GOVERNMENT TO RESTORE UGANDA WILDLIFE RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE IN KASESE

By Joel Kaguta

www.mknewslink.com

In kasese

The government of Uganda announced plans of rehabilitating the Uganda Wildlife Research and Training Institute in Kasese district into a center of excellence for wildlife and training in Africa.

Professor Ephraim Kamuntu, the Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, confirmed that the ministry will soon conduct a feasibility study for rehabilitation of the Institute located in Katwe Kabatoro Town Council.

He said that this will guide government to determine what kind of research and the form of infrastructure to be erected at the only training institute in the country.

According to the minister, government is already negotiating with World Bank to provide funds that would be used to finance the project as a center of excellence at a tune of 7.5million USD equivalent to ugx21bn.

He noted that part of the money will be earmarked for the completion of a modern infrastructures, equipment and staff capacity development in addition to realizing research function of the institute.

“There is no way you are going to teach and train these students out here if the teachers are not trained sufficiently, we must have the best staff here, because if you want to educate others, you must be educated first”, Kamuntu said.

Kamuntu said that after completion, the institute would transform and become a self sustaining center of excellence, to carryout wildlife research and train Ugandans.

He disclosed that the governing council for the institute chaired by Dr. Arthur Mugisha and the ministry have already identified and agreed to collaboratively work with a number of prestigious universities from within and abroad to always guide the institute.

Professor Kamuntu also said that the two offices have signed memorandum of understanding with Kent State University in the US, Makerere, Kyambogo and Mbarara universities specifically to help the institute on research among others.

 “Once the research arm of the institute is fully functional and training capacity is upgraded, the institute will meaningfully contribute to finding solutions to the complex conservation challenges that include human wild” Kamuntu adds.

He was on Friday presiding over the 9^th graduation ceremony of 208 grandaunts at the institution’s playground in Katwe Kabatoro Town Council.

He said that government already committed transforms the institute because of the key role it ought to play in tourism industry, urging the graduates to be innovative in order to achieve a strong human resource base.

According to Kamuntu, tourism which is based on natural endowment is the leading foreign exchange earner for this country, earning more than 1.4 billion dollars much more than the traditional exports of coffee cotton, tea and tobacco. 23.5 percent of total export of Uganda comes from tourism, creating jobs for more than 3000 people under Uganda Wildlife Authority.

He therefore challenged leaders to sensitize the communities neighboring game reserves in the country to refrain from poaching because animal and human populations are all increasing amidst land being fixed.

The institution’s Chairperson for the Governing Council, Dr. Arthur Mugisha also did not hide his happiness about the funds.

Mr. Mugisha said that the institution would observe the need to scrutinize thoroughly while admitting new students together with dedicated teaching staff to produce good quality of researchers and professionals.

“There is a lot to do as far as the development of tourism as sector but more importantly wildlife because the enhancement of the resources cannot survive unless the people have knowledge”, Mr. Mugisha stresses.

Bwambale who was awarded with a diploma disclosed that the institute still lacks equipment including binoculars, wide lenses and research component to enable the learners to graduate as the people with solutions to wildlife related challenges.

Robert Baluku, the Institution’s Principal, said that government has so far spent at least ugx2bns in terms of infrastructures. He is optimistic that the additional funds will enable the institute to solve some of the operational problems met by the instructors.