President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has directed the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to stop charging fees from travellers (not tourists) who are transiting through the Murchison Falls National Park to connect to and from Northern Uganda.
Currently, travellers are using the road in the Murchison Falls National Park as an alternative route following the closure of Karuma Bridge which is under rehabilitation.
“On the use of the park by the people who are travelling to and from Northern Uganda during the time of the closure of the Karuma Bridge, I totally forbid the charging of money from travellers who are not tourists, it’s nonsensical, It’s not correct,” he said.
The President made the remarks today while meeting the members of National Resistance Movement (NRM) Parliamentary Caucus at State House, Entebbe.
Travelers led by MPs from the Acholi and Lango sub-regions recently protested the shs25,000 fee charged to travelers passing through Murchison Falls National Park after the Karuma Bridge closure for repair.
They expressed concern over the heavy financial burden placed on both passengers and vehicle owners, with bus operators paying shs210,000 per trip and smaller vehicles being charged shs40,000, leading to an overall spike in transport costs to Northern Uganda.
On Friday,Government Chief Whip, Denis Hamson Obua appealed to President Museveni to waive off the fees being charged from the travellers using the road in the park.
“On the side of the Murchison Park sir, we are requesting you that if it pleases you, consider waiving the fee for any car that should have primarily used Karuma but if Obua with his family is heading to Murchison as a tourist, then he must pay so that Your Excellency, we don’t lose any revenue. What we are requesting is that cars which could have primarily used Karuma to transit through Murchison Falls Park free of charge,” Obua said.
In response, the president it’s not about the money but the impact the vehicles have on the animals in the National Park.
“Apparently, according to conservationists, they are saying that those animals in the park are not used to very many vehicles, especially the big ones. I can suspect that there may be common sense in it since from when that park was created, big vehicles never passed there, it is only the small ones. Now that when these animals see these big vehicles they fear and run away,” he said.
Additionally, President Museveni directed the Vice President, Jessica Alupo to convene a meeting next week between the Ministry of Tourism, Conservationists and some Members of Parliament to assess the impact of big cars transiting through Murchison Falls National Park on tourism.
“If these animals run away and the tourists don’t see them when they go there, the whole country will lose. This has an impact on tourism. Should we only allow a certain type of vehicles instead of the big ones, what should we do after you have done the impact assessment with the conservationists?” he inquired.
“These conservationists should be able to tell you the difference between the Ishaka- Kasese Road where Queen Elizabeth National Park is situated because big vehicles pass there and these other roads. I don’t know the impact but you discuss with them.”
