By Geoffrey Baluku, Entebbe – Early this year, the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) revised its entry fee structure, which will come into effect on July 1st, 2024. According to Dr. James Musinguzi, the UWEC Executive Director, the fee adjustments aim to enhance visitor experience and support animal welfare efforts.
“Effective July 1st, 2024, UWEC will adjust its entry fees to improve services and ensure the welfare of our animals,” said Dr. Musinguzi. He highlighted that despite rising costs over the past decade, the centre had not increased fees until now.
Under the new fee structure, starting July 1st, 2024:
- East African adults will pay Shs20,000 for entrance, up from Shs10,000.
- East African children (3-14 years) will pay Shs10,000, increased from Shs5,000.
- Booked school groups (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday) will pay Shs8,000 per student, up from Shs4,000.
- Booked school groups on Thursday and Friday will pay Shs8,000 per student, previously Shs5,000.
- Tertiary institution fees have increased from Shs6,000 to Shs8,000, while accompanying school teachers’ fees remain at Shs10,000.
- Unbooked school groups will now pay Shs10,000.
Fees for non-resident adults and children (3-14 years) remain unchanged at $15 and $10 per person, respectively. Resident adults and children continue to pay $5.
Dr. Musinguzi clarified that fees for additional services such as “Behind the Scenes Experience,” Chimpanzee up close, keeper for a day, and the exclusive VIP experience remain unchanged.
Founded in the 1950s and commonly known as Entebbe Zoo, UWEC was recently merged with the Uganda Wildlife Authority. It serves not only as an educational centre but also as a sanctuary for orphaned, confiscated, and injured wildlife.
UWEC is distinguished from traditional zoos and safari parks by its focus on wildlife education combined with recreational activities. Visitors can observe free-ranging Vervet monkeys and a family troop of DeBraza monkeys in the centre’s hillside forest, along with over 120 bird species including the African fish eagle, Great Blue Turaco, Hammerkops, Giant Kingfisher, and various sunbirds.
The centre operates daily from 8:30 am to 6:30 pm. In recent developments, UWEC expanded last year following negotiations, with the transfer of Entebbe Botanical Gardens management from the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) to the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities under President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s directive.
During the handover, President Museveni affirmed that botanical research would continue alongside tourism activities, wildlife rescue, treatment of injured animals, wildlife quarantine services, and species recovery efforts.
