It is not surprising that an investigation has been ordered into allegations of festering corruption at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) by the tourism ministry. There have been many warnings about the way things were running at UWA.

The Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) is turning its attention on promoting domestic and marine tourism. The move aims at protecting the industry against international tourism fluctuations caused by economic and other shocks.

The board chairman, Dr. Boysier Oumar Muballe, said the suspension would help the authority investigate the matter without interference.

He cited the award of concessions and the creation of illegal departments for the action.

“The board has taken a decision to send Moses Mapesa on forced leave with effect from today (August 9),” said Muballe. “We have instituted an audit over a number of suspicions.”

Muballe added: “This is a criminal investigation in which concessions have been offered. The President said he would deploy cadres to fight impunity and corruption. There was no ambiguity in this statement.”

Mapesa is a long-serving wildlife manager, who belongs to many continental and global conservation bodies.

Mapesa headed the authority for the last five years, but has 22 years in wildlife service.

The authority was formed in 1996 following a merger of the Uganda National Parks and the Game Department.

Muballe’s board, which started two months ago, also suspended Sam Mwandha, the director of conservation, last week over the same matter.

James Omoding, a conservation coordinator, and Apophia Natukunda, the head of corporate services, resigned last month, citing personal reasons. However, Muballe said the duo left after the board intervened.

Asked whether Mapesa was given an opportunity to defend himself, Muballe said: “These people have perfected the art of giving explanations, but now the audit will help us to put everything together. We will take more steps after the audit report is out.”

Muballe cited a case in which an official was offered a bribe to influence the contracts committee to give hunting concessions to a foreign investor.
“This was a case of fraud, which should be have been punished with outright dismissal. But Mapesa just cautioned the officer,” he said.

“It is difficult to imagine the impunity of this official because he was soliciting for bribes from sport hunters using UWA’s e-mail address.”

Muballe did not specify how long Mapesa and Mwandha would be on leave. “Mapesa and Mwandha should keep away from office during the forensic audit,” he stressed.

In a separate interview, Lillian Nsubuga, the spokesperson, said: “We are working normally, decisions are being made. There is no problem.”

The authority, which was set up by the Wildlife Act of 1996, manages 10 national parks, 12 wildlife reserves and 14 sanctuaries sitting on land covering 10% of Uganda. It was hit with cases of corruption and intermittent sackings of executive directors in its infancy.

Until now, the agency had been largely stable this decade. Uganda’s wildlife population was decimated in the 1970s and 1980s during the years of political instability and civil unrest.

Click here for your Uganda wildlife safari or wildlife tour

The chairman of the National Anthrax Task Force Dr Nicholas Kauta told journalists on Thursday that so far, 82 hippos and nine buffaloes have been confirmed dead following the outbreak in June. He said the most affected areas are those surrounding Kazinga Channel and lakes Edward and George.

As a national response, he said, the task force is implementing a multi-pronged response which includes undertaking a base line study to determine the extent of the outbreak and affected species through carrying out carcass management, marine and terrestrial patrols and sample analysis.

He warned people around the area not to graze animals in the park, report all sicknesses and deaths in wild and domestic animals to authorities and not to consume meat from sick and dead animals.

He said there will be a ring vaccination of livestock in the national park and all health centres have been put on high alert.

Anthrax is caused by bacteria (bacillus anthracis) in the atmosphere. Animals mainly herbivores get it through contaminated grass, soil and water.

Humans can  acquire it through eating contaminated meat and animal products from infected animals.

The park has often experienced attacks in  1954 and in 1994 and 2004. In 2004, about 300 hippos died.

The Wild Life Authority says there is no cause of alarm that all animals in the park might die because the beasts  have natural immunity to the disease.

Of the 144 visitors, 122 were local students. This was a drop from the 152 tourists that were registered during the same period last year.

The figure dipped further to only 40 tourists in April although it rose to 92 in May. But this was still lower than the 98 to 190 tourists who visited the park during the same period last year.

The report noted that most of the foreign tourists who comprise nearly 90% of the park’s visitors, kept away. Regular foreign tourists at the park include Britons, Germans, Americans, Dutch, Israelites and Canadians.

