Army passes out first ranger intelligence force

Some of the graduates from Muhoti School of Military Intelligence display evidence gathering skills on Friday. photo by martin ssebuyira

What you need to know:

The Force is supposed to help the existing rangers check poaching and other threats to wildlife.

KAMPALA.

The UPDF Deputy Commander Defence Forces, Lt Gen Charles Angina, on Friday passed out the first Ranger Intelligence Force.

The development is aimed at boosting surveillance and crack ing down on poaching, a practice threatening Uganda’s wildlife.
The 80-member force that underwent a four months specialised training at Muhoti School of Military Intelligence in Kabarole District, was part of the 430 recently-recruited rangers.

“Hardly a week passes before culprits are arrested at the airport and other exit points in possession of illegal wildlife products headed to various countries overseas, especially the Far East,” Dr Andrew Seguya, the Uganda Wildlife Authority executive director said at the pass out last Friday.

“We hope the creation of this intelligence unit will boost our surveillance and crack down on the rampant syndicates threatening the existence of our natural heritage that has been preserved over the centuries by our ancestors,” he added.
Dr Seguya said such units create confidence amongst investors who in turn help in developing tourism infrastructure.

Weak laws
He, however, noted that the current laws have not helped to curb poaching, encroachment, illegal hunting and smuggling wildlife species because of the non-deterrent sentences given to suspects and convicts when taken to court.
Lt Gen Angina said the Force will help in gathering evidence to implicate suspected poachers.

“You will now not act like pathologists who detect the cause of death but step up surveillance to prevent cases of poaching and smuggling wildlife species,” he said.
Gen Angina said eliminating poaching necessitates having incriminating evidence to implicate the culprits that the intelligence unit would do.

The commandant of Muhoti School of Military Intelligence, Lt Col Medad Mbagambe, said the rangers have been equipped with skills of operational intelligence, counter intelligence, criminal investigations, evidence gathering among others.
The Force will be distributed among various parks in the country.