President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni met with former President of Botswana, H.E. Ian Khama, yesterday at State House Entebbe.
The former President of Botswana was accompanied by a delegation from the global NGO, Space for Giants, led by its founder and CEO, Dr. Max Graham.
Space for Giants is an organization championing the conservation of natural resources and wildlife in nine African countries, including Uganda, Kenya, Gabon, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola. Its headquarters are based in Nanyuki, Kenya. They also operate in the UK and USA.
H.E. Khama briefed President Museveni on the organization’s significant role in conserving natural resources and wildlife, highlighting its ability to provide social and economic value to local communities and national governments.
“As a conservationist, my main goal is to promote the well-being of nature. This organization brings its own funding and aims to involve communities in protecting the fauna and flora,” said Khama.
Dr. Max Graham, the founder and CEO of the organization, along with Mr. Justus Karuhanga, the Country Director-Uganda, shared their ambitious plans for actively engaging in the conservation of natural resources and wildlife in Uganda.
“We have already identified areas within the Karamoja sub-region, such as Pian-Upe, and we are committed to involving the local communities in the conservation of natural resources and wildlife in these areas,” he pledged.
Dr. Graham also mentioned their plans to launch a Carbon trade project in the region, explaining that the profits would be shared among the government, the local community, and the organization.
President Museveni, flanked by his daughter, Ms. Diana Museveni Kyaremera, warmly welcomed former President Khama and the members of Space for Giants to Uganda.
As a passionate advocate for wildlife and the environment, President Museveni requested that Space for Giants also focus on the conservation of wetlands.
The President highlighted the issue of encroachment on wetlands by farmers cultivating rice.
“As a conservationist I want you to take interest in the conservation of wetlands. The culture of growing rice in the swamps was introduced after Independence but now we want to restore these swamps from the people who were misled. The government is trying to give those who were misled a soft landing by replacing rice growing in swamps with fish farming, to get an alternative livelihood for these people preferably fishponds at the periphery of the swamps that will make them earn more money than rice growing,” the President pointed out.
President Museveni was however glad to learn that the areas identified by the organisation of Pian- Upe in Karamoja sub- region need their effort as they have been degraded by Wanainchi who overgraze cattle in the game reserve and also engage in charcoal burning.
The meeting was also attended by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Matia Kasaija, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Water and Environment, Dr. Alfred Okot, the Commissioner -Climate Change in the Ministry of Water and Environment, Ms. Margaret Athieno and the Special Presidential Assistant Tourism, Ms. Priscilla Butagira.
