UWA Wildlife Sculpture Beautification Of Kira Road Completed

BY DOREEN ASSASIRA

KAMPALA, Uganda|SHIFTMEDIA|Uganda Wildlife Authority has completed the beautification of Kira road with wildlife sculptures to bring the beauty and diversity of Uganda’s wildlife heritage closer to the City and promote protected areas as tourism destinations.
The Sculptures were unveiled and commissioned on Wednesday by the Minister of Tourism Wildlife and Antiquities (MTWA) Rtd. Col. Hon. Tom Butime.
Hon. Butime applauded the initiative noting that it would not only interest Ugandans to visit parks but also improve the look of the city using wildlife which is not only abundant in the country but also an integral part of the culture as totems to many Ugandans.

UWA signed an MOU with KCCA to jointly promote Kampala City as a tourism gateway. Under the MoU KCCA allocated to UWA the road from Kira Police to Mulago Roundabout to be beautified with wildlife to reflect Uganda’s beautiful nature. It also permitted UWA to construct wildlife monuments on Kimathi Avenue and Nile Avenue. Similarly, KCCA gave UWA, Lions Centre at the Sheraton Gardens to be re-developed and operated as a modern
Tourism Information Centre. The information centre is to provide public information on the national parks and park products and sell gorilla permits to the public. It will also be used to sell the wildlife cards, gorilla cards and UWA retail items. The centre will have a reception area, a restaurant, retail area, lounge, meeting rooms and an office, in addition to an open meeting environment under garden umbrellas.

The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Tourism Wildlife Doreen Katusiime and Antiquities Doreen Katusiime said the sculptures will create awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation and inspire people to visit the national parks.
The Chairman UWA Board of Trustees Dr Pantaleon Kasoma expressed hope Ugandans walking or driving along this street, will become interested in wildlife and its conservation; because it is on them that the future of our natural resources rests.
The Executive Director KCCA Dorothy Kisaka thanked UWA for making city vibrant and asked everyone to market Kampala as a beautiful city. “It’s nice to bring some Wild in the city. I wish to thank UWA for bringing the sculptures to educate our city dwellers of tourism,” she said.

The Executive Director UWA Sam Mwandha was glad that after the long wait with construction processes, the sculptures have been unveiled.

The monuments constructed include;
a) Lion – Climbing Lion in Queen Elizabeth
b) Buffalo – To represent Kidepo Valley National Park, as the Park with over 2,000
buffalos in one Herd
c) Elephant – Murchison Falls National Park
d) Zebra – Lake Mburo National Park
e) Mt. Gorilla – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
f) Giraffe –Rothschild Giraffe in Kidepo Valley National Park, Murchison Falls National
Park& Lake Mburo National Park.
g) Shoe Bill–Semuliki, the Birders Haven
h) Chimpanzee –Kibale National Park
i) Hippopotamus – Aquatic Life in the Parks
j) Crested Crane – National Bird