UWA signs shs30b partnership to restore Pian Upe Game Reserve

UWA will remain the sovereign owner with full oversight and sign-off powers on all major decisions.

By Robert Edwomu

Soroti City – July 16, 2022: Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has signed a partnership agreement with Space for Giants, local communities; private enterprises, Amudat Community Wildlife Area, and International Conservation Organization [ICO].

The ‘Pian Upe Co-Management Partnership’ in Uganda signed on Friday, July 15, 2022, is to raise new investment capital to restore an ecologically important Wildlife Reserve called Pian Upe in Nakapiripirit District, Karamojong sub-region.

The agreement will see other partners participate in the obligation to fundraise and manage it on a day-to-day basis while UWA remains the sovereign owner with full oversight and sign-off powers on all major decisions.

The partnership will benefit not only the wildlife and environment but also more than 150,000 local people living in the areas surrounding the wildlife reserve by ensuring they earn more value from the ecosystem.

The Community Wildlife Areas are Nakapiripirit, Kween, Napak, Bulambuli, Bukedea, Katakwi, Kumi, Nabilatuk, and Amudat districts.

Pian Upe Game reserve founded in 1964 is Uganda’s second-largest state-protected area, after Murchison Falls National Park covering more than 2,000 sq km.

It has 525 recorded bird species and 163 mammals including Uganda’s widest diversity of plains mammals, cheetah, the endangered African wild dog, a rare subspecies of roan antelope, and Rothschild giraffes.

The oath will attract fresh and innovative investment and sustainable finance to allow the Reserve to be restored to become an engine for modern ecological and economic growth in a deprived region.

John Makombo is the Director of Conservation at UWA. He represented the Executive Director at the agreement signing and says the oath will aid the improvement of the community’s livelihoods and livestock.

The Reserve will get USD 1.2 million annually for management of the game reserve for a period of five years [duration of contract agreement].

He notes that this will help to fight poaching since communities are embraced as strong partners in protecting wildlife.

Dr. Max Sraham, the Chief Executive Director of Space for Giant Organization says they come to a partnership to help plan and manage based on government requests.

As a partner, they have donated USD 8 million approximately UGX 30,170,752,000 for the 5 years.

Sraham disclosed that the money is dedicated to improving Infrastructure Park, access roads, facilities for rangers, grazing regimes, and community development projects to ensure that Pian Upe is restored. 

Alibina Awor the Chief Administrative Officer Kween district asked for cooperation between partners and the local governments.

 She also challenged the local governments to conduct mass sensitization on wildlife conservation because most herders irresponsibly graze on the grazing regimes.

 Paul Lokol the chairperson of LCV Nabilatuk district receives the initiative as a good gesture of learning different mechanisms other countries like Kenya implement to conserve wildlife.

He says the involvement of Space for Giant NGO working in Kenya will enable Uganda to learn modern mechanisms to protect wildlife.

Lokol is optimistic that community development projects to be designed in the partnership will change the livelihoods of the benefiting community members.