Uganda Wildlife Authority conducted 25,621 patrols against a target of 14,177 in 2025/2026, while expanding habitat restoration, community conservation and tourism promotion amid persistent human-wildlife conflict.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) exceeded its annual wildlife patrol target and expanded community conservation activities in the 2025/2026 financial year, stepping up efforts to combat poaching, restore habitats and support tourism in protected areas.
Presenting the authority’s annual performance during a stakeholders’ breakfast engagement, Executive Director James Musinguzi said UWA conducted 25,621 patrols against a target of 14,177 as part of efforts to combat poaching, wildlife crime and other illegal activities.
The authority also cleared invasive plant species across 7,464 hectares to restore habitats and improve conditions for wildlife. The interventions formed part of its wider ecosystem management programme, which includes ecological monitoring, habitat restoration and wildlife population surveys.
UWA maintained 1,213 kilometres of protected-area boundaries and installed 300 boundary pillars to improve the demarcation of national parks and other conservation areas.
In fire management, the authority managed 49 fires, established 123 kilometres of fire lines and maintained another 306.5 kilometres of existing fire lines to protect wildlife habitats.
Musinguzi said UWA had also taken steps to restore wildlife populations, including relocating eight adult male southern white rhinos into the wild. Four were taken to Ajai Wildlife Reserve and four to Kidepo Valley National Park.
The rhinos were bred at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, whose population had grown from zero to 61, according to Musinguzi. He said the initiative demonstrated Uganda’s capacity to undertake wildlife restoration programmes using local expertise and resources.
UWA also conducted 649 disease surveillance exercises and rescued 275 animals during the reporting period.
Community engagement remained central to the authority’s conservation strategy. UWA conducted 2,421 community awareness meetings to promote conservation education and encourage residents to participate in protecting wildlife.
The authority also held 570 radio talk shows to increase public awareness of conservation and the benefits communities can derive from wildlife resources.
Musinguzi said 94 projects had been implemented under the revenue-sharing programme, through which 20% of entry fees collected at protected areas is returned to neighbouring communities.
The programme is intended to support local development and encourage communities to protect wildlife and conservation areas.
Human-wildlife conflict, however, remains a major challenge, particularly where settlements and agricultural activities overlap with wildlife habitats.
Musinguzi said UWA continued to respond to conflict cases, support community wildlife scouts and expand electric fencing to reduce encounters between people and wildlife.
The authority achieved 56.6% of its target for new electric fencing, covering 141.6 kilometres, while maintenance of existing fencing exceeded its target.
The Executive Director said crop damage and threats to human safety accounted for a substantial proportion of reported human-wildlife conflict incidents, with 2,722 cases recorded under the reported damage categories.
UWA also reported performance above target in handling compensation claims, although delays in processing payments remain a concern for affected communities.
The authority’s conservation work also supports Uganda’s tourism sector, with visitor numbers at some of the country’s leading national parks highlighting their importance as wildlife destinations.
During the 2025/2026 financial year, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park recorded 47,141 visitors, while Kidepo Valley National Park registered 6,174.
Murchison Falls National Park received 156,963 visitors, Queen Elizabeth National Park recorded 102,288, and Kibale National Park registered 24,848. The five parks recorded a combined 337,414 visits, according to figures presented at the engagement.
Musinguzi said UWA participated in 28 tourism expos during the year, comprising 18 international and 10 national exhibitions, working with tourism operators and other private-sector partners to promote Uganda’s wildlife destinations.
The authority also concluded four concession agreements and renewed eight others through its Board of Trustees to encourage investment in tourism facilities and services within protected areas.
UWA is exploring further tourism diversification, including the possible habituation of chimpanzees in the northern sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Musinguzi said the proposal would require consultations with tourism operators to assess its potential benefits and implications for existing gorilla-tracking activities.
On research and environmental management, UWA reviewed 27 environmental and social impact assessment reports for proposed developments in protected areas and supported seven research grants against a target of five.
The authority also held its first wildlife research conference and launched the State of Wildlife Resources Report to guide conservation planning and management decisions.
Musinguzi said UWA was strengthening its human resource capacity through a training school at Lugaya in the Murchison Falls Conservation Area. The authority reported that more than 1,300 rangers were undergoing training to strengthen its operational and law enforcement capacity.
Infrastructure development was another priority, with investments in staff accommodation, transport equipment and maintenance of roads and tracks used by tourists and conservation teams.
Musinguzi said collaboration with government agencies, security institutions, local governments, conservation organisations, the media and tourism operators remained essential to delivering UWA’s mandate.
UWA Board of Trustees Chairperson James Kalema said the breakfast engagement had been organised to strengthen cooperation between the authority and its stakeholders, provide feedback on performance and identify areas requiring improvement.
Kalema said the board was prioritising information technology, including artificial intelligence, infrastructure development and staff training to improve operational efficiency.
He also said the board had directed management to simplify and decentralise the processing of compensation claims arising from human-wildlife conflict so that affected communities would not have to wait unnecessarily long for assistance.
Kalema called for stronger collaboration between UWA and its stakeholders, saying communities should be treated as conservation partners rather than adversaries.
He directed management to make the stakeholder engagement an annual event, describing it as an important platform for accountability, information sharing and joint problem-solving.
UWA’s five-year strategic plan for 2025/2026 to 2029/2030 seeks to conserve Uganda’s wildlife resources while supporting nature-based tourism in line with the government’s tenfold growth strategy.