UWEC fails to defend Shs10b budget for breeding 16 lions

Officials from Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) have failed to defend Shs10 billion budget they requested for lion breeding in the next financial year.
While appearing before the Parliamentary Tourism, Trade and Industry committee on Tuesday to defend their budget, UWEC officials failed to give a breakdown of how the funds would be deployed, something that irked legislators on the committee.

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The committee chairperson, Mr Mwine Mpaka, faulted UWEC for failing to defend their budget item yet they included it in the ministerial policy statement for the financial year 2024/2025.
"We need to know how you arrived at the Shs10 billion for lion breeding project. Otherwise, we are not going to defend on the floor of Parliament something we don't understand," Mr Mpaka said.

"We need a breakdown of the Shs10 billion shillings requested, to know how much is going directly into lion breeding, buying of equipment and feeding of the lions, among others," he added.
Although the UWEC acting executive director, Mr David Musingo explained that the funds will be used to carry out genetic studies, fencing of the breeding area, feeding and releasing of the lions and other activities, the committee members insisted that the requested money is still too high compared to the project's prospected financial outcomes.

"You want government to invest Shs10 billion to breed 16 lions a year. This cannot be justified and it doesn’t make economic sense," Mr Mpaka said.
Dr James Watuwa, a veterinary doctor at UWEC explained that the actual breeding of the lions will cost about Shs1 billion and release of the lions will cost Shs1.6 billion, adding that the process involves a number of other activities like research and genetic analysis which are highly expensive.
"Before the actual breeding, we shall do genetic analysis and construction of boma areas or bigger cages within selected areas, either Kidepo or Queen Elizabeth, where we shall do the breeding from under a free release arrangement," Dr Watuwa said.

According to Mr Musingo, if UWEC is allocated Shs10 billion, the population of lions in the country will increase by at least 16 lions by June 2025.
"We hope to have a starting stock of eight lionesses and two male lions. On average, each female lion gives birth to two cubs; meaning by the end of the year, the number of these animals will have doubled," he said.
Unsatisfied with the responses, the committee tasked UWEC officials to reappear before the committee on Thursday (tomorrow) to present a justifiable breakdown of the requested Shs10 billion and failure to convince the committee; the funds will be diverted to other unfunded priorities.

“Come back on Thursday with a breakdown of every penny under the lion breeding item and other items. However, if you realize that money under some items cannot be accounted for, please come and confess, so that the money is diverted to prioritized unfunded items,” Mr Mpaka said.