Parliament has intervened to halt the allocation of 7 billion Ugandan shillings to the Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC) specifically for the breeding of lions. This decision emerged as part of a broader assessment detailed in the report on the ministerial policy statement for the 2024/25 Financial Year (FY), presented by Trade Committee Vice-Chairperson Catherine Lamwaka on April 11, 2024.
The proposed allocation aimed to address the declining lion population in national parks, with a targeted annual output of breeding 16 lions. However, lawmakers raised concerns about the low expected return on investment from this initiative.
Further scrutiny revealed that both the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and UWEC had submitted budgets for Impact Assessment (EIA) related to lion breeding, amounting to 280 million and 500 million Ugandan shillings, respectively. This duplication of efforts raised eyebrows, especially considering UWEC’s sole mandate for lion breeding in areas managed by UWA.
Vice-Chairperson Lamwaka recommended that UWEC review its feasibility study and reassess the return-on-investment potential for in-situ lion breeding. Additionally, she urged UWEC and UWA to coordinate their mandates concerning lion breeding in national parks and protected areas.
In December of the previous year, Uganda’s lion population stood at 493, with 7,975 elephants and 459 mountain gorillas, according to official records.
Conversely, the committee approved a proposal by UWA to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts by installing an 80-kilometer electric fence around Murchison Falls National Park. This undertaking, funded by $1.34 million off-budget support from the World Bank, aims to safeguard both wildlife and communities.
In addition to this external support, UWA is slated to receive an additional budget allocation of 5.04 billion Ugandan shillings from the Government to finance the fence project.
The committee emphasized the importance of incorporating all anticipated external financing into the tourism ministry’s annual budget proposals for parliamentary consideration and approval.
Isaac Otimgiw, a member of Parliament, underscored the necessity of fencing national parks to mitigate the escalating incidents of wildlife-human conflicts. He emphasized the need for clear guidelines for individuals seeking compensation due to such conflicts.
Official documents indicate a projected decrease in the overall budget for the tourism ministry and its subventions in the upcoming fiscal year. Despite ambitious targets outlined in the Third National Development Plan, Uganda has faced challenges in attracting international tourists, falling short of its goals.
Uganda Tourism Board’s request for 4 billion Ugandan shillings to engage media outlets in promoting positive tourism narratives was not met. Parliamentarians expressed concern over the lack of comprehensive national content for global tourism promotion efforts.
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa highlighted instances of overcharging tourists, citing an incident involving a Ugandan MP at the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) who was erroneously billed higher park fees. State Minister for Tourism Martin Mugarra assured that discrepancies in fee structures would be addressed promptly.
