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Stakeholders in the local tourism sector have appealed to the government to dedicate more funds and firearms towards activities geared toward eliminating poaching.

Players belonging to the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Conservation and Sustainable Tourism together with World Animal Protection echoed this during a press conference on Monday, March 4, 2024.

On April 11, 2023, it should be recalled that the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) postponed the passing out of 800 recruits who were recruited in May 2022 due to a shortage of firearms.

The Monday, March 4, 2024, engagement was in commemoration of World Wildlife Day celebrations, which took place in Kyenjojo district on Sunday under the theme: Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation.

Addressing the media on Monday, Maurice Kibalya (Bugabula South, NRM), who also doubles as the secretary of the forum, said the funding is needed to deal with rising acts of poaching.

Official reports indicate that in the 2020–21 financial year (FY), a total of 2,310 wildlife crime suspects were arrested with 22,449 types of poaching implements, which included ten guns.

“The rangers are in great danger because poachers come with all sorts of weapons and are resolute. So, we want the government to equip game rangers and other people working in parks with adequate firearms and uniforms. Also, they should be facilitated with transport because parks are known to be vast,” Kibalya argued.

He added: “They (rangers) might receive a report that an animal is stuck in a trap and the distance is 50km away. So, the ranger has to run and rescue the animal before it dies. But if a ranger is better facilitated, he responds in time.”

Transfer lions from UWEC

Relatedly, Kibalya wants the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to transfer the Lion Brand Spices from the breeding center at the Wildlife Education Center (UWEC) to national parks. On one hand, he intimated that this would save these lions from starvation but also attract tourists to visit other parks where they are currently in short supply.

“The lions are too many, and they can no longer even afford to feed those that are at Entebbe Wildlife Centre. We want to see these transferred to the park because those who visit Queen Elizabeth are the only ones who are privileged to see them. But the other tourists who visit other national parks do not encounter them,” he reasoned.

Repeal Animal Act

He called for the Animal Act to be repealed on account that it has failed to protect wild animals.

Despite various challenges, such as Ebola, during FY 2022123, the tourism inflows remained resilient during the year, recording an increase of nine percent from $978.35 million (about shillings 3.8 trillion) in FY 2021/22 to $1.066.41 million.

This is deduced from the National Budget Framework Paper for the 2024–25 financial year.

On her part, the World Animal Protection campaign manager for Africa, Edith Kabasiime, called for the installation of digital devices on lions for traceability.

“We know that the world over, trafficking of lion parts takes place. People hunt lions so that their bones, teeth, claws, and other body parts can be exported to Asian countries where these lions are used in traditional Chinese medicine and all other Asian medicine,” she said.

“Around 2017, 2018, and 2019; it was reported that 11 lions were killed in Queen Elizabeth National Park through poisoning. But at the end of the day, when it got to the police and many stakeholders got involved, it turned out that they were not eleven lions; they were, I think, three or four. So, we were saying, Where did the other lions go?” She further retorted.