White Rhino restocking: Museveni calls for protection of Ajai Wildlife Reserve

MADI-OKOLLO - President Yoweri Museveni has urged West Nile region residents to jealously guard and protect the Ajai wildlife Reserve ahead of its restocking with White Rhinos.

The translocation of the 42 White Rhinos from Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is reportedly set to take place in December 2025.

President Museveni sounded the call in his speech read on his behalf by the Prime Minister Robinah Nabanja during the celebration of World Tourism Day in Arua City on Saturday, September 27, 2025.

The President reiterated the Government’s commitment to making Ajai Wildlife Reserve one of the most attractive hubs in the country in the next five years.

He also appeals to the tourism ministry and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to introduce more animal species in the Ajai Wildlife Game Reserve.

The commitment by the Government to translocate White Rhinos to Ajai was confirmed by tourism minister Tom Butime, who said the processes are ongoing and will come to fruition soon.

“By Christmas, we should have the Rhinos at Ajai, and this will be one of the areas that will boost the tourism sector in this country," Butime said.

UWA wildlife manager Wilson Katamigwa, during the Sustainable Tourism conference in Arua on Friday, said arrangements are underway to restock the 152sqkm wildlife reserve with white rhinos.

According to him, ahead of the White Rhino translocation in December, 400 Uganda cobs and 20 buffalo have been introduced as the majority of the animal species were extinct.

As part of the preparations, 42 kilometres of electric fence and construction of a clean water source have been undertaken according to Katamigwa.

“We are looking at the construction of a 20,000-litre per hour well, which is being established, and we are looking forward to recruiting more rangers since the number of staff we have on the ground is few, and this will go hand in hand with other species of animals,” Katamigwa said.

He equally appealed to the local community to minimise human-wildlife conflict by not poaching the animals, as these species are already endangered.

History of Ajai Wildlife Game Reserve

Historically, Ajai Game Reserve was only declared in a limited area of four square kilometres as a Game Sanctuary by the British Government in 1937.

Prior to this, former US President Theodore Roosevelt had visited King Ajai's palace during his African expedition in 1910.

During President Roosevelt's expedition, he hunted several White Rhinos, which drastically reduced the number of White Rhinos in the reserve. Five years later, approximately 1915, King Ajai started supervising hunting in the area.

Ajai's efforts later led to the declaration of a controlled area of about four square kilometres by the Government in 1937. The area declared a sanctuary was part of King Ajai's palace and didn't extend beyond.

By the time Ajai Reserve was gazetted in 1965, the Ajai Rhino Sanctuary was home to 60 of Uganda's 80 remaining white rhinos.

In 2002, UWA started efforts to enlarge the boundaries of the reserve with a view of later reintroducing the White Rhinos into the reserve following years of the surviving Rhinos being kept at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola district.

These efforts of the Government have now reached advanced stages with the hope of improving the tourism earnings and economic development of the local communities and the nation.

In 2008, UWA privatised the operation of Ajai. The concession went to Uganda Wildlife Safaris Ltd, a hunting and photographic tour operator.