KAMPALA- The Deputy Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah, has commended the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) for implementing the United Nations General Assembly resolution of annually celebrating and raising awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora.
Speaking at the flag off the 2020 UWA Marathon on Sunday, 23 February 2020, Oulanyah said Parliament is committed to strengthening regulatory and policy frameworks that will promote wildlife conservation.
“We shall continue to support the sector through commensurate budgetary allocations to address the challenges of inadequate infrastructure, human-wildlife conflict, human resource development and promotion and marketing of Uganda as a preferred tourism destination,” said Oulanyah.
He added that Government would continue to engage communities and raise awareness, share benefits that accrue from tourism and support operationalisation of the newly established compensation scheme for wildlife induced damage.
The Deputy Speaker commended the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities for ensuring the recovery of Uganda’s wildlife through the development of a wildlife policy.
“Tourism development through appropriate wildlife conservation has been identified in Uganda’s comprehensive National Planning Framework as the country’s leading foreign exchange earner, generating close to 10 per cent of our total GDP,” Oulanyah said.
Speaking to the theme of the United Nations World Wildlife Day 2020, Sustaining Wildlife for the benefit of the Present and Future Generations’, Oulanyah urged all Ugandans to work together towards improving the conservation of Uganda’s biodiversity.
UWA Executive Director, Sam Mwandha said that the marathon is also aimed at supporting children of game rangers who have lost their lives while on duty.
This year’s World Wildlife Day will be commemorated on Tuesday, 03 March at Ssaza Grounds in Kisoro district.
