Members of Parliament have warned that negative publicity surrounding disease outbreaks, insecurity and other calamities is affecting Uganda’s tourism sector and undermining the country’s revenue earnings.
The concerns were raised during the presentation of a post-legislative scrutiny report on revenue sharing under the Uganda Wildlife Act.
Post-legislative scrutiny examines the implementation of laws and the performance of government institutions responsible for administering them.
The report indicated a decline in tourism revenue, attributing the drop largely to epidemic outbreaks and negative publicity surrounding calamities that could discourage tourists from visiting Uganda.
The State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Susan Nakawuki Nsambu, attributed declining revenue from national parks to recurring disease outbreaks, saying such incidents affect tourist arrivals.
Rushenyi County MP Naome Kabasharira urged Ugandans to consider how the country’s image influences tourism and revenue collection.
She called on the public to exercise caution when discussing incidents that could damage Uganda’s reputation, arguing that alarming reports adversely affect tourism and reduce revenue earnings.
“Stop alarming reports, they affect our tourism sector,” she said.
James Kakooza, the Central Region representative for older persons, also said publicity surrounding disease outbreaks and security incidents could discourage tourists from visiting Uganda.
“Ebola, there are countries who had more sick people than Uganda, but they kept quiet,” Kakooza said.
He urged the minister to explore ways of managing public communication about calamities, arguing that negative publicity could cost the country tourists and investors.
“We should prevent them,” he said.
Kakooza claimed that six companies known to him had suffered losses and relocated to Tanzania following publicity about an attack by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
He said Uganda currently earns approximately US$1.6 billion from tourism, against a target of US$2.5 billion, arguing that negative publicity surrounding calamities was undermining the sector’s growth.
Kakooza also questioned the management of non-tax revenue collected by government institutions, asking why some of the funds were not remitted to the Consolidated Fund.
Citing the Public Finance Management Act, he argued that institutional expenditure should be presented to Parliament through the national budget. He called for clarification on how revenue collected by government institutions is managed and shared.
Meanwhile, Kalungu West County MP Joseph Gonzaga Ssewungu raised concerns about wildlife conservation, particularly the declining population of crested cranes in Uganda.
Ssewungu said he was surprised by the number of crested cranes he observed during a recent visit to Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater compared with the numbers he typically sees in Uganda.
He described the crested crane as an important national symbol and tourist attraction, urging the responsible ministry to strengthen efforts to protect the bird.
Ssewungu also called for improvements to Uganda’s zoo, saying it serves as an important educational resource for schoolchildren.
“But the zoo is very weak, yet it’s a very strong resource for this country,” he said.
He urged the ministry to enhance the zoo’s educational and tourism value while strengthening wildlife conservation efforts.
The MPs’ concerns highlighted the need to balance responsible public communication during disease outbreaks and security incidents with transparency, public awareness and effective conservation measures to protect Uganda’s tourism industry and natural heritage.
