Uwec obtains land for four regional zoos

The Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC) has secured 240 acres of land in four districts from the National Forestry Authority (NFA) to establish regional satellite wildlife conservation education centres, also known as zoos.

The regional zoos will be set up in Mbale, Gulu, Mbarara and Kyenjonjo for purposes of forest restoration, wildlife conservation, and promotion of tourism. 

NFA will, according to the memorandum it signed with UWEC last Friday, allocate 60 acres of land, located in central forest reserves in each of the four districts such as Abera in Gulu and Oruha in Kyenjojo.

Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony, Dr James Musinguzi, the executive director of UWEC, said the establishment of the regional zoos will help create awareness of wildlife and environmental conservation within these areas. 

“It [MoU] is an excellent partnership envisaged in the Sustainable Development Goal SDG 17 which ...supports the nexus between plants, animals, human beings, and the environment because they must co-exist. This is an opportunity for UWEC and NFA to work with the local governments and educate the public about the value of conserving biodiversity and co-existence,” he said.

Dr Musinguizi added: “All people cannot come to Entebbe alone…this collaboration is giving us an opportunity… to take conservation education messages to the communities.”
He said establishing each regional zoo will cost about Shs22 billion.

“We are going to start with the one in Mbale, we are starting with Shs5.1 billion in this financial year. We will start as soon as the handover is made,. We have already done the designs for the buildings to be constructed at the centre, and have been given approval by Mbale City,” he said.

The executive director of the NFA, Mr Tom Okello, said the zoos will, among others, combat encroachment.

“Majority of these natural forest reserves were initially used to obtain fuel wood for steam engines. That is why you will notice, many of them were near railway stations so now we have to put zoos for sustainable use to these forests,” he said.

He added:“If you go to Entebbe you will see that there is a lot of monetary activity going on.

These centres are also going to create jobs for the locals .”