President Yoweri Museveni has met with the former President of Botswana, Ian Khama, at State House Entebbe.

Khama, who served as president from 2008 until 2018, was accompanied by a delegation from the global NGO, Space for Giants, led by its founder and CEO, Dr Max Graham.

Space for Giants champions the conservation of natural resources and wildlife in nine African countries: Uganda, Kenya, Botswana, Gabon, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Angola. 

President Yoweri Museveni (centre), former President of Botswana, Ian Khama (3rd left), Diana Museveni Kyaremera (3rd left), finance minister Matia Kasaiji with the members of Space for Giants to Uganda in a group photo at State House Entebbe.

Its headquarters are based in Nanyuki, Kenya. They also operate in the UK and USA.

During Wednesday's meeting, Khama briefed Museveni on Space for Giants's significant role in conserving natural resources and wildlife, highlighting its ability to provide social and economic value to local communities and national governments.

“As a conservationist, my main goal is to promote the well-being of nature," he said.

"This organization brings its own funding and aims to involve communities in protecting the fauna and flora."

CEO Graham, along with Justus Karuhanga, the country director for Uganda, shared their ambitious plans for actively engaging in the conservation of natural resources and wildlife in Uganda.

“We have already identified areas within the Karamoja sub-region, such as Pian-Upe, and we are committed to involving the local communities in the conservation of natural resources and wildlife in these areas,” said Graham.

They also plan to launch a carbon trade project in the region and the profits will be shared among the government, the local community, and the organization.

President Yoweri Museveni addressing guests during the meeting.

Museveni, flanked by his daughter Diana Museveni Kyaremera, warmly welcomed the former Bostwanan leader and the members of Space for Giants to Uganda.

A keen advocate for wildlife and the environment himself, Museveni requested that Space for Giants also focus on the conservation of wetlands.

He highlighted the issue of encroachment on wetlands by farmers cultivating rice.

“As a conservationist, I want you to take interest in the conservation of wetlands. The culture of growing rice in the swamps was introduced after independence but now we want to restore these swamps from the people who were misled," said the Ugandan leader. 

Former President of Botswana, Ian Khama.

"The government is trying to give those who were misled a soft landing by replacing rice growing in swamps with fish farming, to get an alternative livelihood for these people preferably fishponds at the periphery of the swamps that will make them earn more money than rice growing."

Museveni was glad to learn that the areas identified by the organisation (of Pian-Upe in Karamoja sub-region) need their effort as they have been degraded by local people who overgraze cattle in the game reserve and also engage in charcoal burning.

Government officials who were in attendance included;

▪️ Finance minister Matia Kasaija

▪️ Water and environment ministry permanent secretary Dr Alfred Okot

▪️ Commissioner of climate change in water and environment ministry Margaret Athieno

▪️ Special presidential assistant on tourism Priscilla Butagira