Parliament has asked the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities to clarify how the government lost a significant amount of money in the questionable issuance of gorilla tracking permits. Reports suggest that approximately sh60 billion was lost in a situation involving Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) staff.
During a recent parliamentary session, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa requested an update from Martin Muggarra, the state minister of tourism, on the matter. Tayebwa expressed concern about the use of public funds and urged caution to avoid jeopardizing ongoing investigations.
This request was prompted by Rubanda West MP Moses Kamuntu, who raised the issue as a matter of national importance and called for a parliamentary investigation into the gorilla tracking permits situation. Kamuntu stressed the importance of safeguarding funds, especially in light of limited resources for tourism road construction.
In response, Minister Muggarra confirmed that the Ministry of Tourism had been investigating the matter even before it became public knowledge. He promised to provide Parliament with an update on the progress of these investigations.
As a result of the leaked reports, several UWA staff members allegedly connected to the scam have been suspended pending further investigations.
