Despite being regarded as one of Africa’s most breathtaking wildernesses and among the eight best Safari destinations in Africa, Kidepo Valley national park remains remote and Uganda’s least explored national park.
The park received 7,846 visitors in 2021, 8,343 in 2022, which dropped to 6,388 in 2023. The numbers rose again to 7,613 visitors in 2024. These numbers are low, compared to Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi Impenetrable, Lake Mburo, Semliki and Kibale national parks.
Kidepo is located in the rugged hills, valleys and savannah of Kaabong district in northeastern Uganda where tourists have to pass through a 115km murram road from Kitgum, the nearest big town, making the journey to the park very arduous.
However, efforts are being made to have this park, which is branded as the true African wilderness, more accessible to visitors and eventually increase its tourist numbers.
KITGUM-KIDEPO ROAD
In April last year, parliament authorized government to obtain a loan of up to Shs 450 billion from Standard Chartered bank for the construction of the 115km Kitgum-Kidepo road, citing its critical role in tourism.
According to Richard Muhabwe, the chief warden of Kidepo Valley conservation area, the contractor has already been identified, the Environmental and Social Assessment and Resettlement Action Plans have been finished, with the government only still compensating the affected residents for the construction works to commence.
“Soon, we are going to have Kitgum-Kidepo road tarmacked and it will ease movement of tourists, and the tour operators will consider the park more. Right now, they hesitate to bring tourists because of the long distance on a rough road which gets impassable during the rainy season,” Muhabwe said during a recent visit by The Observer to the park organized by the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB).
He added that in the medium term, they are going to have other roads connecting to the park such as the Moroto-Kotido-Kaabong- Kidepo and Soroti-Abim-Kaabong-Kidepo roads worked on.
KIDEPO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
In June last year, the government of Uganda through the ministry of Works and Transport, Civil Aviation Authority, ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities and Uganda Wildlife Authority signed a memorandum of understanding with Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry from the United Arab Emirates to construct an international airport near Kidepo Valley national park as well construct hotels within the park.
The minister of Tourism Col Tom Butime noted that this airport will see a significant shift in travel logistics for international tourists; instead of them arriving at Entebbe international airport and embarking on a lengthy tedious journey to Kidepo, tourists will have the convenience of landing directly at Kidepo international airport.
“Tourists will land directly at Kidepo international airport, go to the national park, drive through Kitgum to Gulu and on to Murchison Falls national park. They will then drive on tarmac to Fort Portal, Kibaale, Semliki, Rwenzori, Queen Elizabeth national park, then to Lake Mburo national park and back to Kampala,” Butime said last year.
Muhabwe believes that with the Kidepo international airport bringing in visitors on direct flights, it will give a big boost to the park. Construction works for the airport commenced in August last year and this will be Uganda’s third international airport after Entebbe and Kabalega in Hoima.
REINTRODUCTION OF RHINOS
Currently, Kidepo boasts of having four of the big five big African mammals; that is lions, buffaloes, elephants and leopards, with rhinos the only of these mammals missing in the park.
According to Muhabwe, Kidepo used to have rhinos up to the 1980s when they were lost due to the lawlessness in the country at that time. He, however, said that efforts to reintroduce the rhinos are in high gear with the Environment Social Impact Report already been approved and construction of the boma where the rhinos will live, underway.
“We are very grateful to the European Union which has offered financial support. We have the implementing agencies; the Northern Rangeland Trust based in Kenya and the Uganda Conservation Foundation. These rhinos are going to be sourced from Kenya and South Africa, and we intend to start with 10, which we hope will be here within one year from now,” Muhabwe said.
INCREASING THE NUMBER OF LIONS
Though the overall wildlife numbers have been increasing tremendously in Kidepo with almost 10,000 buffalo, 1,000 elephants and 200 giraffes, unfortunately the number of lions has been declining, with the park now having only 12 lions which a visitor can hardly spot during a game drive.
Muhabwe attributes the decrease to human-wildlife conflict and poaching where the communities surrounding the park set snares for kobs and antelopes but the lions end up falling in these traps when chasing their prey. Also, the lions get killed whenever they crossed into neighbouring South Sudan.
But Muhabwe said they have formulated a Lion Recovery Plan which they are going to use to boost the population of lions in Kidepo. This includes translocating lions from other parks to Kidepo, breeding them, reducing poaching, habitat loss and human wildlife conflict.
