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Fresh revelations from the Auditor General’s report as of December 2025 have laid bare deep cracks inside the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), raising tough questions about oversight, accountability and leadership at one of Uganda’s most strategic conservation institutions, RedPepper can exclusively report.
Under the Tourism Development Programme, the Auditor General examined the management of concessions at UWA — and what emerged paints a troubling picture.
UWA oversees 55 concessions across protected areas to promote tourism development, generate revenue and support conservation objectives. But according to the audit, effective concession management requires “strong regulatory oversight, complete contractual documentation, and consistent monitoring to ensure compliance with concession terms and alignment with UWA’s mandate.”
Instead, the Auditor General revealed “several weaknesses in the management of concessions.”
Among the most alarming findings is the absence of formal concession agreements for ten operating concessionaires — a lapse that exposes the Authority to “legal, financial, and enforcement risks.” How can companies operate inside protected areas without proper contracts in place?
Even more staggering is the delayed or non-payment of concession fees totaling UGX 18.80 billion. The report attributes this to “weak compliance, delayed reporting by concessionaires, and insufficient follow up by UWA.” In simple terms, billions meant for conservation and tourism development remain uncollected while projects drag on.
The audit further exposed non-operational or significantly delayed concession projects, limiting expected tourism infrastructure development and delaying associated revenue streams. Some operators continue running businesses under expired agreements, “contrary to contractual provisions and good governance practices.”
To make matters worse, there is a lack of audited accounts and audit certificates, which limits UWA’s ability to independently verify revenue linked to variable fees such as bed-night charges. The Auditor General warned that these weaknesses “collectively undermine UWA’s ability to safeguard conservation interests, enforce contractual obligations, and realize the full economic value of concessions in protected areas.”
The recommendation was clear: UWA Management must “strengthen concession governance by ensuring timely contract execution, instituting structured monitoring mechanisms, enforcing payment obligations, regularizing undocumented or expired concessions, and requiring full compliance with reporting and audit requirements.”
But the rot does not stop there.
Under the Wildlife Compensation Scheme established by law to compensate victims of wildlife attacks, the audit uncovered glaring inefficiencies in both verification and payment processes.
The Compensation Verification Committee (CVC) received UGX 4.09 billion to finance compensation for FY 2024/25. A total of 1,346 claims were handled, of which 1,308 were verified and approved, leaving 38 deferred or rejected. The total approved value amounted to UGX 4.03 billion — yet only UGX 1.08 billion, representing just 27 percent, had been paid by year-end. A staggering UGX 2.96 billion, or 73 percent, remained unpaid.
In addition, the Committee received 1,109 new claims, but only 164, representing 15 percent, were verified. A massive 945 claims — 85 percent — remained pending verification.
The Auditor General noted that these weaknesses “indicate inefficiencies in both verification and disbursement processes, resulting in a growing backlog of unresolved cases and substantial unpaid obligations.” The report warned that delays “prolong financial hardship for communities affected by wildlife damage, weaken trust in the compensation system, and may undermine community cooperation in conservation initiatives, thereby heightening the risk of human–wildlife conflict.”
As if that were not enough, the report also noted that police forensic investigations have also been conducted at UWA by police CID.
One completed probe relates to alleged forgery and false accounting involving a 100,000 USD (about Shs 350M) donation from Pilgrim Africa Uganda to UWA in the financial years 2020/2021 by some UWA staff.
Another completed forensic audit focused on suspected fraud using the Gorilla and Chimpanzee permit booking system at UWA. The case, registered at Kiira Road under CRB: 906/2023, concerns allegations of abuse of office causing financial loss and forgery.
Tourism insiders say the permit booking system is a critical revenue lifeline, particularly for high-value gorilla tracking permits. Any manipulation of that system strikes at the heart of UWA’s income base.
There is also an ongoing police investigation into UWA IFPA procurement contract No. 247642 under the Government of Uganda’s World Bank-financed Investing in Forests and Protected Areas for Climate Smart Development (IFPA-CD) Project. The project, implemented by the Ministry of Water and Environment as lead agency together with UWA and the National Forest Authority, aims to improve sustainable management of forests and protected areas and increase benefits to communities. Investigations into aspects of that procurement are still ongoing.
A governance analyst RedPepper talked to says the pattern is worrying. “When you see concession mismanagement, unpaid compensation, alleged permit system fraud and procurement investigations all in one institution, it signals systemic weaknesses. Leadership must demonstrate control and accountability.”
Conservation expert Miriam Namuli adds, “Wildlife conservation depends on trust — trust from tourists, trust from donors, trust from communities. Delays in compensation and questions around revenue systems undermine that trust.”
With Shs18.80 billion in concession fees outstanding, Shs2.96 billion in verified compensation unpaid, forensic probes into alleged forgery and permit fraud completed, and procurement investigations ongoing, Ugandans are asking hard questions.
Is this sloppiness, negligence, or deeper governance failure? Are internal controls working? And most importantly — is it time for authorities to crack the whip at UWA’s top leadership to restore confidence in the institution tasked with protecting Uganda’s priceless wildlife heritage?
Conservation policy analyst Paul Munyambabazi says the findings point to systemic management failure. “When you have Shs18.8 billion in concession fees outstanding and nearly Shs3 billion in verified compensation unpaid, that is not a minor oversight. That is a governance red flag,” he said.
Another public finance expert, Sarah Namugerwa, argues that delayed compensation can erode community support for conservation. “If farmers lose crops or families lose loved ones and compensation delays stretch for years, resentment grows. Conservation cannot succeed without community trust,” she noted.
At the helm of UWA is Executive Director Dr. James Musinguzi. With billions in unpaid fees, undocumented concessions and thousands of compensation claims piling up, the pressure is mounting.
The Auditor General has spoken. The numbers are on the table. Now the big question is whether the responsible authorities will crack the whip at UWA’s top leadership — or whether Uganda’s wildlife sector will continue bleeding from administrative wounds.
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