All the communities encroaching on the national reserves and wildlife conservation areas in Uganda have been instructed to leave.

H.E Y.K.Museveni made the command in a speech which was proclaimed by the Third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Information and National Guidance, Mr. Kirunda Kivejinja, to visitors and notables at the opening of the northern gateway of Wangkwar-Chobe into the Murchison Falls National Park, which is located 18 km along Karuma-Pakwach Path.

In a speech the president said that encroachment by agriculturalists on Mt. Elgon must stop and the Basongora patralists must be relocated from Queen Elizabeth National Park. He added that grazing in Semliki Wildlife Reserve and Kidepo National Park must be checkered.

He added that the encroachment resumed after people misinterpreting his statement he made in a speech at the beginning of this year who thought he had allowed them to encroach the national reserves.

The president defended himself saying he just gave advice to higher officials not to inhumanly evict the people who happen to have settled there long time ago as a result of past bad policies which these communities misinterpreted.

He emphasized that that no cruel action towards people should be enhanced as a result of the expulsions. He said.

The president also applauded that Uganda had been named as one of the leading global players in environmental conservation because of its friendly policies and legislation. He added that these environmental gracious laws had led to the development of tourism and environmental protection in the country.

Museveni authorized the Prime Minister and responsible ministers to guarantee that encroachers are correctly resettled and forests, national parks and wildlife resources conserved for posterity.

He urged officials to sensitize people, educate them asses the affected people’s needs and ensure proper definition of the boundaries

Uganda’s tourism industry is growing so fast and once this community- park relation ship is developed, an improvement on environmental conservation will be realized and hence Uganda travel industry development

By Tanah Hadijah

Uganda safari