The month of June for this year will go down in Uganda’s tourism history especially for Murchison Falls Park as a dreaded day because it was in this very month specifically on 20h June when frightening news broke out about a proposal by the South African firm to carry out a feasibility study for purposes of constructing a dam at the lower end of Murchison falls.
This news was an utter shock to the Ugandan tourism community and bitterly received by all tourism stakeholders in Uganda because Murchison falls national park is Uganda’s leading tourist destination that received the highest number of tourists for 2018.
A dam at the lower side of Murchison falls would definitely without any doubt submerge the iconic Murchison falls which draw in hundreds of thousands of tourists to see on their Uganda safari to Murchison falls park and this would, in turn, have a devastating effect on the earning of all tourism businesses who have heavily invested in Murchison falls in terms of Uganda tour lodges that have been constructed in Murchison falls and privately owned boats that offer cruises to the bottom of these spectacular falls.
This news forced the tourism fraternity in Uganda to go up in arms and protest such a venture to be carried out in such a place of significance to Uganda’s tourism and this led to a signing of a petition by close to 2533 people as a way of petitioning the government to back down from that venture.
Fast forward to today, after several meetings between the government of Uganda and various tourism stakeholders such as NEMA, UWA and UTB, the government of Uganda has rejected this bid of carrying out a feasibility study on construction of a dam in Murchison falls very much to the delight of all Uganda’s tourism stakeholders who want to put this dark looming chapter behind their backs and continue focusing on what matters most to them and that is conservation of all protected areas as well as promoting destination Uganda as the best place to visit for the ultimate Africa safari experience.
These new revelations were brought to light by the Ministry for Water and Environment which said that the government will not approve the plan to construct a hydropower dam in Murchison Falls.
This was further cemented by The Minister of State for Environment, Mary Kitutu in her address to Parliament on Wednesday, the minister said that NEMA has not approved the application due to environmental and other socio-economic implications such as tourism.
She further noted that after a joint meeting of the ministry of water, NEMA, Uganda Wildlife Authority and Uganda Tourism Board, the ministry rejected the plan.
Kitutu says that constructing a dam will result in flooding at the National Park, which will also affect crocodiles, hippos and other animals, birds in the park.
To further commit the government to its current position, The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga asked for an official statement from the Prime Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda on the matter.
Murchison Falls National Park lies 305 kilometres or 5-hour drive away from Kampala capital city in northwestern Uganda in the districts of Nwoya, Masindi, Kiryandongo and Buliisa.
Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s biggest park spanning an area of about 3,893sq kilometres.
This vast expanse of conservation land is dissected by the mighty river Nile on its coarse to the Mediterranean Sea where it pours its waters.
This led to the creation of the northern and southern banks of this national park. The existence of the Nile river in this game park is pivotal to the existence of animals as it provides a constant water source for them and it also nourishes the grass along its banks hence providing an all year round source of grass for browsing animals.
A Uganda wildlife safari to Murchison Falls National Park gives you an opportunity to encounter numerous savanna wild game which calls the tropical grassland plains of Murchison Falls National Park their homes such as 4 out of 5 of Africa’s big five games like lions, leopards, African bush elephants and cape buffaloes.
Other animals you will encounter on this short Uganda wildlife tour or long Uganda wildlife tour to Murchison falls park include the tallest land mammals the giraffes, hippos, Nile crocodiles, chimpanzees that are found in the adjacent Budongo forests, Jackson hartebeests and numerous antelope species.
Murchison falls is a birding destination as its home to 450 bird species including the rare shoebill stork.
You can as will Uganda safari tour to other destinations in Uganda that are close to Murchison falls such as Kibale National Park for a truly remarkable encounter with man’s closest wild cousins the chimpanzees as Kibale is home to 5000 individual chimps and many of these have been habituated to give you a thrilling Uganda chimpanzee safari experience.
Make a tour Uganda detour to Queen Elizabeth National Park for a true encounter with numerous wild mammals such as the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha which can only be found here and in Tanzania’s Tarangire National Park, cape buffaloes, African bush elephants and topis and other antelope species can be found here as well.
A boat cruise over the tranquil waters of the Kazinga channel is a spectacular Uganda wildlife safari adventure as it puts you in position to see several of the numerous hippos and the giant and prehistoric Nile crocodiles.
A safari in Uganda adventure is nothing less of magical for a birding tourist as Queen Elizabeth is home to 600 bird species that await you on your Uganda birding safari here.
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