UWA graft probe-team named
The Minister of Trade, Tourism and Industry Mr. Kahinda Otafiire has appointed Col. Stephen Kwiringira to head the committee to investigate allegations of corruption against two suspended top Uganda Wildlife Authority officials.
Other members on the committee include Mr Amos Wekesa, the chairman Uganda Tourism Association, Dr John Bosco Nizeye from Makerere University and Mr Denis Bireije. Col. Kwiringira is a former director of operations at the Internal Security Organisation.
The Uganda Wild life Authority, (UWA) executive director Moses Wafula Mapesa and Sam Mwandha, the director of conservation, are currently on forced leave.
Mr Joseph Tibeijuka, the director for finance, has been appointed acting executive director.
The team, according to a source, will investigate alleged mismanagement of money from gorilla permits and Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola District.
Gen. Otafiire said yesterday that the officials will have an opportunity to clear themselves on the allegations contained in the IGG’s report.
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Uganda’s King of the Jungle on the Brink of Extinction
In Queen Elizabeth National Park, the King of the Jungle living between Kasenyi and Hamukungu and another living near River Nyamugasani in the north western part of the park are in danger of being poisoned.
"Poisoning of the lion is becoming a regular feature," says Siefert, "it is only a question of when, but two more prides are exposed to poisoning because UWA can not eliminate intrusion of the cattle grazers in the park."
The Lion may be the king of the jungle but in Uganda he is losing the battle to his would-be prey.
Armed with poison, Basongora herdsmen might drive lions and hyenas out of Queen Elizabeth National Park as they try to stop them from killing their cattle.
Wilson Okaali, the leader of the Basongora, says his tribesmen have no problems with wild animals, not even the lions. The Basongora, according to him, are like someone who is trapped between a rock and hard place. He says keeping wild animals is part of the heritage of the Basongora.
"It is not the intention of the Basongora to go against their heritage. It is the way the park is managed that has caused the local people to become hostile to the wild animals," Okaali explains.
"We have been staying with wildlife for centuries because unlike many tribes we do not eat wild animals," he adds.
Okaali noted that when the park was created in 1952, the Basongora were disregarded as "owners" of the land. He also states that despite changes in management of wildlife in Queen Elizabeth National Park, compensation is not provided for those who lose their cattle.
"We do not earn anything from wildlife yet the lions sometimes eat our cattle," says Okaali. "Those accusing the Basongora are park managers who are employed and paid money for managing the park, but they do not want to listen to the victims of the raids by lions."
According to local residents, park authorities did not respond to repeated warnings that a pride of lions was moving deeper into the park and approaching Hamukungu, a human enclave within the park. Previously, Basongora herdsmen had strayed into the national park to graze and ended up luring the pride.
The Uganda Wild life Authority executive director Moses Mapesa says lions are wild animals and that it is difficult to restrict them to the park. But it is possible to restrict livestock to the villages without moving into the park.
"The problem is that livestock is all over space. The cattle come to the park and go back to the villages. What happens is that the lions follow," he says.
The lions, a critically endangered species, are hanging on by a thread. Biologists like Siefert estimate that there are less than 60 lions in Queen Elizabeth national Park as opposed to 100 a decade ago.
The big cats which are African kings, they never die alone. The poison set for lions also kills hyenas because they eat the leftovers from the lions' meal.
Unlike the lions, the whole population of hyenas can get poisoned, according to Siefert.
He says accurate census for the hyenas in the whole park has not been undertaken, but the population could be declining.
For instance, he says, the hyenas that used to have dens around Mweya and Kabatoro have reduced from 54 to only five within the last two years.
"Though they gave birth recently only two of them are visible," says Siefert. "They could have been killed by the Basongora's poison."
While the lion is one of the big five, which many tourists crave for, the sad reality is that it is disappearing from the landscape, according to Siefert.
"Tourists going out at night complain bitterly that although they see lions and leopards, they rarely get to see a hyena," he says.
"Night Cultural wildlife tourism is under threat because you can't take visitors out in the night when the nocturnal animals are not there.
When hyenas become excited they make a howling and clucking noise that sounds very similar to the laughter of an insane person.
However, when a hyena 'laughs' it doesn't necessarily mean that it is happy. The hyena also makes this noise when it is feeling anxious or fearful, for example, when it is being chased by a lion.
The hyena knows that it can't take on a lion and so the lion gets first choice as to what he eats for dinner. So, the hyena has to wait until the lion has finished and then he is allowed to eat as much as is left over.
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9 Baffalos and more hippos die from Anthrax in Queen Elizabeth Park
An anthrax outbreak in Queen Elizabeth National Park has killed 82 hippos and nine buffaloes since June 2010.
The chairman of the National Anthrax Task Force Dr Nicholas Kauta told journalists on Thursday that the most affected areas are those surrounding Kazinga Channel and lakes Edward and George.
As a national response, he said, the task force is implementing a multi-pronged response which includes undertaking a base line study to determine the extent of the outbreak and affected species through carrying out carcass management, marine and terrestrial patrols and sample analysis.
He warned people around the area not to graze animals in the park, report all sicknesses and deaths in wild and domestic animals to authorities and not to consume meat from sick and dead animals.
He said there will be a ring vaccination of livestock in the national park and all health centres have been put on high alert.
Anthrax is caused by bacteria (bacillus anthracis) in the atmosphere. Animals mainly herbivores get it through contaminated grass, soil and water.
Humans can acquire it through eating contaminated meat and animal products from infected animals.
The park has often experienced attacks in 1954 and in 1994 and 2004. In 2004, about 300 hippos died.
The Uganda Wild Life Authority says there is no cause of alarm that all animals in the park might die because the beasts have natural immunity to the disease.
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Uganda Tourism Vibrant Despite Bomb Blasts
The Uganda Tourists and tour operators earlier have been weary of the situation and its impact on the tourism sector. However, players in the field say apart from inquiries, there are no tourists canceling their booking and safaris that characterize the season will go as planned.
Hundreds of tourists book vocations in Uganda during this period to visit parks and especially to trek gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Concerns whether they would cancel their trips or change their itinerary have been quelled by further bookings, according the Mr Moses Mapesa, the executive director of Uganda Wildlife Authority, a body that is charged with keeping the national parks, among other tourism attractions
Assuring Tourists, Mr Mapesa said he has not received any cancellation, something that reassures the sector that the bombs scare will not seriously affect the business. On Wednesday morning, tour operators held a meeting at the Uganda Tourism Board offices in Kampala at the meeting, they resolved on safety measures of tourists in the country and those about to arrive.
Though the primary aim of the meeting the upcoming World Travel Market (WTM) fair in London due in November, tour operators addressed matters regarding the bombs scare because they could be damaging to their business.
Miss Najjuka, the manager of Katona tours and travel said that though some tourists who booked with her company are concerned and have been inquiring whether it is safe to visit the country, she is glad that none of them has cancelled and have sent 6 groups of Tourists to National parks this week. Three Tourists are hiking Rwenzori, One couple is on 21 days Vacation to celebrate their marriage , a group of 5 has gone for a grand safari and the rest of the groups are tracking gorillas.
Mr Baluku, a secretary general of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO) said,, "No park has been far closed, so as long as visitors observe safety precautions, the situation is very normal."
Uganda Tourism Board's Edwin Muzahura added, "I have met the private sector in tourism and we have agreed on updating our clients on the situation back home." He said providing factual updates on the website, twitter and face book helps tourists understand the situation as it is, and not to scare them away.
"These scares happen anywhere and tourists cannot stop to come because two bombs are detonated in some parts of Kampala. For example, South Africa was on high alert before and during the World Cup, but millions of football fans watched the games peacefully. The situation in Kampala is very controllable and every other places tourists visit, are more security conscious than possibly they have been."
Mr Mapesa adds, "People out there understand that there are security concerns in America, Europe, Asia and everywhere." He said there are reasonable security measures in place to protect the tourists from harm, adding, UWA has enough security on its own in all national parks.
"The safaris are done in the total guidance of our staff. We tell our visitors to travel during the day and to be inside by 7p.m.," he says, adding, "And even when a tourist asked for a self guided tour, we advise them on routes and give them a map."
Mr Muzahura told Saturday Monitor, the situation is under control and that is why the government has not issued any travel advisories. Mr Baluku adds, the coming months are high season for safaris and if the government serves advisory notices, it would heavily impact on the tourism industry.
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Uganda’s Tourism potential not well tapped
The Tourism sector of Uganda sparks debate on the approaches that the sector should take to finance its growth. Having shaken off most of the negative perceptions that derailed its growth until the late 1990s, the sector has recovered considerably. According to figures from the ministry of Trade and Tourism, revenue from tourism was $350 million in 2006, $450 million in 2007 and $600 million in 2008.
Moses Mapesa, the executive director of Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), notes that encroachment and illegal access have often posed challenges to the management of such protected areas.
Between 2007 and 2008, the government allowed oil companies to carry out exploration activities in both Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls National Parks, while Hima Cement was granted a licence to mine cement at Dura in Queen Elizabeth National Park.Although these companies are compelled to ensure that they do not extensively damage the parks, the intrusion of humans and machinery often destabilizes the animals’ habitats eternally.
Mapesa argues that such challenges facing conservation have compelled them to strike a balance between development and conservation –an activity that was often carried out with the help of donor funding. “The pressures exerted on conservation in Uganda generally call for a paradigm shift from conservation just for the sake of it and using conservation to promote development and poverty alleviation,” explains Mr Mapesa.
Recently, UWA got semi-autonomous status from the Tourism ministry, started the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Trust. It is expected to generate funds locally for conservation activities, especially as donor funding reduces. According to Imelda Bacudo, a conservation finance advisor at UWA, the Trust will have a rigorous business plan for each national park and wildlife reserve aimed at ensuring they operate at optimal performance. “Once you put the money in a Trust fund then it becomes independent and transparent and it is managed by very technical financial managers.
UWA Spokesperson, Lillian Nsubuga, says while tourism revenue has gone up, most of it is from one activity; gorilla tracking. “Most of our parks bring in more than we put in,” she said. “The gorillas are actually helping to save other wildlife like hippos, elephants, impalas, zebras, gazelles, jaguars, cheetahs, etc.
Income from gorillas support conservation of other species but we are moving towards a period of more equitable distribution.” While a semi-autonomous status has given UWA the room to try out new conservation and fund-generating ideas, other sub-sectors that are funded solely by the government seem bereft of creativity. According to the Commissioner for museums and monuments in the ministry of Trade, Tourism and Industry, Ms Rose Nkaale Mwanje, more than 500 cultural and natural tourist sites are endangered.
Unfortunate sites like Wamala Tombs, Ntutsi Mounds and Nyero Rock Paintings are among those being destroyed due to lack of funds to maintain them, lack of appropriate laws, ignorance of locals neighboring the sites and land encroachment.
Yet the rhetoric from the government does not promise much for sub-sectors still funded largely from state coffers, with the minister for Tourism, Trade and Industry, Mr Kahinda Otafiire, saying, “Government is committed to giving financial support to the tourism industry but the bread bake is still
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Uganda safari news
Uganda Tourism Board launches Martyrs trail
The Uganda Tourism Board has launched a new tourism product following the burning of the Kasubi tombs.THE MATRYRS TRAIL.
Cuthbert Baguma the company boss, announced the launch of “the Martyrs Trail” at the Media Centre in Kampala yesterday.
The Martyrs Trail traces areas where the Uganda Martyrs were tortured and killed by King Mwanga (Buganda’s Kabaka) in the 1880s for their strong faith in Christ.
The areas include Munyonyo, Ndeba, Nakivubo, Old Kampala, Busega, Naalya and Namugongo. A brochure has been made to guide tourists on the trail.
Every June 3, the 22 Catholic and 23 Anglican martyrs, are honoured by both catholics and Anglican believers and cerebrations are made at Namugongo shrines.
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Trade and Tourism Ministry to lead a group to Turkey
The minister of Tourism, Trade and industry, Major General Kahinda Otafire has confirmed his ministry is leading a delegation of Ugandan business people to theTurkish seven-day-second-global business conference starting on June 14.
The trade fair, running from June 14 – 20, is expected to enhance business and trade relations between Turkey’s leading manufacturers and import companies from over 150 countries.
Vice-President Prof Gilbert Bukenya led similar delegations for the last two years.
Reverend Father Simon Lokodo, the industry state minister, represented the trade ministry last year where 2,250 business people from 135 countries converged at Istanbul for a similar seven-day event of experience sharing and deals’ clinching with the 400 Turkish companies.
Reports indicate that 3,000 people turned up last year.
Unlike last year where applications where coordinated by the Turkish community here, this time all applications are on line at www.tuskonwtb.com. The deadline is May 1. Uganda’s imports from Turkey have been growing every year.
According to Ejder Kilic, the chairman of the Turkish community in Uganda and Hakki Aydin, the headmaster of Turkish Light Academy, the previous visits by Professor Bukenya has attracted 19 Turkish companies to Uganda.
These include Istanbul Ltd (general merchandise), Turkish Sule Cable (cable manufacturing), Milad Uganda (textile)and Insicam (construction).
Ejder said the opening up of the Turkish embassy here and the decision to extend Turkish Airlines flights to Uganda starting June will enhance the partnership potential for Turkish companies most especially those in construction, mining, energy, tourism and agriculture.
Eng. Nelson Gagawala, the trade state minister said Uganda’s trade with Turkey has been growing. Records show that in 2009, Turkey’s export volume to Africa was $10.1b and its import volume was $5.6b. Africa’s share of Turkey’s export volume was only 4% before 2009, a figure that increased by 10% last year.
With its liberal and trade-oriented policies, Turkey’s population of 70 million, is mainly of young people aged below 34 years. On average, the country attained 7% growth in the last six years.
Being the 15th largest economy, according to IMF, the Turkish economy is much diversified. Records show that Turkey’s gross domestic product (GDP) stood at $663b in 2007 and its per capita GDP reached $9.629 in the same year. It is ranked 9th in world in tourism earnings with over 23.3 million tourists visiting every year.
Its location at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa gives it the advantage of becoming the hub for multinational corporations.
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Marsha Conn to give an helping hand to Batwa pygmies
The Batwa of Uganda, a group of short people normally referred to Pygmies, live in western part of the county and their resource base has either been destroyed or denied to them, through deforestation, through the control exerted over them by neighboring farmers, or more recently through conservation projects restricting or denying their access to the forest.
These people of south west Uganda have been reduced to virtual serfdom and poverty. Both the infrastructure for logging concessions and other agents of deforestation in the western part of the Congo Basin, and the financial backing for conservation projects throughout the Congo Basin, have often been funded or supported by the World Bank (for example through the Global Environment Facility) and other international agencies.
The good news, Marsha Conn plans to help Batwa pygmies make art for profit.
“The Batwa need the income because their old ways of making a living have been denied them. Worse, they have to reshape their culture to fit a new existence.” Said Conn a retired Teacher from Seattle.
In the early 1990s they were moved out of their homes so that gorillas could have the mountain forests they once shared.
A few Batwa people are still staying in Mt. Muhavura in Mgahinga National Park and these pygmies are other Toursist attractions in that park.
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Karuma electric plant to preserve Tourists activities
Uganda to get another hydro-electric plant, at Karuma Falls of the Nile River in the western part of the country.
According to sources in the ministry of energy, set for construction start by July of this year, the electric plant will be constructed just before the river enters Murchison Falls National Park near Karuma wild reserve.
The good news is that a tunnel version is being used in this hydro-electric plant, the environmental and social impact is considered much lower compared to a power plant using a dam, as recently described for the Bujagali venture. There fore much of the spectacular rapids will be visible for tourists.
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