Tayebwa tasks Tourism minister on compensation fund

Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa has asked the minister of Tourism, Tom Butime to present to the House a comprehensive statement on the progress on the operationalisation of the Uganda Wildlife Act, 2019.

Close to three years after the Act came into force, communities neighbouring the national parks across the country continue to be on the receiving end of the partial enforcement of the law because those illegally found in the national parks have been punished.

However, communities who lose lives and crops to stray animals from the protected areas have not had a chance to be compensated by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) as provided for in the new law.

During yesterday's plenary session, Tayebwa wondered why the minister of Tourism has not yet gazetted the regulations to operationalise the Wildlife Compensation Fund because the people neighbouring national parks are losing a lot.

"We passed a law here but people are not being compensated. Prime Minister, I have requested that the minister comes Thursday next week with a comprehensive statement on the implementation of the law," Tayebwa said. 

The directive came after Michael Wanyama Odwori, the MP for Namayingo South, rising on a matter of national importance said that the hippopotami from Lake Victoria have been destroying crops for his constituents. 

"As I speak, there are aquatic animals called hippopotami, they have devastated our gardens and the crops. They eat everything green on the lake shores especially along the villages on the lake.   The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife should intervene or else we are going to face a disaster of famine," said Odwori.

The matter attracted concern from other legislators with Buvuma Island’s Robert Migadde and Kalungu West’s Joseph Ssewungu wondering why people continue to be killed by wild animals and others see their gardens destroyed without compensation.

Third Deputy Prime Minister, Rukia Nakadama told Parliament that she was going to speak to the minister of Tourism to take action on the case of Namayingo South. But this was not well received by the MPs including the deputy speaker.

Tayebwa informed Parliament that his own Constituency, Ruhinda North in Mitooma District people are affected by elephants and buffalos from Queen Elizabeth National Park which have been ravaging their gardens.

"Our people now no longer have what to eat. Crops are destroyed by elephants and buffalos and they are not being compensated. Now what is going to happen is that people will begin to go to the national park. And whenever people go to the national park, some of them don’t return. They are killed there. I have had some cases," Tayebwa said.