UWA awards best conservationists in Uganda

Ten years ago, Robert Baganda Bagureka, a resident of Kisoro District, wrote to Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) recommending the strengthening of Kisoro’s capacity through appointing one of their own with vast experience in community tourism and conservation.
He was concerned that the district was not represented on the UWA board yet its contribution to tourism in Uganda could not be overemphasised. “As gorilla tourism continues to grow, neighbouring communities need to get directly involved in legislating policies that affect them and the animals within Kisoro District. Communities have made sacrifices as a result of conserving endangered species considering that many have lost their lives, crops, land and forests.”

Community-park conflicts
“Communities neighbouring conservation areas within Kisoro are still uncertain about the future. Having a representative will guarantee them security, neutralise any likely community-park conflicts and ultimately promote conservation,” he noted.
The letter was a follow-up to the community’s requests to the former Minister of Trade, Tourism and Industry Kahinda Otafiire during the launch of the Nshongi Gorilla Group in Rubuguri, Kisoro District on 24 September, 2009.
Without a doubt, Kisoro District, hosting this year’s World Wildlife Day national celebrations, is a justification that good things come to those who wait.

Wildlife status in Kisoro
After successful 2019 wildlife celebrations in Arua, West Nile, it was Kigezi sub-region’s turn. The gorilla highlands are home to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, a protected area that adds value to Kisoro’s conservation efforts.
Established in 1991, Mgahinga, the haven of two rare primates; Golden Monkeys and Mountain Gorillas (whose males are silverbacks) covers a total area of 33.9 square kilometres. It is the smallest national park in Uganda with a commendable wildlife conservation status.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
The park forms part of a far larger transboundary protected area that safeguards wildlife and habitats on the Virunga volcanoes in Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo. The golden monkeys are endemic to the Albertine Rift in Virunga massif and in Uganda, they occupy the south west in Mgahinga National Park.

Echuya Central Forest Reserve
Kisoro also boasts of Echuya Central Forest Reserve, with 20 per cent of its area positioned in Bufumbira County and the remaining 80 per cent in Rubanda District.
The forest is situated on a high altitude ridge running between Lake Bunyonyi, 5km to the east, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, 13km to the south west.
Echuya is dominated by bamboo, woody and herbaceous plants. The forest also contains the large Muchoya Swamp - a unique Afromontane habitat and an area of high endemism.

The genesis of World Wildlife Day
The Convention on International Trade in Endagered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was adopted in Washington DC on March 3, 1973 and was operationalised on July 1, 1975. Previously, the treaty prohibited, with a few exceptions, international commercial trade in species that are threatened with extinction, listed in appendix 1 to the convention.
Presently, it allows controlled international trade in species whose survival is not threatened but may become so as listed in appendix II. The exportation of such animals is to be limited to a level which will not be harmful to their survival.
On July 18, 1991, Uganda signed the convention becoming the 112th party. This implies that Uganda acknowledged the need for international co-operation to combat trade in endagered species.

Extinction of species
The population decline and extinction of species in Uganda, especially of large mammals such as rhinos and elephants, was a reality. This was a result of numerous factors, including international trade. On December 20, 2013, at its 68th session, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed March 3, the day of the signature of the CITES in 1973- as UN World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants.
The UNGA resolution also designated the CITES secretariat as the facilitator for the global observance of this special day for wildlife on the United Nations calendar. World Wildlife Day (WWD) has now become the most important annual event on Uganda’s wildlife calendar since 2016.

Relevance of the theme
“Sustaining all life on Earth” encompassing all wild animals and plant species as key components of the world’s biodiversity was this year’s theme. It aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals 1, 12, 14 and 15 and its commitments on alleviating poverty, ensuring sustainable use of resources to conserve life both on land and below water and to put an end to biodiversity loss.
The national organising committee chaired by Dr Barirega Akankwasah, Commissioner Wildlife Conservation at the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities (MTWA) narrowed it to “Sustaining wildlife for the benefit of the present and future generations” In order to remind us of the need to ensure that all life on earth survives.

