Parliament, 22 Jan 2023
The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) wants Shs 10 Bn in its 2024/25 budget to embark on breeding of lions so as to increase their population, after their numbers dropped from 460 in 2022 to around 320 lions, due to human-wildlife conflicts.
This was contained in the Budget framework paper that was presented to Parliament and is being discussed.
“Tourism requires Shs 10Bn to start breeding lions through Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC). We now have 15 lions at UWEC which we have been breeding, but the lion population in the country has gone down because of human wildlife conflict. We are now going to start breeding them in the wild in Queen Elizabeth, Kidepo and Murchison Falls National parks,” explained Mwine Mpaka, Chairperson Parliament’s Committee of Tourism, while appearing before the Budget Committee.
The Budget Committee will make a report which will be tabled before Parliament
