New UWA board should be credible
Nov 09, 2010
THE High Court last week ordered the disbandment of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) board of directors saying it was illegally constituted.
THE High Court last week ordered the disbandment of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) board of directors saying it was illegally constituted.
The ruling arose out of a suit against the Government, UWA and five members of the board by the sacked former UWA executive director, Moses Mapesa, and two other colleagues. Justice Bamwine agreed with the plaintiffs that there was no evidence that the current UWA board had the proven professional experience or knowledge to manage protected areas like game parks and reserves.
The judge advised that a new properly constituted board review Mapesa’s credentials and determine whether to reappoint him or not. Mapesa was suspended and later sacked with Sam Mwandha, director conservation and others.
The senior managers who had served UWA for more than 10 years were shown the door without a hearing on the basis of a forensic report by Ernst and Young ordered by the board chairman, Dr Boysier Muballe.
Before the court ruling, the MPs on the trade committee had rejected the report because it should not have been ordered by the board which incriminated Mapesa and his colleagues. Auditing Government institutions is the responsibility of the Auditor General who commissions a private firm to do the job.
The fact that Muballe assigned himself a duty that did not fall in his docket betrays conflict of interest. Tourism is an industry that we can ill-afford to leave in the hands of incompetent managers. It is Uganda’s leading foreign exchange earner after fish, forking in a handsome $400m (sh800b) annually.
Now that the High Court has nullified the legitimacy of the board, it is essential that extra care is taken when reconstituting the new one.
The ruling arose out of a suit against the Government, UWA and five members of the board by the sacked former UWA executive director, Moses Mapesa, and two other colleagues. Justice Bamwine agreed with the plaintiffs that there was no evidence that the current UWA board had the proven professional experience or knowledge to manage protected areas like game parks and reserves.
The judge advised that a new properly constituted board review Mapesa’s credentials and determine whether to reappoint him or not. Mapesa was suspended and later sacked with Sam Mwandha, director conservation and others.
The senior managers who had served UWA for more than 10 years were shown the door without a hearing on the basis of a forensic report by Ernst and Young ordered by the board chairman, Dr Boysier Muballe.
Before the court ruling, the MPs on the trade committee had rejected the report because it should not have been ordered by the board which incriminated Mapesa and his colleagues. Auditing Government institutions is the responsibility of the Auditor General who commissions a private firm to do the job.
The fact that Muballe assigned himself a duty that did not fall in his docket betrays conflict of interest. Tourism is an industry that we can ill-afford to leave in the hands of incompetent managers. It is Uganda’s leading foreign exchange earner after fish, forking in a handsome $400m (sh800b) annually.
Now that the High Court has nullified the legitimacy of the board, it is essential that extra care is taken when reconstituting the new one.