West Nile tourism officers say low funding holding sector back

WEST NILE - Tourism officers across the West Nile region have raised concern over what they say is persistently low funding for the tourism sector, saying it has greatly contributed to the under-exploitation of the region’s vast tourism potential.

The officers reveal that districts in the region receive, on average, about shillings 10 million annually for tourism activities, an amount they say is insufficient to support key operations such as documentation and development of tourism sites.

The concerns were raised during a three-day training for key stakeholders to discuss strategies to develop the industry and how tourism can be tapped as an employment opportunity for the young people in the region. 

The training, which started on February 23 and ended on February 26, 2026, at Gipri and Labongo Hotels in Pakwach district, was organised by Enabel with funds from Belgian Government and European Union under the "We Work Project".

Speaking during the training, Elizabeth Ameni Daniels, Obongi district tourism officer, said the sector receives very little attention from local governments. 

She noted that tourism is often undermined during budgeting processes despite its potential to generate substantial local revenue for local governments.

"Tourism is the least funded sector in the local governments, though it contributes a lot in generating local revenue through events, visits, gate collections, and hotel licences," she said.

Ameni called for intensified awareness and sensitisation meetings targeting local government leaders to help them better understand tourism and appreciate its role in driving socio-economic development.

"I think there is need to educate and awaken the local government leaders to understand that when the tourism industry is developed, the local revenue sources will increase because majority seems to see no value in tourism," she said.

West Nile Tourism Officers, tour operators and tour guides touring Murchison falls National Park on Thursday. (Credit: Adam Gule)

Zahara Night from Madi Okollo district described the funds allocated to the sector as “peanuts,” noting that the money cannot support the development of a single tourism site within a year. 

She added that, due to limited funding, they often resort to lobbying for support from other entities, such as the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), to implement activities.
"We are now relying on UWA to implement some of our activities, and where it's not there, the activities stall," she said.

Ezachiel Obulejo from Adjumani district said the funds received come with strict guidelines, with more than 40% is allocated to training and meetings. 

The remaining 60%, which is about shillings six million, is meant for site development, an amount he said cannot even complete basic facilities such as a VIP latrine at a tourism site.

Obulejo further observed that although district local governments annually indicate allocations from local revenue for tourism, the funds are rarely released.

He said authorities often cite poor revenue collections as the reason for failing to finance planned tourism activities.