The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) generated Shs 16.4 billion from tourism-related business arrangements in the 2025/26 financial year, more than three times its target of Shs 5 billion, despite a decline in visitors to the country’s protected areas.
The strong performance highlights the growing financial contribution of private businesses operating tourism facilities and services in Uganda’s national parks and other protected areas.
According to UWA’s Corporate Report 2025/26, the authority attracted 865,805 visitors during the financial year, down from 943,837 in 2024/25. This represents a drop of about 8.3 per cent.
However, the decline in visitor numbers did not prevent UWA from significantly exceeding its revenue target from concessions. Concession revenue is money UWA earns by allowing private businesses to operate tourism-related services on land or within protected areas under agreed terms.
These businesses may include safari lodges, camps and other tourism facilities. In return, UWA collects payments from the operators. The Shs 16.4 billion collected against a Shs 5 billion target means the authority exceeded its goal by Shs 11.4 billion, or 228 per cent.
Its actual collections were more than three times the amount it had planned to raise. The performance points to the importance of tourism investments as a source of income for the authority, beyond the number of people visiting its parks.
Presenting the report at a stakeholders’ breakfast meeting on October 23, UWA executive director Dr James Musunguzi attributed the decline in visitor numbers to the Ebola outbreak earlier in the year and what he described as unnecessary travel advisories.
Despite these challenges, UWA is looking to attract more private investment to expand tourism services and strengthen its revenue base. During the financial year, the authority prepared 19 concession opportunities and identified 18 investment sites for potential investors.
The opportunities are intended to encourage businesses to invest in tourism facilities and services within protected areas, potentially improving the visitor experience while generating income for UWA.
Musunguzi expressed optimism that such investments would help the authority contribute to the government’s ambition of growing Uganda’s economy to $50 billion by 2030.
For UWA, attracting investors is important because improved tourism facilities can support visitor growth while creating additional opportunities to earn revenue from the country’s wildlife and natural attractions.
Apart from its financial performance, UWA reported progress in wildlife conservation, habitat restoration and the management of protected areas. The authority cleared and controlled invasive natural and exotic species across 7,464.94 hectares during the financial year, up from 4,299.97 hectares in 2024/25.
This represents an increase of about 73.6 per cent in the area covered by the control efforts. UWA also maintained 1,213 kilometres of protected area boundaries and restored 60 hectares of degraded habitats.
In another conservation milestone, the authority translocated 90 animals to support species conservation. Among the notable operations was the transfer of eight southern white rhinos to Ajai Wildlife Reserve in West Nile and Kidepo Valley National Park in Karamoja.
The movement of the rhinos is part of wider efforts to strengthen wildlife conservation and support the recovery of species in Uganda’s protected areas.
UWA also received the mandate to manage and restore Bugoma Central Forest Reserve, which has suffered degradation from illegal logging, sugarcane growing and charcoal burning.
The responsibility adds another important conservation area to the authority’s work as it seeks to balance wildlife protection with the sustainable use of Uganda’s natural resources.