Travellers want park fees on Paraa route waived

Travellers plying the Paraa route via Murchison Falls Park have complained of being charged exorbitantly following the temporary closure of Karuma-Olwiyo-Pakwach Nebbi-Arua road last week.

The road was closed after being cut off by floods due to a downpour. 

Several passengers remained stranded for hours before Vice President Jessica Alupo directed that they are diverted through Murchison Falls Park from Tangi gate via Paraa and connect to Masindi through Kafu to Kampala.

Travellers claim they are charged Shs200,000 for loaded trucks and Shs25,000 per person up from Shs15,000 by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to use the road. 

Mr Safi Andama, who regularly travels from Arua to Kampala, on Monday said they should not be subjected to extra charges as a result of the government’s failure to fix roads.

“This is like double payment because we are already paying taxes,” Mr Andama said.

In a 2022/2024 document that Daily Monitor has seen, UWA charges Shs25,000 per adult and Shs10,000 per child to enter the park.

Other charges

Lorries and buses are charged Shs200,000, saloon cars (Shs20,000), mini-buses (Shs30,000), and pick-ups (Shs30,000).

The wildlife authority at the weekend issued a press statement indicating that it had only waived entrance fees for only four days.

“Be guided that given the current heavy flooding on the road section between Pakwach Bridge and Olwiyo Road section on Karuma- Arua highway, Murchison Falls National Park management has waived entrance fees for transiters through the park from today (Saturday at 6pm until Tuesday (yesterday) between 7am and 7pm ... whereas visitors will continue to pay as per UWA tariff,” the statement read. 

Mr David Onen, another traveller, said the charges are unrealistic, especially at a time when they are facing natural disasters.

However, in a July 8 press statement, the UWA executive director, Mr Samuel Mwandha, said the tariffs are meant for maintenance due to the increasing traffic in the park.

“This is the only park where fees were raised. The fees will enable us to better manage the increasing litter and traffic in the park. We have put a waiver on park entrances for the Kapkwai sector in Mt Elgon which is famous for nature and forest walks,” he said.

Mr Fred Omach Jachan, the Uganda National Roads Authority board chairperson, last week said their team of experts would find a lasting solution to the flooding.

“We have sent our experts, hydrologists to study [the situation] and see what can be done. We will first do the repairs and later determine what course of action to take for a permanent solution to this problem,” Mr Omach said.

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