It’s estimated that Uganda has 54% of mountain Gorilla population inhabiting in the south western Uganda in the great Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga national park. It’s believed that mountain Gorillas contributes to up to 60% of Uganda’s revenue and its Uganda’s most foreign exchange earner to the cash box of Uganda according to the minister of Tourism Ephraim Kamuntu.
Kamuntu stated that “Uganda’s tourism is the top foreign exchange earner a head of remittances”. The nature based tourism of Uganda consists of numerous wild life species such as Mountain Gorillas. He went on to point out the 54% population of the Mountain Gorillas staying in Bwindi impenetrable forest and the Mgahinga national park.
Back in the days, Uganda generated most of its revenues from coffee, cotton and coffee but its “not anymore” said Ephraim. Currently the boom of tourism in Uganda replaced the 3 c’s and tourism has employed over 8% of Ugandans who provide labour force as estimated by the tourism minister.
After a great research on mountain Gorillas, Ephraim went ahead to designate that Uganda consists of 54% of the population of Man’s second cousin the mountain Gorillas in both Mgahinga and Bwindi impenetrable national park. The rest of the gorillas are situated in the Virunga part of Mgahinga, volcanoes national park in Rwanda and in Democratic republic of Congo
Uganda’s vegetation is really magnificent since the country is gifted by nature and truly blessed by God because the East African savannah junctions the tropical rainforest. However Uganda has many fresh water areas such as river Nile, lakes and the great east and west rift valley.
His speech at the Uganda media center in Kampala on Wednesday ahead of the second congress of the African primatological society to be held o 3rd-5th September. This meeting will contain several sessions in Entebbe Imperial botanical beach hotel. Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda is expected to be the chief guest at the opening ceremony and is also to be introduced to the congress by the tourism minister.
Among the representatives that attended the meeting included Uganda wildlife education centre UWEC”, Uganda wildlife authority “UWA”, Uganda tourism board “UTB” and conservation through public health.
The meeting of the African primatological society to be chaired on 3rd and 5th September is expecting different people all over such as 200 primatologists from Africa, non – African researchers and conservationists from Across Africa and other parts of the world.
The main activities to be conducted on the 3rd which is the opening day and 5th the closing day of the congress meeting include key note addresses, poster presentations, round table discussion and oral presentation.
Doctor Gladys Kalema Zikusoka a conservationist is credited for protection of culture and the reason behind people’s conservation of primates which are people’s totems for some tribes like the Bakonzo conserve the chimpanzees. Dr. Gladys the vice president of African primatologist society is behind the binging of the congress to Uganda and has been appraised by Kamuntu Ephraim for lobbing the conservation fraternity.
More tree planting has been sensitized in Uganda in the process of attracting tourists and to conserve nature more so the wildlife. Kamuntu advised Uganda’s with big chunks of land to plant more trees for own survival and benefit to the future generation said Ephraim.
Ephraim noted that the conference is going to be beneficial to the nation because of the new policy to be introduced which include meetings, incentives, conferencing ad exhibitions and Uganda is currently a preferred destination for conferences.
