EAC gets $4m for Mt. Elgon

Sep 19, 2005

UGANDA and Kenya have started conservation efforts on Mountain Elgon after Norway and Sweden provided a grant of $4.8m for the exercise.

By Gerald Tenywa

UGANDA and Kenya have startedjoint conservation efforts on Mountain Elgon after Norway and Sweden provided a grant of $4.8m for the exercise.

The World Conservation Union (IUCN), a global partnership of government and non-government organisations, has been contracted to execute the conservation activities.

Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), National Forestry Authority, NGOs working in the area and local governments will directly undertake the conservation activities under a four-year programme.

A statement from IUCN said the funds were given to the East African Community (EAC) under an agreement that was signed in Nairobi, Kenya last week.

“We have been contracted by the EAC to manage and offer technical advice during the implementation of the activities,’’ said Alex Muhwezi, the country representative of IUCN. He said the mountain was important for its rich biological diversity including rare plants and animals.

He said it was an important source of water for Lake Victoria and Kyoga in Uganda and Lake Turkana in Kenya.

He said the initiative would help to manage Mt. Elgon as an ecological system. UWA has been managing Mountain Elgon National Park, which was gazetted as a protected area about two decades ago. KWS also oversees protection of part of the mountain.

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