ACCOMMODATION FACILITIES
Initially, accommodation in and outside Kidepo national park was a challenge with only two lodges: the UWA bandas and Apoka safari lodge but recently four more mid-range and high-end lodges are being set up to cater for the increasing number of visitors.
The Apoka UWA bandas, now managed by Footprint Safaris through a concession, have been renovated to meet industry standards. They are the cheapest accommodation facilities in Kidepo with a bed capacity of 60.
Victor Adela, the manager of Adere Safari Lodge, one of the luxurious lodges which recently opened in Kidepo, said, currently, they are at 30 per cent bookings but hope in the next few years, business will boom especially with the planned infrastructure and wildlife developments.
“Accessibility is hindering the progress of the park especially in the rainy season when the roads become inaccessible,” Adela said, adding that the new airport will open up domestic flights and bring down the cost of transport because right now choppers charge $700 per seat to fly to Kidepo.
He is, however, happy about the marketing efforts for the park by UTB and the security in the region provided by the UPDF with a security check point after every 20km.
CHALLENGES
Despite the ongoing efforts, Muhabwe noted that the park is still grappling with a number of challenges, with one of the major ones being human-wildlife conflict where animals especially elephants, buffaloes and antelopes move out of the boundaries of the national park, disperse through the Karenga community wildlife area and continue deep into people’s private land in Abim, Kaabong and Kitgum districts, where they destroy crops and cause injuries and deaths.
He said they have so far compensated more than 30 people and another 200 have been verified and approved by the UWA board.
To solve the human-wildlife conflict, the park is looking into construction of an electric fence to deter animals from wandering off and encouraging the locals to practice block farming where, instead of them having scattered gardens, they bring those gardens together into one big block and then the park authorities concentrate on mitigation measures around that block like planting unpalatable crops such as simsim and chilli in the periphery.
Another big challenge for the park are poachers from neighbouring South Sudan who bring in snares and wheel traps.
“But we have a very committed ranger force that does extended patrols. We have intensified patrols both day and night, mobile patrols and, intelligence spot checks to remove the snares.”
Muhabwe said in a week, rangers can encounter three teams of poachers and the park loses two animals weekly to poaching, especially buffaloes.
“When we arrest the poachers, we take them to court and they are prosecuted so that others can fear doing the same. We are also doing community sensitization about the benefits of the park and conserving wildlife such that they have a positive attitude towards conservation.”
Communities/districts hosting national parks have a healthy share in the park profits, which encourages them to safeguard their park.
Karamoja’s dry seasons come with a lack of water and even though the Narus valley has a permanent water point where all animals congregate, during the dry season, this water is not enough and this forces the animals to move out of the park boundaries looking for water.
However, Muhabwe said they have funds to desilt the existing dams and construct more inside the park, which will help retain the wildlife even during the dry seasons. ABOUT
THE PARK
Kidepo is very scenic with shrubs cropping out of the flat savannah grasslands against a backdrop of mountain ranges and clear blue skies. That, combined with the rich culture of the Karimojong, makes it a wonder to explore.
According to Phillip Akoronginde, the head guide at Kidepo Valley national park, the park consists of two major valley systems; Narus and Kidepo, with the valley floors lying between 3,000 and 4,000 feet.
Narus means mud in Karimojong, and this is because when it rains, this part of the valley becomes muddy. Most of the animals congregate along this valley. The park is home to 86 species of mammals, 28 of them endemic.
Carnivores which in Uganda can only be found in Kidepo Valley national park include the cheetah, the striped hyena, caracal and the bat-eared fox. The herbivores which can only be found here include mountain reedbucks, and the dik dik.
The park has also got almost 500 species of birds, including ostriches and secretary birds. The Narus valley is the park’s prime game viewing area, especially during the dry season, while the Kidepo valley is the dream location for birders.
During the rainy season, the two valleys receive different amounts of rainfall; Narus valley receives about 800mm whereas Kidepo receives about 600mm. The variation in the amount of rainfall explains the variation of vegetation in the two valleys.
Narus valley has a greener vegetation dominated by acacia and sausage trees compared to Kidepo valley, which is dominated by palms.
“For those interested in getting the variation in scenery, it is better to visit the park both during the dry season especially between December and April and rainy season between June and November. However, for those interested in seeing most of the animals, the best time to visit is the dry season,” Akoronginde said.
Though remote and isolated, a journey to Kidepo is rewarded with one of the most spectacular wildlife experiences in Africa, thanks to its untamed adventure, incredible landscapes and unique wildlife.
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