Senior officers of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) have been told to translate the knowledge, discipline and leadership skills acquired at the National Leadership Institute (NALI), Kyankwanzi, to improve service delivery and strengthen wildlife conservation.

Minister of State for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Susan Nakawuki Nsambu, said the above while officiating at the pass-out ceremony of Intake 03/2026 of UWA senior officers at NALI.

Nsambu commended NALI for providing an environment that not only imparted leadership knowledge but also strengthened discipline, teamwork and ideological orientation among the participants.

“UWA should make such training a continuous undertaking. I hope this is not going to be the last training. Learning never stops. This should be constant because I see it makes these people happy,” she said.

The minister observed that effective leadership does not necessarily come with universal approval, particularly in an institution whose officers are responsible for enforcing wildlife laws and protecting Uganda’s natural resources.

She cited the fight against poaching as an example, noting that those involved in illegal wildlife activities would not necessarily appreciate the work of conservation officers.

“Not everyone can love you, and not everyone can appreciate you,” she said. “The Ministry stands behind UWA officers in the execution of their lawful duties.”

She reminded the officers that UWA operates within a tourism sector that makes a significant contribution to Uganda’s economy, urging them to work collectively to ensure that visitors to Uganda’s national parks and other tourism attractions receive a first-class experience.

“Our sector is one of the biggest contributors to this country’s GDP, so we have to do everything possible to ensure that we give our tourists a first-class experience when they come to Uganda,” she said.

The Director of the National Leadership Institute (NALI), Col Okei Rukogota, said NALI’s core mandate is to support strategic leadership in developing a critical mass of Ugandans capable of driving socio-economic transformation.

He explained that NALI, under the leadership of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, continues to provide political education, ideological orientation and practical skills intended to equip leaders with a deeper understanding of their role in national development.

According to Col Rukogota, the UWA senior officers were taken through political education and ideological orientation aimed at enhancing their understanding of the country’s transformation processes and their responsibility in safeguarding the gains made.

He said graduation from NALI should not mark the end of learning, but rather the beginning of putting the acquired knowledge into practice.

He said the officers should become “primers of socio-economic transformation” by applying the lessons learnt at NALI within UWA and the communities they serve.

“Being here is also a primer. After coming here, you must go and practise what you have studied,” he said.

The Executive Director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Dr. James Musinguzi, commended the Institute for equipping the officers with leadership, decision-making and practical skills relevant to the conservation of Uganda’s wildlife and natural resources.

He said the training had provided the senior officers with an opportunity to reflect on how UWA can improve its approach to conservation, particularly by working more closely with communities.

“We have made a decision that for us to be able to go and do things differently and better, we need to cascade this down to the people on the ground, the foot soldiers,” Dr Musinguzi said.

According to Dr Musinguzi, the decision to cascade the training is intended to create a shared culture of transformational leadership and effective service delivery among UWA staff.

From senior management to officers working directly with communities and wildlife, he said the additional training is a concept that emphasises working with communities around protected areas to create employment and wealth while promoting wildlife conservation.