KAMPALA, UGANDA – The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has proposed a 10 billion Ugandan shilling expenditure to bolster its conservation capabilities through the procurement of a multi-purpose surveillance and rescue helicopter.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The request was submitted by Dorcus Rukundo Twesigomwe, the Business Development Manager of UWA, while appearing before Parliament’s Committee on Tourism.
The request was formally presented to the committee during its deliberations on the sector’s 2026/27 National Budget Framework Paper (NBFP).
She emphasized that the helicopter would revolutionize operations by enabling rapid aerial surveillance of vast national parks, conducting anti-poaching patrols, and executing timely rescue missions for distressed animals.
Crucially, the aircraft would also serve as an airborne ambulance, ensuring the swift transportation of veterinary doctors to remote locations to treat animals injured by snares, human-wildlife conflict, or natural causes.
“This helicopter will be used for surveillance of our protected areas, to help us do patrols, and also for rescue. It will play a critical role as an airborne ambulance to ensure swift veterinary response to animals injured by snares, conflict, or other causes in remote wilderness,” said Rukundo.
Legislators sought clarity on the long-term financial implications, specifically questioning whether the quoted 10 billion shillings encompassed the helicopter’s ongoing maintenance costs.
In response, Rukundo clarified that the requested amount is exclusively for the purchase of a brand-new helicopter, and that operational maintenance costs would be budgeted for separately in the future.
UWA officials argued that the upfront investment will pay dividends through enhanced protection of Uganda’s iconic wildlife, a key pillar of the country’s thriving tourism industry, and more efficient, life-saving interventions.
The committee’s recommendation will be pivotal in determining whether the skies over Uganda’s national parks will soon host this new guardian of the wild.
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