Capt. Roy petitions Museveni over Zziwa Sanctuary

City businessman Capt. Charles Joy Roy and his family trading as Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary have petitioned President Yoweri Museveni to urgently intervene after a South African National they partnered with made attempts to grab their land of about 16,000 acres located in Nakasongola.

In a letter dated February 7, 2019 Capt. Roy told President Museveni that the South African national Angella Genade who is also the Executive Director of Rhino Fund Uganda (RFU) had peddled lies and tarnished his image claiming he wanted to evict the Rhinos from his own farm.

"She has made allegations that we want to remove the Rhinos and RFU has nowhere to take them. The local communities and international community are being mobilized to intervene in this matter, which is threatening the endangered species of the Southern Rhino only found at the Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary and only two in at the Entebbe Zoo," Captain Roy indicated.

He informed the President that Angella was trying to whip sympathy and portray him and his family as people endangering the rhinos and should be stopped.

"I and my family would like to state clearly that, it's not true we are threatening the existence of the Rhinos in any way. We have not stated at any single day that the rhinos should leave Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary but we should be allowed access and enjoy endeavors without being dragged to court," he noted.

He noted that this was a malicious propaganda being propagated by Angella who is personally conflicted over her personal and family business interest.

Capt. Roy is best remembered as a conservationist who reintroduced Rhinos in Uganda after they had been whipped out by poaching.

In the letter Capt. Roy indicates:

In 2002 a lady called Yvonne, the founder of RFU introduced the idea of reintroducing Rhinos back to Uganda and have them housed at Capt. Roy's ranch. He then accepted and bought another ranch at Kiryana and moved over 7000 heads of cattle he had at the Nakitooma ranch to create space for the Rhinos. He says he spent close to sh7b in relocating his business.

Roy together with Yvonne helped set out a perimeter fence, organized international fundraising activities for the electric fence and cost of trans-locating the initial four rhinos from Kenya and another two from America using his DAS Cargo.

Roy and his family were part and parcel of the initial RFU Board and recruited the previous four executive directors. He constructed all the houses at the sanctuary, drilled boreholes all over, water dips and other enormous contributions.

However in 2010, Capt. Roy gave a concession agreement to Angella's husband, Genade who also served as the Executive Director of RFU to operate a lodge at the ranch through his company D & D International. D & D was supposed to pay 10% from accommodation and 10% from the restaurant business to Capt. Roy.

It was supposed to pay another 10% from accommodation and 10% from the restaurant to RFU as contribution to the welfare of the Rhinos. Both these payments were supposed to be made in 2010. To date, no payment was made and instead D & D created another company called Amuka Lodges to run the activities of the lodge in the ranch.

In 2017, Capt. Roy decided to terminate the concession with RFU and D & D. Angella refused the termination and instead ran to the Arbitration Court. She would later proceed and place a caveat on the entire ranch, attempted to convert the tenancy into a lease.

She also blocked them from accessing their own property and she has denied them the right to upgrade their lodge and ranch.

Capt. Roy also alleged that Angella had put the local police on payroll and on all on permanent places at the gate to question his family whenever they tried to access his home and ranch and that the matter had been brought to the Director of Operations in the Force.

He also noted that he had been accused by Angella of possessing illegal guns even when she knew he had licenses for the guns purely for the protection of the Rhinos.

Capt. Roy noted that when tensions at the Sanctuary heightened, he sought the help of the board and subsequently a meeting was convened in May 21, 2018 and he demanded that Angella be removed from the board because, she had among others; taken over the role of the board, reduced the Capt. Roy and his family members from being board members to ex-officio.

He also accused her of conflict of interest and denying the RFU funds by entering into an illegal contract with some of her family members.

New Vision has learnt that the RFU Board requested for 10 days and later extended it to 90 days in the presence of the Uganda Wildlife Authority and Ministry of Tourism. They carefully selected board by Angella declined to terminate her contract.

Roy informed the President that the Rhino sanctuary attracts over 100,000 visitors a year but that there has been little or no benefit to the people of Uganda. He also noted that even though he accorded his land for charitable purposes, the whole activity has been turned into a commercial venture benefitting a family of foreigners.

He also noted that Angella was defrauding the Government of Uganda of taxes and had no work permit authorizing her to do business in Uganda.

He noted that if he takes over the sanctuary, "he will not have to do everything himself. We are capable of employing knowledgeable people with expertise in the field of rhinos."

He also noted that he is willing to work with UWA to take care of the animals at Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary.