The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is the government’s agency responsible for the management and protection of wildlife in and outside protected areas.
The Uganda Wildlife Statute, which merged the Uganda National Parks Department with the Uganda Game and Fisheries Department, established UWA in August 1996. In 2000, the statute became an act of parliament. The Act was amended in 2019 into the Uganda Wildlife Act, 2019.
It is supervised by the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities, whose responsibility is to sustain tourism, wildlife, and cultural heritage and contribute to Uganda’s transformation.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority manages 10 national parks, 12 wildlife reserves, five community wildlife management areas, and thirteen wildlife sanctuaries.
The ten national parks include Queen Elizabeth, Lake Mburo, Murchison Falls, Kidepo Valley, Kibale, Mount Elgon, Rwenzori Mountains, Semuliki, Mgahinga Gorilla, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks.
These are spectacular, each providing a unique and memorable experience. There is an adventure at every turn once one ventures into the national parks.
But that’s not all; Uganda boasts over 350 species of mammals, from the mountain gorillas to the smallest ones like bats, bush babies, and shrews. With over 1,000 bird species, it is a haven for wildlife enthusiasts. Uganda is also a home to over 1,000 bird species, with many reptiles, and herbivores, making it a true paradise for wildlife enthusiasts.
Following the adoption of the motto “We Conserve for Generations,” UWA, under the leadership of Mr. Samuel Mwandha, the Executive Director, has been at the helm of managing the ecosystem of Uganda, promoting protected areas as tourism destinations, ensuring wildlife resource protection, and providing for wildlife use.
On their vision and mission, Mr. Mwandha says, “We set out to be the global leader in wildlife conservation. Our mission is to conserve, economically develop, and sustainably manage the wildlife and protected areas of Uganda in partnership with neighbouring communities and other stakeholders for the benefit of the people of Uganda and the global community.”
He reveals that UWA upholds the strong core values, of commitment to conservation, integrity, team work, excellent service and professionalism, which are central to their operations.
Under the tutelage of the Executive Director, the top management team oversees the control and management of the day-to-day activities of the Authority.
It takes the lead in the development of institutional goals, strategic plans, and organisational policies and steers the organisation to achieve its overall goals and mission. They also support institutional plans and the mobilisation of resources.
Unique UWA roles
- Educating people who live within the communities around the parks to help them understand the importance of living with the wild life and its contribution to the economy
- Encouraging and recruiting private investors, for example, tour operators, which leads to the development of the tourism industry
- Protecting all wildlife creatures against poaching, by setting strict laws that people should abide with.
- Identifying and spotting out game reserves that have the potential to be gazetted as national parks with the aim of providing good natural habitats for the animals and protecting the eco system of Uganda.
- Providing tourists with up-to-date information about all the 10 national parks in the country and all other information they deserve to know about Uganda.
Milestones
- UWA has shared over shs 3.15 billion with six districts surrounding the Murchison Falls Protected Area in a revenue sharing initiative. Beneficiary districts include Pakwach, Buliisa, Nwoya, Oyam, Masindi, and Kiryandongo.
- UWA signed an $8 million (about Shs30 billion) deal with Space for Giants, an international charity organisation, to protect and conserve Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve in the Karamoja Sub-region.
- The Uganda Wildlife Authority arrested 2,837 poachers in 2022 over alleged poaching and possession of wild animal products in protected conservation areas in Uganda.
- UWA boosts capacity to handle wildlife crimes at airports by collaborating with the government and the law enforcement officers at Entebbe.
- The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) supports UWA with six drones to monitor, track, and survey wildlife and their habitats.
What are the challenges faced by the Uganda Wildlife Authority?
The main threats to wildlife conservation and biodiversity in Uganda are poaching, habitat fragmentation, degradation and loss, charcoal and firewood collection, climate change, invasive species, parasites and diseases, excessive harvesting of fauna and flora, plastic waste, and pollution of water bodies, among others.
Uganda Wildlife Tariffs 2022-2024
Murchison Falls: (foreign (Foreign Adults) $45, (East African adults) sh25, 000. The children pay $25, while children from the East African Community pay sh10,000, and pupils and students pay an entrance of sh5,000.
Entrance to other parks like Kidepo Valley, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, and Lake Mburo is cheaper, with foreign visitors paying $40 while those from the East African community pay sh20, 000. Details at https://www. ugandawildlife.org/about-uwa/