No problem in Murchison Fall park
Dec 22, 2005
SIR — On December 19, <i>the Monitor</i> published an article titled “Army steps up security in Murchison Falls National Parkâ€. The headline portrays a full-scale deployment scenario within the park and the story itself is contradictory and misleading.
SIR — On December 19, the Monitor published an article titled “Army steps up security in Murchison Falls National Parkâ€. The headline portrays a full-scale deployment scenario within the park and the story itself is contradictory and misleading.
The headline implies that the UPDF’s full-scale operations are within Murchison Falls National Park and gives the impression that the park is insecure and lends credence to the negative travel advisories. Murchison Falls National Park is safe and secure for all intending visitors and tourists. UWA wishes to further remind all journalists that it is our responsibility to manage all the national parks in the country, safety
and security aspects inclusive.
We strongly advise that any safety and security information concerning national parks and wildlife reserves be cross-checked with us or our opinion sought before it is published, aired or televised.
It must be noted that over the recent past, UWA working in partnership with other security agencies, has implemented measures that guarantee safety and security of visitors, tourists and other resources including investments in the national parks and wildlife reserves.
These measures include:
Training and deployment of a Special Wildlife and Tourism Force (SWIFT) in all national parks with a mandate to carry out
security-related tasks including patrols, intelligence gathering, and
security surveillance. SWIFT operations are carried out 24 hours, especially in the key tourist areas like Murchison Falls National Park. The UWA air wing has been relocated to Murchison Falls National Park to specifically beef up surveillance and undertake aerial patrols in the northern bank and provide information to the ground and water units for rapid response. The two light aircraft now based in Murchison will also undertake operations in Kidepo and Queen
Elizabeth National Parks. UWA now has three well-trained pilots operating these aircraft.
A tourist police desk has been created at Central Police station in Kampala in partnership with the private sector.
The UPDF will routinely continue to form the outer security ring for all
the national parks and wildlife reserves as may be necessary.
UWA will continue sharing information on all matters of safety
and security in all national parks and wildlife reserves with all the relevant national security agencies in a proactive manner.
As we clarified earlier, Steve Willis was the proprietor of a campsite
called Red Chilli Safaris in MFNP, and not a tourist as the media insist on reporting.
Murchison and all other national parks, is safe for tourists and tourism programmes are going on normally. The public should therefore take advantage of the concessions given by the parks to all Ugandans and East Africans including expatriates resident in East Africa.
Moses Mapesa
Executive Director
Uganda Wildlife Authority
The headline implies that the UPDF’s full-scale operations are within Murchison Falls National Park and gives the impression that the park is insecure and lends credence to the negative travel advisories. Murchison Falls National Park is safe and secure for all intending visitors and tourists. UWA wishes to further remind all journalists that it is our responsibility to manage all the national parks in the country, safety
and security aspects inclusive.
We strongly advise that any safety and security information concerning national parks and wildlife reserves be cross-checked with us or our opinion sought before it is published, aired or televised.
It must be noted that over the recent past, UWA working in partnership with other security agencies, has implemented measures that guarantee safety and security of visitors, tourists and other resources including investments in the national parks and wildlife reserves.
These measures include:
security-related tasks including patrols, intelligence gathering, and
security surveillance. SWIFT operations are carried out 24 hours, especially in the key tourist areas like Murchison Falls National Park. The UWA air wing has been relocated to Murchison Falls National Park to specifically beef up surveillance and undertake aerial patrols in the northern bank and provide information to the ground and water units for rapid response. The two light aircraft now based in Murchison will also undertake operations in Kidepo and Queen
Elizabeth National Parks. UWA now has three well-trained pilots operating these aircraft.
the national parks and wildlife reserves as may be necessary.
and security in all national parks and wildlife reserves with all the relevant national security agencies in a proactive manner.
As we clarified earlier, Steve Willis was the proprietor of a campsite
called Red Chilli Safaris in MFNP, and not a tourist as the media insist on reporting.
Murchison and all other national parks, is safe for tourists and tourism programmes are going on normally. The public should therefore take advantage of the concessions given by the parks to all Ugandans and East Africans including expatriates resident in East Africa.
Moses Mapesa
Executive Director
Uganda Wildlife Authority