Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) generated Shs16.4 billion in tourism concession revenue in the 2025/26 financial year. The figure exceeds its annual target of UGX 5billion by more than three times, despite an 8.3% decline in visitor numbers.
Presenting the Authority’s performance at the 2026 Annual Stakeholder Breakfast Meeting at Skyz Hotel in Naguru, Kampala, Executive Director James Musinguzi said the financial year had delivered progress in wildlife conservation, ecosystem restoration, community engagement and tourism development.
“The financial Year 2025/26 marked important progress in Uganda Wildlife Authority’s delivery of its wildlife conservation mandate, with notable achievements in ecosystem restoration, wildlife protection, species reintroduction, community conservation and tourism development,” Musinguzi said.
Tourism and Business Management
The Authority recorded 865,805 visits to protected areas and wildlife conservation education facilities, down from 943,837 in the 2024/25 financial year. The decline of 78,032 visits was attributed to Ebola outbreaks and negative travel advisories that prompted tourists to cancel permits and travel bookings.
Despite the reduction, concession revenue reached Shs16.4 billion against a target of Shs5 billion. Musinguzi attributed this performance to improved concession management, enhanced compliance monitoring and renegotiated agreements with private operators in national parks.
Concession revenue refers to the fees paid to UWA by private investors who operate tourism facilities such as lodges, campsites, restaurants and other services inside protected areas.
To sustain the growth, Musinguzi revealed that the Authority also prepared 19 concession opportunities and identified 18 investment sites to attract private-sector investment and expand tourism services across national parks.
The figures present a mixed picture for Uganda’s wildlife tourism industry, with strong concession revenue contrasting with a decline in visitor numbers.
Students and Regional Visitors Support Wildlife Tourism
Students accounted for the largest visitor category, with 323,060 visits, followed by 296,960 East African residents and 184,943 foreign non-residents.
The figures highlight the role of conservation education and regional tourism in supporting visitor numbers, alongside international travel.
The decline in overall visitation nevertheless exposes the vulnerability of tourism to public health concerns and travel advisories, which can affect bookings and confidence in a destination.
UWA is seeking to strengthen tourism competitiveness through infrastructure development, product diversification and greater private-sector participation.
Musinguzi said the Authority’s focus would include “improving tourism competitiveness” as part of its wider conservation and institutional development agenda.
The investment opportunities identified by UWA could help expand tourism services, although their contribution will depend on investor uptake, implementation and visitor demand.
Eight Southern White Rhinos Reintroduced to Two Reserves
One of the year’s major conservation milestones was the reintroduction of eight southern white rhinos to Ajai Wildlife Reserve and Kidepo Valley National Park.
The intervention restored the species to landscapes where it had become locally extinct, strengthening Uganda’s wildlife conservation programme and potentially creating opportunities to diversify wildlife tourism.
UWA Board of Trustees Chairman Professor James Kalema described the development as a significant step towards securing the country’s wildlife heritage.
“Of particular significance was the historic reintroduction of southern white rhinos to Ajai Wildlife Reserve and Kidepo Valley National Park, marking a major step in rewilding wildlife populations and securing Uganda’s biodiversity for future generations,” Kalema said.
The reintroduction could enhance the appeal of the two reserves, provided appropriate habitat management, security and visitor infrastructure are maintained.
UWA also assumed management responsibility for Bugoma Central Forest Reserve in May 2026, expanding its conservation responsibilities.
Musinguzi said the Authority’s work was guided by new strategic documents, including its Strategic Plan for 2025/26–2029/30, Service Delivery Standards and Client Charter.
“These key policy documents are guiding our work for efficiency and effectiveness,” he said.
Invasive-Species Management Expands by 73.6%
UWA increased the area under management for invasive and problematic native and exotic plant species to 7,464.94 hectares in 2025/26, up from 4,299.97 hectares in the previous financial year.
The additional 3,164.97 hectares represented growth of 73.6% and achievement of 175% against the annual target of 4,268.23 hectares.
The interventions are intended to improve habitat conditions and protect the ecosystems that sustain wildlife populations and nature-based tourism.
Boundary management also recorded substantial improvement. The authority maintained 1,213.1 kilometres of protected-area boundaries, compared with 400.3 kilometres in 2024/25, an increase of 812.8 kilometres, or approximately 203%.
The Authority also established 81.2 kilometres of live boundary markers and installed or maintained boundary pillars in priority protected areas.
The work included planting 50 kilometres of live boundary markers in Murchison Falls National Park, 12 kilometres in Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, seven kilometres along the Bwindi-Sarambwe boundary and six kilometres in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
UWA also installed 19 new boundary pillars in Murchison Falls, Lake Mburo and Kibale, and maintained 20 existing pillars in Kibale National Park.
In addition, the Authority restored 60.25 hectares of degraded habitats and undertook animal translocations to support species conservation.
These interventions are intended to strengthen protected-area management and safeguard the natural assets on which wildlife tourism depends.
Wildlife Crime and Human-Wildlife Conflict Remain Challenges
The authority conducted 25,621 patrols during the financial year, apprehended 2,931 suspects and recovered 43,642 illegal hunting and related implements.
The Authority also reported seizing wildlife products and progressing 1,237 wildlife crime investigations involving 2,189 suspects.
The enforcement operations reflect continued efforts to address illegal activities threatening wildlife and protected areas.
Community conservation also remained a priority. UWA supported 1,282 livelihood groups, conducted 2,421 community meetings and disbursed Shs5.51 billion through its revenue-sharing programme.
Reported human-wildlife conflict incidents declined from 6,557 to 4,290 during the year.
However, encounters between people and wildlife continue to threaten livelihoods in communities neighbouring protected areas, where animals can destroy crops, threaten livestock and endanger human lives.
Kalema said communities must receive tangible benefits from conservation.
“The Board takes pride in ensuring that communities neighbouring Protected Areas derive tangible benefits from conservation,” he said.
He added that revenue sharing and livelihood support reinforced the need to link wildlife protection to improvements in community welfare.
“Sustainable conservation must contribute to improved community wellbeing and socioeconomic transformation,” Kalema said.
Ranger Training
At the close of the financial year, 1,362 newly recruited rangers were undergoing paramilitary and wildlife conservation training, while investments in equipment, technology and staff development supported operations.
The Authority nevertheless faces challenges arising from inadequate resources, habitat degradation, wildlife crime, human-wildlife conflict and poor communication connectivity in some protected areas.
Musinguzi said the coming years would focus on implementing UWA’s five-year strategic plan, with greater emphasis on protection, habitat restoration, tourism and community benefits.
“Our focus in the coming years will be on effective implementation of the UWA Strategic Plan 2025/26-2029/30, with emphasis on strengthening wildlife protection, restoring degraded ecosystems, mitigating human-wildlife conflict, improving tourism competitiveness and increasing the benefits that neighboring communities derive from conservation,” he said.
He said the achievements demonstrated UWA’s contribution to biodiversity conservation, community livelihoods and Uganda’s tourism economy.
However, the combination of falling visitor numbers, pressure on habitats and growing conservation responsibilities underscores the need for sustainable financing and stronger partnerships.
For Uganda’s tourism industry, the challenge is to translate conservation achievements and investment opportunities into sustained visitor growth, stronger earnings and tangible benefits for communities living alongside the country’s wildlife resources.
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