Uganda: Amend Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) Act to streamline compensations

UGANDA: Uganda's Parliamentary Committee on Tourism, Trade, and Industry has urged for the Uganda Wildlife Act, 2019, to be amended to integrate current dynamics in conservation zones, resulting in compensation for losses caused by fires that start in protected areas.

The Committee also advised that the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) expedite the assessment of the compensation legislation and policy so that the compensation program can be implemented.

These recommendations were included in a committee report submitted by Deputy Chairperson, Hon. Catherine Lamwaka, following an investigation into fires that destroyed two lodges in the Queen Elizabeth National Park area, Park View Safari Lodge and Mazike Lodge.

The grasslands, savannah, and forests all have a lot of fire, according to the committee. The group also recommends controlled bush burning throughout the months of July and August, as well as January and February.

“We were informed that Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities in partnership with UWA have developed park specific fire management plans to guide staff and other stakeholders in handling fires that threaten the integrity of protected areas,”  Lamwaka said.

According to the report, the fire that destroyed Park View Safari Resort started in protected parts of the park near the lodge, but the committee was unable to determine whether the fire started within the park or in villages outside the park.

“Whereas all parties may be denying having started the fire, according to UWA fire management plan, burning is done between January/February and July/August which is about the same time, the fire gutted Park View Safari Lodge,” Lamwaka said.

The committee reported that the police did not submit any formal report on the fires at Mazike Lodge, and that the lodge manager presented contradictory claims to the committee during its investigation.

“The committee has reason to believe that the burning of Mazike Lodge was planned and should be not be linked to the controlled burning exercise in the park,” Lamwaka said.

The committee proposed that the government examine Park View Safari Lodge's loss worth and split the losses between the lodge and UWA.

Providing cash to UWA to purchase firefighting equipment in the vicinity of all national parks and installing CCTV cameras to capture activity within and around protected areas are among the other recommendations.