March and April each registered only 27 foreign tourists. However, the figure slightly rose to 37 in May. Save for the 13 German tourists, one Dutch and an American who visited the park in March, the Israelites, British, and Canadian visitors kept away during the tragic month.

Similarly, no tourists from the neighbouring Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania of Burundi, Tanzania and Kenya visited the park in March. “Heavy rains characterised with landslides were occurring on various parts of the mountain. The Bududa landslide scared away many tourists,” Stephen Nyadros, the Budadiri entry point information officer, said.

“About 15 foreign tourists expected to hike on Mt. Elgon through the Budadiri trail cancelled their bookings with us in March. “Fortunately, the trend is steadily picking up again,” Nyadros pointed out.

He disclosed that most of the cancelled bookings had been rescheduled for May to September. The park experiences peak periods from June to September, and December to March, statistics show.

Other prominent visitors to the park comprise scouts and students on holiday from Europe and North America. A total of 2,903 tourists visited the park in 2009, down from 3,844 the previous year.

The main tourist attractions for hikers on the mountain include the wildlife, hotsprings, caves, waterfalls and the Wagagai peak that stands at 4,321 metres above sea level. However, after the Bududa tragedy that claimed over 350 people at the Nametsi trading centre, the Government declared Mt. Elgon prone to more landslides and warned residents to evacuate to the temporal camp at Bulucheke.

To allay fears among tourists, a 16-member-team from The Uganda Tourism Board took a four-day hike on Mt. Elgon through the Budadiri trail in Sironko district from June 15 to 18. Molly Mpiriirwe, the board’s senior information officer, narrated that there was no imminent danger to tourists on the mountain.

“We had a thrilling experience on the mountain. “Throughout our journey, we neither saw cracks nor mini-landslides. “We call on more people to come and tour the park to explore its beauty,” Mpiriirwe said.

Tourism, agriculture and forestry are top on the list of the national primary growth areas of the newly-released National Development Plan. In 2008, tourism contributed 9.2% or $1.2b to the gross domestic product (GDP), while in Kenya, it brought in $3.5b or 10.8% to GDP according to the World tourism and Travel Council.

This variation maybe directly linked to the massive investment that Kenya puts into the sector. According to the draft corporate strategy plan 2009-2012, Kenya spends sh27b in marketing.

Tourism arrivals surged from 512,000 in 2004 to 844,000 in 2008; an increase of 65% boosted by the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2007.

Police and Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) have shot dead one of the hippopotamuses that killed two people and cows in Munyonyo on Lake Victoria shores.
Wildlife authority officials shot the hippopotamus dead on Sunday after a two-day hunt. It allegedly killed Peter Lugo, 25, a fisherman, and his brother, Lazarus Muko, 20.

Prospective visitors to the Margherita Peak, the highest point of the Rwenzori Mountains, now have an alternative route that has been surveyed and opened up, Uganda Wildlife Authority has announced.
UWA Public Relations officer Lillian Nsubuga said in a statement that the new, shorter route will enable tourists circumvent a six-metre long crack (crevasse) that developed in the glacier leading to Margherita in April and threatened to derail expeditions to the peak found 5,109 metres above sea level.

“The new route is shorter and easier because it avoids the steepest part of the mountain,” said Ms Nsubuga. “It now takes about 26 minutes to climb from the base of the glacier to the Margherita Peak. Previously, it took up to 45 minutes to climb from the base of the glacier to the peak.”

Ms Nsubuga added that the new route has been thoroughly tested and found to be safe and secure for mountain climbers.

According to Ms Nsubuga, a diversion from the old route has been created at a point called Omwubutindo, where ladders had been placed on rocks to ease movement on the glacier.

“With the new route, the peak will now be approached from the western side. Uganda Wildlife Authority staff and officials from the Rwenzori Mountaineering Services will continue to ensure that mountain climbers have an unforgettable experience climbing to the top of the mountain,” she explained.

Ms Nsubuga added that as the globe continues to warm up as a result of climate change, UWA anticipates more impacts on the Rwenzori Mountains glacier, and has put in place long term plans to open another route that will facilitate access to the Margherita Peak through the rocky areas.

“UWA is also diversifying the tourist experience by opening more tourism routes on the northern and southern ranges to maximise trekking and viewing of spectacular and breath taking landscapes in the Rwenzori ranges,” she said.

