The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) has submitted a funding request of 10 billion Ugandan Shillings to support the breeding of lions in three national game parks in the upcoming fiscal year. The initiative aims to counter the declining lion population and address issues such as human-wildlife conflicts.
The proposal, presented to the Budget Committee through the Committee on Tourism, Trade, and Industry, is part of the ongoing discussions on the 2024/25 Budget Framework Papers from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). Mwine Mpaka, Chairperson of the Trade Committee, emphasized that the funds are crucial for expanding the lion population, which has witnessed a notable decrease.
“We now have 15 lions at UWEC which we have been breeding, but the lion population in the country has gone down because of human-wildlife conflict,” Mr. Mpaka explained during the committee session. The breeding program is set to take place in Queen Elizabeth, Kidepo, and Murchison Falls National Parks.
The allocated funds will be utilized to establish facilities within the national parks, resembling cages, where lions can be monitored, treated, and provided with a conducive environment for breeding. Mr. Mpaka highlighted the necessity of releasing lions into the wild periodically to boost their population, considering the annual loss of approximately 120 lions due to various threats such as human-wildlife conflict, electric fences, and poisoning.
The total budget for the tourism sector is proposed at 248.7 billion Shillings, with a shortfall of 309 billion Shillings to cover unfunded priorities. In response to budget constraints, the Trade Committee has considered unfunded priorities totaling 96.3 billion Shillings, prioritizing critical areas for the sector in the 2024/2025 Financial Year.
In an effort to improve Uganda’s tourism sector image, legislators on the Trade Committee have urged the Budget Committee to endorse an additional 4 billion Shillings for the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB). This funding will be used to address negative publicity, particularly stemming from incidents such as the tragic deaths of two foreign tourists and a Ugandan guide in Queen Elizabeth National Park in October of the previous year.
The UTB plans to allocate these funds to global media outlets like the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), National Geographic, and Cable News Network (CNN) to disseminate positive messages about Uganda’s tourism sector. Furthermore, 1 billion Shillings is earmarked for Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) to televise and promote the country’s diverse tourism destinations across various platforms.
