In October 2019, Watoto Church Limited through Symbion Uganda Limited, a multinational architectural firm submitted an architectural design to the Directorate of Physical Planning at Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA for redevelopment of Watoto Church.
Josephine Naiga, a resident of Kikoba village in Nakitoma, says that she has been grazing and watering about 40 cows in the sanctuary. She says that since Nakasongola is a dry area, the availability of free pasture and water for their animals was a great relief to pastoralists.
This followed a land wrangle between Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranches (ZRWR), the owners of the 16,000 acres of land where Rhinos are being bred and Rhino Fund Uganda who are managing the sanctuary. Capt Joseph Charles Roy, the proprietor of Ziwa Rhino & Wildlife Ranches has since ordered Rhino Fund Uganda to vacate the land.
The chimps live in or outside mainly tropical rain forests and woodlands located in Western Uganda such as Bugoma, Budongo, and Kibale among others There are also 25 individual chimpanzees that have been identified in Otzi Central Forest Reserve in West Nile, another habitat for the eastern chimpanzee.
Simplicious Gessa, the Communication Officer of Uganda Wildlife Authority –UWA told URN that the trio was arrested from Gulu by UWA personnel who had earlier tracked their email communication with prospective buyers of the eggs in the United States of America.
Peter Mwanja, the Chief Executive of Lasta events says while many businesses are now using the internet to do businesses, there are others who instead spread harmful and false information that has affected tourism, especially in the MICE (Meeting, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) segment.
On Wednesday evening, the group handed over their poaching tools including spears and arrows to Uganda Wildlife Authority-UWA officials at Nkuringo community conservation in Nkuringo town council. Speaking at the handover, John Biteete Rwabatwaare and James Nbebera explained that they have been poaching in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for over 10 years.
This time, however, UTB says by Tuesday morning, they had received confirmation from 300 hosted buyers online, six times more than the previous year and expect more because they had sent invitations to 400.
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, a home to 33 white endangered rhinos in Nakitoma sub-county, Nakasongola District is currently out of bounds to tourists and the public following a directive by Uganda Wildlife Authority to have it closed off.
Okot-Okidi says apart from eco-tourism, the protected areas will be turned into research and learning centres, and that hopefully, these initiatives will make communities feel the forests are part of their livelihood.
On Monday, the Uganda Wildlife Authority announced that it had taken over the security of the area to protect the 33 black rhinos at the sanctuary, following an attack by suspected thugs on the sanctuary. The following day, it announced that the facility was closed off to the public, effectively halting tourist activities there.
According to the statement, the closure was prompted by the misunderstanding between Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranches (ZRWR) and Rhino Fund Uganda (RFU).
The two are locked in a land row over location of the site for district headquarters that is under construction in Kidepo Town Council. The site is allegedly situated inside part of the 956 square kilometres set aside as Karenga Community Wildlife Management Area, a protected area managed by Ateker Safari LTD, formerly known as Karamoja Safari LTD following an agreement with UWA.
The statement further says that in the medium and long time, the rhinos will be introduced to UWA managed protected areas, adding that plans are underway to achieve this after completion of feasibility a study to identify a suitable location and conditions that need to be met.
The campaign follows the death of 60 Gray-crowned cranes, in different wetlands which were poisoned by encroachers in two weeks. The dead cranes were discovered in a survey conducted by ICF to identifying and protecting the crested crane habitats in the district.
Geoffrey Asiimwe Kamuhanda a resident of Kahendero landing site says they had a community engagement with UWA in 2019 and asked for public information on new laws and issues to do with human and wildlife conflicts.
David Musingo, UWEC's Manager of Education and Information Department, says the visitor numbers are still low, compared to the daily average of 500 visitors on weekdays and 2,000 on weekends before the outbreak of covid-19.
Praise Nshabaruhanga, the Rukiga District Tourism Officer, says that locals up today climb Rugongo hill to praise Muhumuza’s visible footmarks as well as fetch water that never dries up with the belief of receiving blessings.
Sadala Musoke, the Executive Director Nation Oil Distributors Limited that operates MV Kalangala, says the vessel is set to resume operations this afternoon with a testing route voyage from Nakiwogo at 2pm to Lutoboka in Kalangala.