Named after queen

Named in 1906 by an Italian Duke, Prince Luigi Armedeo de Savoia, after the Queen of Italy, Margherita, during a scientific expedition that the Duke led to the Rwenzoris, Margherita is an alpine niche for peak climbers who progress on the glaciers and snows to ascend the peak.

Margherita Peak offers a panoramic view of Alexandra and Albert peaks on the same Mountain (Stanley) and Speke glacier on Mountain Speke during clear weather. Ms Nsubuga said the snow is receding and the glaciers are also melting due to global warming.

The Rwenzoris are the highest block Mountains in Africa.
They were formed as a result of uplifting, faulting and tilting processes.

In the central ranges are a group of six mountains harbouring diverse peaks, which are covered by snows and glaciers.

For your Uganda mountain climbing expeditions or Mount Kilimanjaro climbing, also visit this page for more information on Mount Kilimanjaro

A new route found to Rwenzori peak

Share Bookmark Print Email

Email this article to a friend Friend’s Email Address
Your Email
Message
Submit Cancel

Rating

By Benon Herbert Oluka  (email the author)

Posted Tuesday, June 1 2010 at 00:00

Kampala
Prospective visitors to the Margherita Peak, the highest point of the Rwenzori Mountains, now have an alternative route that has been surveyed and opened up, Uganda Wildlife Authority has announced.
UWA Public Relations officer Lillian Nsubuga said in a statement that the new, shorter route will enable tourists circumvent a six-metre long crack (crevasse) that developed in the glacier leading to Margherita in April and threatened to derail expeditions to the peak found 5,109 metres above sea level.

“The new route is shorter and easier because it avoids the steepest part of the mountain,” said Ms Nsubuga. “It now takes about 26 minutes to climb from the base of the glacier to the Margherita Peak. Previously, it took up to 45 minutes to climb from the base of the glacier to the peak.”

Ms Nsubuga added that the new route has been thoroughly tested and found to be safe and secure for mountain climbers.

Related Stories

• Rwenzori ice cap faces extinction in 40 years
• Luweero recovery plan launched
• Three want to break Butime’s monopoly in Mwenge

Diversion
According to Ms Nsubuga, a diversion from the old route has been created at a point called Omwubutindo, where ladders had been placed on rocks to ease movement on the glacier.

“With the new route, the peak will now be approached from the western side. Uganda Wildlife Authority staff and officials from the Rwenzori Mountaineering Services will continue to ensure that mountain climbers have an unforgettable experience climbing to the top of the mountain,” she explained.

Ms Nsubuga added that as the globe continues to warm up as a result of climate change, UWA anticipates more impacts on the Rwenzori Mountains glacier, and has put in place long term plans to open another route that will facilitate access to the Margherita Peak through the rocky areas.

“UWA is also diversifying the tourist experience by opening more tourism routes on the northern and southern ranges to maximise trekking and viewing of spectacular and breath taking landscapes in the Rwenzori ranges,” she said.

Named after queen
Named in 1906 by an Italian Duke, Prince Luigi Armedeo de Savoia, after the Queen of Italy, Margherita, during a scientific expedition that the Duke led to the Rwenzoris, Margherita is an alpine niche for peak climbers who progress on the glaciers and snows to ascend the peak.

Margherita Peak offers a panoramic view of Alexandra and Albert peaks on the same Mountain (Stanley) and Speke glacier on Mountain Speke during clear weather. Ms Nsubuga said the snow is receding and the glaciers are also melting due to global warming.

The Rwenzoris are the highest block Mountains in Africa.
They were formed as a result of uplifting, faulting and tilting processes.

In the central ranges are a group of six mountains harbouring diverse peaks, which are covered by snows and glaciers.

FIVE lions and 16 vultures in the Queen Elizabeth National Park in western Uganda have died of suspected poisoning, acting warden Nelson Guma said.
The carcasses of three lionesses and two males, formerly part of a pride of about 10, along the Kasenyi track, were discovered about a kilometre from Hamukungu fish landing site on Wednesday. Park rangers said one of the lionesses was pregnant.

Guma expressed the fear that more lions and wild animals like hyenas, which feed on dead animals, could also be dead.

