By Nicholas Banadda
Uganda joins the world to commemorate wildlife day in Entebbe town on Tuesday, march, 3,2026. The event that was presided over by prime minister Robinah Nabbanja had wildlife wardens and rangers matching with school going children holding banner and also showcase several tourism exhibitors in Entebbe.
UWA executive director, Dr. James Musinguzi speaking during the occasion said that Over the past year, Uganda Wildlife Authority has strengthened frontline protection through intelligence-led operations, and enhanced ranger deployment.
“We have continued to invest in ecosystem restoration, invasive species management, and scientific monitoring to ensure that conservation decisions are guided by evidence. Species recovery programmes, including the reintroduction of the rhinos back to the wild, great apes, and large mammals, remain central to our mandate,” he said.
He said that UWA is aligning its operations to national development frameworks to ensure that conservation contributes meaningfully to employment, tourism growth, and local enterprise.
Minister of tourism ,Wildlife and Antiquities, Tom Butime said “we join the global community in celebrating United Nations World Wildlife Day 2026, under the inspiring theme: “Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods.” This theme speaks directly to the hearts of many of us – our people, our culture.
He said that Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are essential for both human health and well-being and ecological balance.
“For generations, humans have turned to nature for healing, nutrition and livelihoods. Across the globe, approximately 50,000-70,000 Medicinal and Aromatic Plants species are harvested for their healing properties, cultural significance and economic value,” he said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 70-95% of human populations in developing countries rely on traditional medicine for primary healthcare.
He said that Uganda ranks among the top most biodiversity rich countries globally with remarkable plant diversity Species such as Prunus africana, used in the treatment of prostate conditions; Warburgia ugandensis, valued for respiratory and immune-related ailments; Mondia whitei, known for its cultural and medicinal importance.
“Despite their importance, many Medicinal and Aromatic Plant species face growing threats from habitat loss, overharvesting and unsustainable harvesting, deforestation, habitat loss, climate change, and illegal trade,” minister said
He said that is why the Government and my Ministry in particular places communities at the centre of conservation.
“We are promoting community-based conservation, research, and sustainable use of natural resources. Programs such as revenue sharing from protected areas, resources access, collaborative management, and supporting livelihood enterprise development are ensuring that communities living near biodiversity-rich areas benefit directly from protecting nature,”
The permanent secretary ministry of tourism and wildlife, Doreen Katusiime said that tourism was severely affected by the outbreak of COVID-19.
“The visitor numbers declined from over 1.4m in 2019 to less than 500,000 by 2021. However, in the past few years, Uganda’s tourism industry almost fully recovered from Covid-19 impacts. In 2025, Uganda registered more than 1.5m visitors. There was also a corresponding positive performance in terms of revenue, generating more than USD1.5bn in 2025,” she said.
She said the Ministry will continue to invest in identification, development and diversification and development, build human resource capacity to provide improved management and hospitality services and lobby for improved infrastructure development.
“My Ministry under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) framework will continue to regulate trade in wildlife species in order to harness sustainable benefits for the people of Uganda,” PS said. ends