KAMPALA – The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) on Wednesday, 24 June 2020, unveiled a statue of Zakayo, legendary chimp that died aged 54 years in 2018.
Tourism minister Tom Butimeo, who presided over the unveiling, said plans are underway to reopen the tourism centres as the country returns to full business following Covid-19.
“We hope Covid-19 will end soon and we start operating on a full scale. I have appointed a taskforce to workout modalities how Ugandans can now embrace domestic tourism. We have been lacking as far as domestic tourism is concerned the task force working together with other partners will help to promote local tourism,” he said.
Mr Musinguzi, the Executive Director of UWEC, also received that the centre will soon be open visitors.
“We are going to carry out the reopening in phases by allowing a particular number of people to enter the zoo at a time, though some of the activities we were carrying out will not be opened at the beginning like animal interactions, I want to assure you the centre will be open in a few days but under strict regulations pending the approval of the ministry’s Standard Operating Procedures,” he said.
“When a visitor comes to the centre we shall take their temperature with an infra red temperature gun, after which they will be required to sanitize. We are placing hand washing facilities all through the centre at every exhibit among other guidelines,” he added.
Mr Musinguzi also hailed Good Samaritans who have been donating funds to the centre to feed their animals.
