Minister of Tourism Tom Butime (R) and Dickson Kateshumbwa (Sheema Municipality) while appearing before the Trade and Tourism Committee recently
MPs on Parliamentary Committee on Trade, Tourism and Industries have questioned the decision by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to sideline Police into the investigation of the Queen Elizabeth National Park fire in preference for a private investigator.
Parliament’s investigation into the matter followed a complaint from Dickson Kateshumbwa (Sheema Municipality) who also doubles as proprietor of Park View Safari Lodge, who accused UWA of negligence that led to the 23rd July 2021 fire in Rubirizi district that gutted 18 properties worth Shs7Bn.
While appearing before the Committee today, Samuel John Mwadha, Executive Director UWA defended the decision to hire a private investigator arguing that when the fire broke out, the Authority wrote to Police informing them about the fire and conduct an investigation, but there was no response, prompting UWA to hire services of a private investigator.
However, Deputy IGP Godfrey Tumusiime and the Director Forensics, Andrew Mubiru denied to have seen any letter from Uganda wildlife authority which also raised concerns from MPs on the committee and they accused the executive director of UWA for lying to the committee.
“The procedure requires that any outside body while writing to Police should write to the Inspector General of Police not the department. The ED has said he wrote to forensics but there is no letter to the office of IGP, indicating that matter and it is incumbent on whoever says wrote to give you that copy. We aren’t here to pin anybody,” said Tumusiime.
Mwine Mpaka, Chairperson Trade Committee tasked UWA to furnish the committee with the detailed documents regarding the exercise of electoral fencing of all national parks and explain how Shs50M is spent on installation of electric fences for each kilometer.
