The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is seeking Shs 10 billion to purchase a helicopter for monitoring national parks, rescuing animals, and transporting veterinary doctors quickly to treat injured wildlife.
The request raised questions from Members of Parliament (MPs) processing the matter, who asked whether the proposed amount includes funds for the helicopter’s maintenance.
The revelation was made by Dorcus Rukundo Twesigomwe, Business Development Manager at UWA, while appearing before Parliament’s Committee on Tourism during discussions on the Tourism Sector’s 2026/27 National Budget Framework Paper (NBFP).
Rukundo defended the planned purchase, saying: “Sometimes we have animals that have been attacked or trapped by poachers, and we want to rescue them and take doctors to administer treatment. The helicopter also helps us with ecological monitoring to identify invasive species and conduct our annual wildlife census. Some areas are too vast to monitor from land, so air access is essential.”
On whether the Shs 10 billion includes maintenance, Rukundo said: “This amount does not include maintenance. We are planning to procure a brand-new helicopter, and maintenance costs will be addressed slightly later.”
The discussion followed UWA’s presentation on the Shs 240 billion allocated in its budget. The Authority noted that Shs 92 billion will go toward salaries, social security, medical, and burial expenses, while Shs 42 billion will cover rent, utilities, insurance, fuel, and ICT.
UWA also proposed spending Shs 30 billion on constructing electric fences at Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth National Parks, and setting aside Shs 10 billion to compensate victims of human-wildlife conflict. MPs described the allocations for these initiatives as insufficient given the high demand for such services.
