MPs on the tourism committee have called for better coordination among government agencies and more efficient use of public resources to unlock Uganda’s tourism potential.
The legislators made the proposals after reviewing findings from their fact-finding visits to Murchison Falls, Lake Mburo and Kidepo Valley national parks.
The committee chairperson, Boniface Henry Okot, the Kole South MP, said Uganda had enormous tourism potential, but government needed to address infrastructure, communication and resource management challenges affecting the sector.
Okot said ministries, departments and agencies responsible for tourism should work more closely to ensure that available resources are used where they can have the greatest impact.
“There was no necessity to purchase a chopper by Uganda Wildlife Authority since interventions happen once in a while,” Okot said.
He was responding to Busujju MP David Kalwanga Lukyamuzi, who questioned the progress of a proposal to acquire a helicopter estimated to cost Shs10 billion to support anti-poaching operations in national parks.
Kalwanga said helicopters could help UWA respond quickly to poaching incidents and scare away suspected poachers, but he also asked the authority to explain accountability issues raised in the Auditor General’s reports.
He said Parliament needed clear information on how UWA was using the resources already allocated to it before approving additional funding.
Kalwanga said resolving the accountability questions would give MPs a better understanding of the authority’s needs and help them make informed decisions when allocating more money to the tourism sector.
Patrick Aeku, the Soroti County MP and vice-chairperson of the committee, called for changes in the way tourists are received and tracked in national parks.
He proposed that UWA should improve the tracking of tourists and review the system of collecting tourist fees at park gates.
Aeku argued that many tourists arrive at the parks after making advance plans about the sites and activities they want to visit, making it necessary to develop a more efficient system for recording and monitoring their movements.
He also called for Uganda to continue developing a wider range of tourism activities to attract more visitors and encourage tourists to spend more time in the country.
Aeku said UWA should strengthen efforts to protect endangered and threatened species, including chimpanzees and mountain gorillas, because Uganda’s wildlife is one of the country’s biggest tourism attractions.
He also proposed the introduction of a luxury boat on the Kazinga Channel to give tourists a better experience while viewing wildlife.
The Kazinga Channel, which connects Lake Edward and Lake George in western Uganda, is known for its large concentration of hippos, crocodiles and other wildlife along its shores.
Aeku, however, raised concern about conflicts between communities and conservation authorities in areas surrounding the national parks.
He criticised pastoralists who, after being prevented from grazing their animals inside protected areas, had allegedly moved into agricultural farms in the Ruhiko area.
He also raised concerns about an investor identified as Jonathan White in the Katunguru area, whom he accused of having a poor relationship with communities living around the Kazinga Channel in Kasese.
The committee chairperson said authorities should take action against individuals who operate outside the law.
Mityana South MP Henry Makumbi said the committee should summon the investor to explain whether his activities comply with the law and the terms under which he operates.
Pader District Woman MP Lowila Otekayot said the committee should examine the memorandum of understanding between UWA and the investor and consider strengthening its provisions where necessary.
She said this would help protect both the interests of communities and the objectives of wildlife conservation.
Okot also raised concern about poor telecommunications and internet connectivity in some national parks.
He said the problem was affecting communication between tourists, park staff and rangers, despite the parks being important tourism destinations.
Okot said poor roads were another major challenge, particularly for tourists travelling to Kidepo Valley National Park in the north-eastern part of the country.
He directed UWA to prepare a detailed paper covering Uganda’s 12 individual national parks and highlighting the unique attractions and opportunities in each park.
The document, he said, would help MPs understand what makes each park different and encourage them to promote domestic tourism.
However, Nakaseke legislator Prof Wilber Ahabwe asked the committee to collect more information from other national parks before completing its report.
He said gathering additional evidence would help the committee prepare a more comprehensive and convincing report for Parliament.
Okot said the committee was constrained by limited resources and had discussed the matter with Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth.
He suggested that, where physical visits to all the parks were not possible, the committee could use desk reviews of existing reports, particularly those dealing with infrastructure and communication.
Charles Godfrey Okello, the Nwoya East MP, called for the construction of a hotel near Karuma Junction to serve tourists travelling to Murchison Falls National Park.
Okello said access to some parts of Murchison Falls remained difficult, particularly from the southern side, and called for improved infrastructure to make the park more accessible.
Kaberamaido MP Alfred Edakasi called for reliable electricity supply in national parks.
He said improved access to power would support tourism facilities and improve the experience of visitors, while helping Uganda attract more tourists and earn additional foreign exchange.
