with opportunities in tourism, investment and trade,” Ajarova said.
She said the region offers a combination of cultural diversity, dramatic landscapes, historical sites, food and agricultural products.
“We believe that Race the Nile should be able to help unlock West Nile for development, tourism, investment but also trade,” Ajarova said.
Isaac Mulindwa, representing WUZA, the company involved in organising the event, said the format would encourage cyclists to interact with local communities and businesses.
“The racers will stop at whatever village they go through to get whatever supplies they need since it is a self-support race,” Mulindwa said.
He said this could create business opportunities for food vendors, guesthouses, bicycle repairers, transport operators and other small enterprises along the route.
Mulindwa said the organisers wanted the benefits of the event to reach indigenous communities, women and young people.
The race is also intended to address the limited infrastructure and visibility that have kept parts of West Nile outside Uganda’s mainstream tourism market.
“West Nile is one of those regions that has been kind of left behind because of infrastructure in terms of accommodation, transport, the roads, everything else,” Mulindwa said.
He believes cycling offers a different way of introducing visitors to the region because participants will travel through villages, trading centres and smaller towns rather than moving only between major tourist attractions.
The inaugural edition is expected to attract about 50 international cyclists, with registrations already received from Uganda, the United States, Europe and other parts of Africa.
The race is expected to become an annual event, with organisers also hoping international participation will expose Ugandan cyclists to experienced riders from around the world and contribute to the growth of the sport.
From its cultures and food to coffee, wildlife, agriculture, the Nile and dramatic landscapes, organisers believe every stop along the route will provide an opportunity to showcase a region that remains largely unknown to many Ugandans and international visitors.
If Race the Nile succeeds, organisers hope its biggest victory will extend beyond the cyclist who crosses the finish line first to the communities, businesses and tourism destinations along the 800-kilometre route.
