Uganda Wildlife Authority Seeks UGX 10 Billion for Helicopter, Faces MP Scrutiny on Fencing and Compensation
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) presented its proposed budget for the 2026/27 financial year before Parliament’s Committee on Tourism, sparking debate over major expenditures including a new helicopter and electric fencing.
The most eye-catching request is for UGX 10 Billion to purchase a brand-new helicopter. Dorcus Rukundo Twesigomwe, UWA’s Business Development Manager, defended the allocation on January 27, 2026, explaining the aircraft would be used for surveillance of protected areas, anti-poaching patrols, ecological monitoring, conducting animal censuses, and rescuing injured wildlife.
“We take the doctors there to help and administer some treatments to the animals,” Rukundo stated, emphasizing the need for quick transportation of veterinary staff across vast parks. She clarified to MPs that the UGX 10 Billion covers only the procurement, with maintenance costs to be budgeted for later.
Electric Fencing and Compensation Debate Intensifies
A larger portion of the debate centered on UWA’s proposed UGX 30 Billion for constructing electric fences around Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth National Parks, alongside a separate UGX 10 Billion for compensating victims of human-wildlife conflict.
MPs widely criticized these allocations as insufficient. Charles Okello, Member of Parliament for Nwoya East, commended the construction of an initial 10km electric fence in his constituency but urged its immediate expansion. He reported that eight people have been killed by “marauding elephants” in the past year in now-more-vulnerable areas.
Okello made a pragmatic financial argument: “Since we don’t even have the money for compensation, it is mathematical… if you revert the UGX 3 Billion for compensation to electric fence, you are doing nearly the same thing.” His point highlighted a preference for preventative fencing over reactive compensation.
Overall Budget Breakdown
The discussions followed UWA’s presentation of its total UGX 240 Billion budget allocation. According to the Authority:
· UGX 92 Billion is earmarked for salaries, social security, medical, and burial expenses.
· UGX 42 Billion is for operational costs like rent, utilities, insurance, fuel, and ICT.
· The remaining significant portions are the contested UGX 30 Billion for fencing and UGX 10 Billion for compensation.
The Committee’s deliberations underscore the ongoing tension between conservation needs, community safety, and limited financial resources, with MPs pushing for strategic investments aimed at preventing tragedies rather than paying for their consequences.
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