The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has asked Parliament to approve Shs 10 billion to buy a helicopter to monitor national parks, rescue animals, and quickly transport veterinary doctors to injured wildlife.
The request raised eyebrows among MPs, who questioned whether the figure includes maintenance, fuel, insurance and crew costs, or whether it only covers the purchase price of the aircraft.
The issue came up when Dorcus Rukundo Twesigomwe, the UWA Business Development Manager, appeared before Parliament’s committee on tourism during scrutiny of the tourism sector’s 2026-27 national budget framework paper.
Twesigomwe told MPs that a helicopter would improve surveillance in protected areas, help fight poaching and allow faster response to wildlife emergencies, especially in hard-to-reach parks such as Kidepo Valley, Murchison Falls and Bwindi Impenetrable forest.
UWA manages 10 national parks, 12 wildlife reserves and several sanctuaries. Its work includes conservation, law enforcement, tourism promotion and community outreach.
Tourism is one of Uganda’s biggest foreign exchange earners, with wildlife attractions contributing a large share of visitor numbers.
However, several MPs expressed concern about the size of the request and its timing. They questioned whether buying and operating a helicopter is the most cost-effective option for a country facing pressure to fund health, education, roads and water services.
Some legislators noted that UWA already collaborates with the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and police air wing when aerial support is needed.
Others asked why the authority could not lease a helicopter when required, instead of committing billions of shillings to an asset that is expensive to maintain.
The Shs 10 billion request also comes at a time when hospitals lack medicines, many schools are understaffed and districts are struggling to deliver basic services. MPs said these competing needs make it difficult to justify such a large allocation to a single piece of equipment.
The committee is expected to seek further clarification from UWA before making recommendations to the budget committee.
