18-member wildlife hazards committee inaugurated

___________________

An 18-member committee, with representation from academia, aviation, wildlife, security, agriculture and environment, among sectors, to manage wildlife hazards has been inaugurated.

The development, according to the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) director for safety, security and economic regulation, Eng. Ronny Barongo is part of the requirements by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). 

"ICAO recognises the need for a co-ordinated national approach to managing the interaction between aviation operations and wildlife in order to minimise the risks to aviation safety," Barongo stated.

Fred Bamwesigye the UCAA director general who was also appointed as the committee chairperson. (Photo by Julius Luwemba)

He noted that the committee will ensure Uganda adheres to ICAO's guidelines on land use practice, wildlife management and conservation, particularly with respect to wildlife hazards around airports and aviation operations. The committee will analyse wildlife hazard problems at aerodromes, share information on new research and investigation studies on wildlife hazard management, among others.

Works Minister Gen. Katumba Wamala, represented by UCAA board chairperson Justice Steven Kavuma, justified that the increasing frequency of wildlife strikes, particularly bird strikes, poses a significant challenge to aviation safety not only for Uganda but across the globe.

"This is one area of aviation safety where proactive and collaborative management can make a real and lasting difference," he expressed. "Let us remember that wildlife hazard management is not about exclusion but respecting the natural habitats while creating secure zones of operations for aircraft," he said.

The committee was unveiled on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Kampala.

Membership

Whereas there remains a team on the ground to manage wildlife such as birds at the airport and different aerodromes, the newly inaugurated committee is charged with national co-ordination and designing guiding policy frameworks to be followed by local committees and ground staff. The committee, chaired by UCAA director general Fred Bamwesigye, will be meeting every three months as and when urgent need arises.

Other members include Eng. Barongo, Joses Tegyeza Kachetero, the commissioner of policy and planning in the Ministry of Public Service; Winnie Nampeera, the air transport officer in the Ministry of Works and Transport; Denis Kidega, the assistant commissioner for planning in the lands ministry; Anne Lilian Nakafeero, the principal environment officer under the National Environmental Management Authority and Capt. Emmanuel Twesigye, the head air wing under Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).

Others are Dan Mirembe, the head of primates’ section also under UWA; Col. Collins Ainomugisha, the director of operations, air force; Lt. Alex Kagina, the safety and quality assurance officer under the air force; Gloria Kirabo, the principal bird and wildlife management officer under UCAA; Andrew Ssempungu, the principal air traffic management officer; Dr Maria Flavia Nakanjako, a senior veterinary officer in the agriculture ministry; and Dr Perpetra Akite from Makerere University.

On the committee is also Cap. Japeth Okabo, a pilot; Irene Atto, the manager of air navigation services; Emmanuel Birigwa, the senior aerodrome inspector; and Suzan Nafuna, the principal aerodrome inspector, all under UCAA.

Upon inauguration, Bamwesigye said bird and wildlife strikes remain one of the most persistent operational risks facing airports globally and locally. The impact of such incidents goes beyond economic losses. It is said to directly affect the safety of passengers, crew, aircraft and airport operations.

"Entebbe being a bird sanctuary means that we inevitably must co-exist with the birds while putting in place mitigation measures to ensure that the runways are free of birds prior to a landing or take-off," Bamwesigye observed.

"This committee will, therefore, be the primary national platform for policy co-ordination, data sharing and inter-agency collaboration on wildlife hazard management." 

He added that the formation of the committee signals a shift from a reactive to a proactive, scientific and systematic response to the wildlife threat in aviation.

Significant bird strikes

A bird strike is a collision between an aircraft and a bird. Some of the past significant bird strikes include an incident involving a KLM Airbus A330-200 on October 10, 2010, which had a bird strike while performing flight KLM562 from Entebbe (Uganda) to Amsterdam (Netherlands), ingesting a bird into the right-hand engine, shortly after take-off.

Besides impacting operations at Entebbe airport, the incident came with huge associated costs relating to the procurement of a new aircraft engine, according to Vianney Luggya, the UCAA public relations manager.