Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda's largest and most iconic conservation area, is under siege.
A temporary diversion of vehicles through the park following the closure of the Karuma Bridge has created an environmental crisis, with unchecked traffic, pollution, and limited resources threatening both wildlife and tourism.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) reports that an average of two to three animals are killed daily by overspeeding vehicles on the Kichumbanyobo-Tangi route.
Beyond collisions, litter, noise pollution, and oil spills from broken-down vehicles are wreaking havoc on the park’s fragile ecosystem.
“Every day, we lose like two to three precious wildlife because of overspeeding vehicles which go beyond the 40 kilometer limit. The noise, pollution, and litter are driving animals away from tourist hotspots, degrading both the safari experience and the health of the park's ecosystem," Bashir Hangi, Communications and Public Relations Manager, at UWA described the dire situation.
" That stretch of 80 kilometers through the park is littered with plastic and polythene and sometimes blown away by the wind into the habitat, threatening wildlife and it strains us to deploy staff to ensure sanity in the park needs resources which takes a toll on us since you have to remove rangers from one place to another."
UWA has had to deploy rangers to guide tourists and monitor traffic. However, this has placed a heavy financial burden on the authority.
“The costs of logistics and ranger remuneration are straining our budget. We are stretched thin, trying to protect this national treasure,” Hangi added.
Tourism stakeholders are feeling the effects of the park’s challenges.
Herbert Byaruhanga, former president of the Uganda Tourism Association and a tourism consultant, warns that safety concerns are discouraging early tourist bookings.
“Tourists are raising concerns online about the congestion and pollution in the park. Although there are cancellations, delayed bookings indicate a negative impact,” he explained.
There should be an alternative plan especially when the single route destinations get road problems. The Masindi road would be an alternative, but not letting all vehicles passing in the park," Byaruhanga added.
The tourism sector contributes about 7.7% to Uganda’s GDP, with Murchison Falls accounting for 36.4% of all visitor arrivals to national parks. A prolonged crisis could jeopardize this revenue stream and Uganda's reputation as a premier safari destination.
Allan Ssempebwa, the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) spokesperson, says repair work on the bridge is ongoing, with the goal of reopening it to the public by Christmas.
" Works to repair the bridge at Karuma are ongoing, and the teams are doing everything they can to ensure that they beat the timeline that was given to them that is before Christmas this year. Most of the foundation works on that concrete deck have been done and are now left with pouring concrete onto the deck and finalizing works on the bridge to secure it," Ssempebwa said.
" Guard rails and all other safety measures are being installed on the bridge before reopening it to traffic," he added.
The Ministry of Works and Transport closed the bridge over the River Nile on the Kampala – Gulu Highway from access by all motorists on Monday, 23 September 2024 to pave the way for rehabilitation of the bridge, with works estimated to take three months.