Buliisa, Masindi and Kiryandongo Districts that neighbour Murchison (Kabaleega) Falls National Park in the Bunyoro Region, have received Shs1.853b in revenue sharing funds for the role communities adjacent to the conservation area play in protecting it.
The trio is part of the six districts adjacent to the protected area including Nwoya, Oyam and Pakwach that have also had a share of the revenue at a function held at Nwoya district headquarters.
The Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Col (Rtd) Tom Butime, underscores the role communities neighbouring the national game park play in conserving the area that called for the appreciation with more than Shs3.15b.
“The initiative is a testament to the government’s recognition of the indispensable role that communities play in conserving our wildlife,” he says.
The minister clarifies that the money is not a financial transaction but a reflection of the government’s commitment to ascertain that the communities share the fruits of their conservation efforts equally with the government.
Mr Butime promises that “as the tourism industry continues to recover, the government expects to make a greater contribution to those communities in the future fostering both conservation and developments.”
He tells the Local Council 5 chairpersons of the recipient districts to ensure that the disbursed money empowers communities surrounding Murchison Falls National Park given their role in their conservation efforts.
The minister reminds the recipients that revenue sharing in this context is one of the efforts the government is putting in to ensure attitudinal change of communities around the national parks in Uganda.
The Executive Director (ED) Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Dr Sam Mwandah, says the Authority shares 20% of its annual park revenue with the people surrounding the national parks and wildlife reserves.
He adds that UWA sends the money from revenue sharing to districts that keep 5% to cover administration costs and pass the remaining 95% to the sub-counties for any agreed project that benefits the surrounding communities in those localities.
The ED reveals that revenue sharing in conservation areas began in 2005 and has created a positive impact in the affected communities by bolstering healthcare facilities, education and infrastructure in those communities.
On behalf of the beneficiary districts, the Nwoya Local Government Chairman, Mr Emmanuel Orach, stresses that communities in districts adjacent to Murchison Falls National Park encounter stern challenges arising from animals destroying their crops which are a source of food and income.
“Our communities have long borne the cost of living alongside wildlife. But with these funds, we’re seeing tangible benefits. We’re committed to ensuring that these resources are used wisely for the benefit of the communities that face trouble with animals that stray from the national park,” he says.
Communities and leaders of areas neighbouring Murchison Falls National Park like Buliisa, Nwoya and Pakwach continue complaining about elephants that to the greatest extent kill their relatives and destroy their crops.
Despite the law stipulating that UWA compensates affected people once the animals stray to human settlements, many complain that the process and procedure involved for the affected to be compensated is too bureaucratic and long to bear.
This has on many occasions left the affected without any compensation.
Table showing UWA revenue sharing for districts bordering Murchison Falls conservation area
| No. | District | Region | Amount in UGX |
| 1. | Buliisa | Bunyoro | Over 810m |
| 2. | Masindi | Bunyoro | Over 297m |
| 3. | Kiryandongo | Bunyoro | Over 746m |
| SUB TOTAL | 3 | Over 1.85b | |
| 4. | Nwoya | Acholi | Over 715m |
| 5. | Oyam | Lango | Over 220m |
| 6. | Pakwach | West Nile | Over 360m |
| SUB TOTAL | 3 | Over 1.295b | |
| GRAND TOTAL | 6 | Over 3.148b |
