President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has commended the leadership of Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) which is supervsed by the Ministry of Tourism , Wildlife and Antiquities led by Col( rtd). Tom Butime for its continued conservation efforts at the new Mbale Wildlife Education Centre.
Musveni said UWA conservation work is very important in expanding Uganda ‘s tourism potential while at the sametime protecting wildlife and promoting conservation awareness among Ugandans in up-country areas.
The President was commissioning the new Mbale Wildlife Education Centre in Mbale City- where he was guided through various animal exhibits showcasing wildlife kept in semi-natural habitats.
Museveni was received by the Minister Butime, and the Uganda Wildlife Authority Executive Director, Dr. James Musinguzi, alongside other government ministers, Members of Parliament and local leaders.
During the guided tour, the President was taken through the Centre’s wildlife exhibition which provide visitors with an opportunity to learn about Uganda’s diverse wildlife and the importance of conservation.
President Museveni said tourism is among the lucrative service industries, particularly for households with limited land for commercial agriculture, and encouraged communities to position themselves to benefit from the sector’s wide economic multiplier effect.
He contrasted the size of the global tourism industry with the coffee market, saying tourism presents economic opportunities on a much larger scale because it supports a broad chain of activities, including accommodation, transport, food, entertainment, guiding, cultural enterprises and other services.
He commended UWA for establishing the regional facility, saying it would contribute to raising awareness about wildlife conservation while creating another tourism attraction for residents and visitors to the region.
President Museveni further urged residents of the Elgon Sub-region to take advantage of the country’s four broad wealth-creation sectors—commercial agriculture, manufacturing and artisanship, services, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT)—to improve household incomes.
He said Uganda’s socioeconomic transformation depends on households participating in productive economic activities rather than relying solely on subsistence production.
President Museveni also unveiled a Tourism Conservation Strategy for the Elgon Sub-region, with emphasis on protecting forests and wetlands from encroachment and degradation.
His visit highlighted the government’s continued engagement with wildlife conservation institutions and the role of tourism facilities in promoting environmental education and protecting the country’s natural heritage.
The Mbale Wildlife Education Centre serves as an important platform for wildlife education, offering visitors, particularly students and young people, an opportunity to appreciate Uganda’s biodiversity and understand the importance of protecting wildlife.
Museveni’s commendation comes as Uganda intensifies efforts to promote tourism as a key contributor to economic growth, employment creation and foreign exchange earnings.
President Museveni Commissions Mbale Zoo, Urges Ugandans To Tap Into Global Tourism Market
Bugisu Subregion, Tourism
September 27, 2026
By PPU
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged Ugandans to embrace tourism and other productive sectors as alternative avenues for increasing household incomes, saying the industry offers vast opportunities for communities and individuals across the country.
The President made the remarks today while presiding over the national celebrations to mark World Tourism Day 2026 at Mbale Secondary School Grounds in Mbale City, held under the theme “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.”
President Museveni said tourism is among the lucrative service industries, particularly for households with limited land for commercial agriculture, and encouraged communities to position themselves to benefit from the sector’s wide economic multiplier effect.
He contrasted the size of the global tourism industry with the coffee market, saying tourism presents economic opportunities on a much larger scale because it supports a broad chain of activities, including accommodation, transport, food, entertainment, guiding, cultural enterprises and other services.
The President also commissioned the Mbale Wildlife Conservation Education Centre, commonly known as Mbale Zoo, established by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to promote wildlife conservation education and tourism in the Elgon Sub-region.
He commended UWA for establishing the regional facility, saying it would contribute to raising awareness about wildlife conservation while creating another tourism attraction for residents and visitors to the region.
President Museveni further urged residents of the Elgon Sub-region to take advantage of the country’s four broad wealth-creation sectors—commercial agriculture, manufacturing and artisanship, services, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT)—to improve household incomes.
He said Uganda’s socioeconomic transformation depends on households participating in productive economic activities rather than relying solely on subsistence production.
President Museveni also unveiled a Tourism Conservation Strategy for the Elgon Sub-region, with emphasis on protecting forests and wetlands from encroachment and degradation.
He warned that environmental destruction threatens Uganda’s tourism industry because forests, wetlands, wildlife habitats and other ecosystems form an important foundation for the country’s natural attractions.
The President called for stronger conservation measures, particularly in the Elgon region, noting that changes in weather and temperatures demonstrate the importance of protecting the environment.
He observed that temperatures in the region have changed significantly compared with conditions experienced in the 1960s and called for greater utilisation of Uganda’s geographical advantages, including its latitude and altitude, while safeguarding the ecosystems that sustain them.
President Museveni described wetland encroachers and people involved in deforestation as enemies of Uganda’s tourism development, warning that environmental degradation could undermine the country’s tourism potential.
The President also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to developing last-mile infrastructure to tourism sites across the Elgon Sub-region and the rest of the country.
He said Uganda had made significant progress in establishing the basic conditions necessary for tourism growth, including peace, security, road connectivity and other supporting infrastructure.
The next priority, he said, should be extending roads, electricity, water, communication networks and other essential services to tourism attractions to make them more accessible and unlock their economic potential.
He said communities surrounding tourism sites should be positioned to benefit from increased visitor numbers through enterprises and services along the tourism value chain.
Minister Butime described Mbale and the wider Elgon Sub-region as areas with distinctive tourism products, citing the region’s spectacular scenery, Mount Elgon landscape, cuisine, cultural heritage and the hospitality of its people.
He said promoting local tourism products would encourage more Ugandans to explore and appreciate the country’s natural, cultural and culinary heritage while creating employment and business opportunities for communities.
However, the minister identified several bottlenecks that continue to constrain the growth of tourism in the region.
These include limited investment and access to capital for developing tourism facilities and services, as well as visa-related challenges affecting some international visitors.
Butime said addressing these constraints, alongside improving tourism infrastructure, investment and accessibility, would be critical to unlocking the Elgon Sub-region’s tourism potential and increasing its contribution to local economic development.
The President was in Mbale City to preside over this year’s World Tourism Day celebrations, being held at Mbale Secondary School playgrounds under the theme “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.”
The theme places emphasis on the growing role of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in transforming the global tourism industry, including how destinations are marketed, tourism services are delivered and visitors experience attractions.
Uganda’s participation in the global celebrations also provides an opportunity to showcase the country’s tourism potential, including its wildlife, cultural heritage, natural attractions and emerging tourism destinations.
The celebrations in Mbale bring together government officials, tourism stakeholders, conservationists and other players in the tourism sector to reflect on opportunities for expanding the industry through innovation and sustainable development.
Wildlife conservation remains a central pillar of Uganda’s tourism sector, with the country’s national parks, wildlife reserves and other conservation facilities attracting both domestic and international visitors.
UWA plays a significant role in protecting wildlife, managing protected areas and supporting conservation initiatives that contribute to the sustainability of Uganda’s tourism industry.
The President’s visit to the Mbale Wildlife Education Centre added a conservation dimension to the World Tourism Day celebrations, drawing attention to the relationship between wildlife protection, environmental education and tourism development.
As Uganda explores opportunities to integrate digital technologies and artificial intelligence into tourism, conservation facilities such as the Mbale Wildlife Education Centre remain important in promoting awareness and appreciation of the country’s natural resources.