Breakthroughs and setbacks
In his speech, Godfrey Kiwanda Ssubi, the Minister of State for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, highlighted the impact of the Uganda Wildlife Act 2019, which was enacted and came into force on September 27, 2019.
He noted that the Wildlife Act enforces penalties against wildlife offenders, enhances community participation in wildlife conservation programmes, provides for compensation for damage to property, injury and loss of life.
“We are now formulating regulations to fully operationalise the law,” he noted. Kiwanda also added that government, through UWA, continues to share protected area revenues at a rate of 20 per cent with adjacent communities. “A total of more than Shs15.4 billion has been shared among communities in the last three years,” he revealed.

Illegal wildlife trade
He says government has also built adequate capacity to combat poaching, illegal wildlife trade and trafficking with more personnel, training and equipment. This can be evidenced by the establishment of Inter-Agency collaboration and coordination by setting up a National Wildlife Crime Coordination Task Force, which brings together all key law enforcement agencies in Uganda to combat wildlife crime chain.
However, the minister highlights a number of challenges in protecting the country’s wildlife resource including poaching, illegal trade and trafficking that endanger some of the country’s iconic species such elephants, pangolins, among others.

President speaks out
In a speech delivered by Tom Butime, the Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, President Museveni noted the potential of wildlife and echoed tourism conservation as a fundamental pillar of Uganda’s economic growth as stipulated in Vision 2040 as well as National Development Plans.
“Our vision is to transform Uganda’s economy from peasantry or subsistence into a modern one and this cannot happen without prioritising service sectors such as tourism.”
The President said government continues to make several policy and institutional reforms to promote conservation such as Uganda Wildlife Policy, 2014, Uganda Tourism Policy, 2015, Uganda Tourism Master Plan and Uganda Wildlife Act, 2019 enacted to reform the wildlife conservation sector.

Strong penalties
“Under the Act, we have put in place deterrent penalties for wildlife criminals relating to endangered species up to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and hefty fines of Shs20 billion for traffickers of wildlife specimens.
The Act has established community wildlife committees for each conservation area, a compensation scheme for wildlife induced damage for some species and revenue sharing funds are now ring-fenced. I warn poachers to desist from killing and trading our wildlife illegally,” the President warned.

Conservation awards
As part of activities to commemorate World Wildlife Day annually, government, through MTWA, recognises persons and institutions that have made significant contribution to the sustainable conservation and development of wildlife resources in Uganda.
Award winners are indigenous and this year’s biggest surprise was Paradise Wildlife Park. The UK based zoo clinched the Wildlife Conservation Education Award given to individuals or institutions whose efforts are dedicated at creating conservation awareness to save wildlife.
James Musinguzi was dumbfounded upon hearing the announcement at Ssaza grounds, Kisoro District. The conservationist acknowledges the support from Paradise wildlife Park towards UWEC since 2008.

“They donated two lionesses; Sarah and Bisa which have supported the lion conservation education programme at Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC). They have been giving us Shs11.2m annually to take care of these lions. The park has supported our capacity building in terms of captive wildlife management, specifically welfare and husbandry management by taking staff to UK for training. Recently, they donated the first wildlife ambulance in Uganda. Awarding them is a way of strengthening our relationship and appreciating what they have done for Uganda over the years,” explained Sam Mwandha, the executive director of UWEC.
UWA awards conservationists

National Wildlife Conservation Awards 2020 recepients include; Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation, for outstanding research, Nkuringo Community Conservation and Development Foundation, for outstanding coexistence efforts, Paradise Wildlife Park, UK, for outstanding support to conservation education, Uganda Revenue Authority-Customs for outstanding counter trafficking efforts.

Others are Prof Dr John Bosco Nizeyi, for outstanding contribution to Gorilla health and conservation, Prof Dr John Kasenene Masse for outstanding forest research, Kibale, Alex Muhweezi for outstanding efforts in BMCA landscape conservation.
Dr Samson Werikhe was awarded for outstanding efforts in establishment of Mt Mgahinga National Park, Jimmy Muheebwa for outstanding efforts to save cranes, Justus Tindigarukayo Kashagire for efforts in creation of Bwindi, Mgahinga, Kibale, Elgon and Semliki National parks and Benjamin Jumbe, for outstanding reporting on conservation issues.