Bukenya cited in UWA scandal

The scandal at the Uganda Wildlife Authority that has so far seen seven top managers sent on forced leave, started in 2007 after Vice President Gilbert Bukenya shopped for foreign investors in the tourism sector.

According to our investigations, the award of lucrative contracts in the wildlife agency often depended on political directives with the Vice President cited among others.

Seven top managers at UWA have been sucked controversially by board chairman, Dr Boysier Muballe. But the highlight of competing interests at UWA came to the fore after Prof. Bukenya personally identified an investor and gave a directive that UWA must give the job to them even when their competence was not ascertained.

Letters exchanged
On December 27, 2007 an investor called Prince Albrecht Oettingen-Spielberg wrote to Prof. Bukenya expressing interest in wildlife conservation in Uganda.
On January 8, 2008, the VP through his Principal Private Secretary, Dr. D. S Muduuli wrote to the investor thanking him for expressing interest in wildlife conservation.
“Otherwise the idea is very good and His Excellency the Vice President will be discussing the matter with His Excellency the President,” reads the letter.

On March 20, 2008, Dr Muduuli wrote to UWA Executive Director Moses Mapesa informing him that the VP had hosted Prince Albert and also organised a meeting for him with President Museveni.

“During the meeting with the President, the Prince informed the meeting that he together with his business Partner, John Tolmay were keen to start a pilot project on sustainable management of wildlife for the benefit of local communities in wildlife areas,” reads Dr Muduuli’s letter.
President Museveni “welcomed the idea.”

“The Prince and Mr John Tolmay will be in the country next month to concretise this proposal,” Dr Muduuli wrote, “Before their arrival; His Excellency the Vice President will meet you to concretise plans for meeting with them.”
Mr Mapesa was also directed to identify sites for the investor.

Sources say, Mr Mapesa was ordered to give the contract to the investor without going to the procurement procedures which require such contracts to be advertised.
And on April 24, the investor wrote a letter of commitment to the VP. In his letter, he said he had formed a company called Karimojong Overland Safaris. Sources say the investor had already been given Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve in Karamoja.

But instead of conservation, the investor asked to develop the reserve into a sport hunting area. They promised to send a technical person to help UWA.
However, the investor did not want to pay taxes and wrote thus: “As discussed, there are areas in the BID documents that need to be reviewed and revised by Government and this should start immediately.”

Sources say the investor kept shifting positions from sport hunting to animal breeding, raising suspicion among UWA’s technical staff. But the deal was to go on without fail.

On June 8, 2008, State Minister for Tourism Serapio Rukundo also wrote to UWA: “This is to direct you as I have been directed by the Vice President to discuss and finalise the process and ensure that the project takes off.”

UWA was asked to facilitate the investor to tour Pian Upe.
UWA’s conservation coordinator James Omoding was chosen to escort the investors to Karamoja with Prof. Bukenya’s aide in the tour as well. The investors were to carry out a technical assessment and forward their findings to UWA.

But instead, the investors asked Mr Omoding to compile a report for them. Sources say Mr Omoding declined to the request citing conflict of interest on his part since UWA is the would-be consumer of their findings.

The investor then reportedly asked Mr Omoding to compile a report at a fee and on private terms to which the latter agreed after being prompted by Prof. Bukenya’s aide. They agreed a fee of $3,000 (about Shs6 million).

Omoding sacked
However, after doing the job, payment delayed forcing Mr Omoding to write emails demanding payment. It is this email that Dr Muballe used to sack Mr Omoding that he demanded money to influence the award of the contract to the investor.
On October 23, 2008, Prof. Bukenya convened a meeting with Karamoja leaders in his office.

According to the minutes of the said meeting, a copy of which Sunday Monitor obtained, Prof. Bukenya convinced the leaders to buy into the project and promised them tours of other wildlife areas after signing an agreement to support the project.