Tourism Minister, Epharium Kamuntu

Government has revealed plans to an amendment of the Uganda Wildlife Authority Act to cater for compensation of victims of human-animal conflicts.

Tourism Minister, Prof.Epharium Kamuntu, told Parliament that amendment would allow proper demarcations

of wild life reserves that would be minimize incidences of animals straying to people’s homes.

This is was after the Agago Woman MP, Judith Franca Akello, asked the Kamuntu to explain why the Uganda Wildlife Authority plans to turn Kaket Parish in Lapono Sub-county into a game reserve.

She said that there have been protests lately over the said plan with many locals complaining about wildlife destroying their property especially farms.

Kamuntu  apologised for the animal human conflict but denied that there are any plans to transform land into wildlife reserves as reported in the media.

However, Katerera County MP Hatwib Katoto and Akello wondered why the government cherishes the lives of wild animals and neglects that of humans in such conflicts.

Chimpanzee′s are one of the most endagered animal species located in western Uganda

Kasese Municipality MP, Robert Centenary, asked the Kamuntu  to bring an amendment to the wildlife Act with a provision to compensate victims in such conflicts.

In response, Kamuntu told the house that the Amendment has been passed by cabinet and will be in Parliament soon.
The Speaker Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga requested that the process of tabling the amendment before Parliament be expedited.