Martin Mugarra Bahinduka, the State Minister for Wildlife and Antiquities
The State Minister for Wildlife and Antiquities, Martin Mugarra Bahinduka has said the Uganda Wildlife Authority-UWA will continue charging vehicles transiting through Murchison Falls National Park.
Speaking on Tuesday at Uganda Media Centre, Mugarra said that contrary to claims that it is only Murchison National Park that charges travellers who transit through it, the Kichumbanyobo Paraa Tangi – Pakwach bridge road which was constructed strictly as a tourism road and not for general public use. “The tarmacking of this road does not justify the change of its status as a park tourism road, indeed in the plans for UNRA to upgrade it to bitumen, the major justification was to support tourism inside the park. National Park was constructed for administrative and tourism use and has been so,” Mugarra said.
The minister’s statement followed the contestation by some of the MPs representing constituencies in northern Uganda. The MPs led by Gilbert Olanya of Kilak county argued that it is unfair to charge travellers to northern Uganda yet people in western Uganda who transit through Lake Mburo National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park are not charged. “The road through Murchison Falls National Park was developed for administrative and tourism purposes. Travellers to West Nile and Northern Uganda have an alternative route, through Kiryandongo via the Karuma bridge to either Pakwach or Gulu, at no costs despite traversing through Murchison Falls National Park too. This is a fact that those misinforming the public about free access through other parks in Uganda like to ignore,” the minister said.
UNRA, over a week ago closed Karuma bridge for three months to enable its refurbishment after cracks were observed. Since then, travellers to northern Uganda have been directed to use alternative routes. However, UWA has been charging those using the Kichumbanyobo gate fees to access the tarmacked road. The minister said that they have not completely refused people to travel through the park as Bugungu gate Bulisa route, is still open and free to everybody.
Mugarra said although they acknowledge the need for people to transit through the park unimpeded, they also have to balance between this and wildlife conservation. “UWA has provided an alternative route through the park at free cost using the Bugungu gate. This route is about an extra 30 km to Kampala if one travels through Hoima. Given the travel through Kichumbanyobo gate is an additional 50 km in the park and at the speed limit of 40 km per hour, it will take the same time, if not shorter, to pass through the Bugungu gate and with numerous advantages to both people and wildlife,” Mugarra said.
Depending on the size of the vehicle, access to and through Murchison National Park can cost between 20,000 and 500,000 Shillings.