Usually local people complain of the wild animals eating their domestic animals, but Guma said there had been no such case in the recent past.

“It is unfortunate that people with bad hearts poison the lions and end up killing more animals than intended,” he said.

Reports said two people were arrested near the area where the lions were killed. The animals reportedly killed and ate six head of cattle two months ago.
Guma said he would investigate the claims.

Rangers yesterday retrieved the carcasses of the lions from the wilderness for examination. They also recovered two dead head of cattle and two cow skins. A swarm of dead green flies littered the area, indicating possible poisoning.

Dr. Margaret Drachiru, a veterinary doctor at the Uganda Wildlife Authority who took samples for testing, said the animals could have died on Sunday.

She added that the two head of cattle were not killed by the lions, but were slaughtered and placed there to trap the cats.

According to Guma, lions are the biggest tourist attraction in the Queen Elizabeth National Park.

The dead lions were the ones which tourists were sure to see at the park, which is said to hold about 105 lions. The park covers Kyambura and Ishasha sectors.

Experts, using scientific methods, found 214 cats between 1999 and 2004 in Uganda. But crude estimates put the number to about 745 across the country. It is believed that the Queen Elizabeth national park and the DR Congo hold up to 905 African lions.

Perceived as a threat to livestock and humans, lions are also hunted for their skins and purported medicinal values. They are poisoned, shot, or speared by locals.

While lion populations in protected areas remain relatively healthy, conservationists say without urgent measures, they may disappear as their habitat is lost to deforestation and encroachers.

For example, in 2006, about 10 lions were killed in the park in areas which were temporarily occupied by the Basongora pastoralists who had been chased from the Virunga National Park in eastern Congo.

Uganda has 10 national parks. Lions are also found in the Murchison Falls national park and  in Kidepo national park. Some are said to be in the Semliki national park area in Toro.

In Lake Mburo National Park, however, the lions have become extinct.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority has put in place various interventions, including sensitising communities around the parks in an attempt to save the big cats.

Please visit Kenya safari places for your Kenya safari or Afriacn Secrets for your Rwanda safari and Rwanda gorilla tours

THE Inspector General of Government Raphael Baku has directed the Uganda Wildlife Authority to cancel all the illegal and irregular contracts it made with the Nkuringo Conservation and Development Foundation and Uganda Safari Company in Kisoro district.

The contracts were monopolising Gorilla Tracking in Nkuringo on the Southern periphery of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

The IGG in a report “Monopoly of sale of Gorilla Trekking permits by Uganda Wildlife Authority to a private company,” directed UWA to comply with all the laws and policies that govern it in executing its mandate without taking advantage of the ignorance of the communities it works with.

“The illegal and irregular contracts, namely the agreement between Uganda Wildlife Authority and Nkuringo Conservation Development Foundation of 30/8/2004 and its addendums of 23/11/2006 and 29/11/2006 and the agreement between Nkuringo Conservation and Development Foundation and the Uganda Safari Company should be revoked,” the IGG said in the report.

Tourism stakeholders in 2007 complained to the IGG of discrimination, irregularities and illegalities in the management and issuance of gorilla tracking permits by the Uganda Wildlife Authority to a few companies.

They argued that this created unfair monopoly in the tourism business.
They were concerned that Uganda as a whole had lost tourism business including all benefits accruing from the sector to only one Kisoro Hotel operator, Uganda Safari Company, who had been given exclusive rights to sell gorilla tracking permits and allegedly attract tourists to an eco-lodge.

Investigations by the IGG office indicated that UWA encouraged individuals to form a private company with which they operated private businesses in respect to gorilla permit tourism, edging out others.

The IGG in the report recommended that UWA should draw up a well- thought out framework for the development of tourism opportunities for the whole region where Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located not for particular isolated areas.

“The sub-counties of Nyabwishenya and Kirundo where Rubuguri and Nteko parishes respectively fall, should, in consultation with the district takeover the Nkuringo tourism project and improve development for the benefit of their communities after other modalities have been addressed.

“The sub-counties have the mandate and capacity to plan for their local communities, and can be held responsible for transparency, accountability and reporting because they have a planning and budgeting mandate for their parishes,” the report said.

For your Uganda gorilla tour or Rwanda gorilla tour