Katonga Game Reserve that lies on the northern banks of River Katonga is to become the 11^th National Park in Uganda, according to officials at Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).

The Game Reserve that stretches over 210 square kilometres in Ibanda and Kamwenge districts was gazetted in 1998 but now UWA has started a drive to upgrade it to a national park to boost wildlife and tourism.

UWA’s Veterinary official Dr Patrick Atimnedi says Katonga is an additional tourism package which brings products closer to tourists, especially those from Kibaale National Park and the Rwenzori cluster.

Dr. Atimnedi has of recent been in the wilderness with other veterinarians, trans-locating zebras, topis and elands to Katonga, and the veterinarian says the antelope family arrival brings to life UWA’s dream of making Katonga an antelope epicentre.

The reserve already has an estimated 2,000 impalas, 1,000 bushbucks, 500 waterbucks and an unspecified number of the less known but globally attractive sitatunga – a local breed of swamp-dwelling antelope.

Katonga is also going to be Uganda’s third national park with zebras, and is expected to attract tourists with tight schedules.

In 2015 five zebras were introduced to the game reserve but UWA says, three of the five zebras walked 153km back to Mburo National Park.

The animals were then loaded onto trucks and driven to their new home. After the translocation of 46 zebras and about 30 topis, UWA took a group of journalists to see how the animals were adopting to their new home.

In a more than Shs5 billion investment plan, UWA intends to promote Katonga as the ‘source of the source of River Nile’, the longest river in the world.

Katonga and Kagera are the main rivers that pour into Lake Victoria, from which the Nile flows all the way to the Mediterranean Sea.

Katonga, a 220km-long river, is said to originate from Bihanga in Kamwenge district where three rivers – Kitonga, Mpanga and Rushango converge.

From there, Katonga flows in two directions; westwards to pour into Lake George and northwards into Lake Wamala in Mubende, and later into Lake Victoria to connect to River Nile.

“This is a [tourism] product we are seriously looking at because this offers a unique experience. Guests will take a walk along the river to the source of the source of the Nile and in the process view the sitatungas,” Dr. Atimnedi noted.

This is a 35km stretch of River Katonga and it will take a tourist about five days of activity-packed trek.

UWA has already secured the approval of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and is waiting for the proposal to be endorsed by cabinet and later parliament so that Katonga can become a national park.

Other National Parks

UWA’s outgoing Executive Director Dr. Andrew Seguya, says 95 per cent of Uganda’s tourism resources are nature-based. Tourism contributes 10 per cent of Uganda’s GDP and is the country’s top foreign exchange earner.

Tourists favour Ugandan national parks because they offer a variety of species. While they all have a wide variety of wild animals, each has a special ‘X-factor’.

Murchison Falls National Park (Masindi/Nwoya)

Uganda’s biggest national park is arguably also its best-known, in part because of the magnificent falls that tourists can trek up for a more intimate experience. The Victoria Nile separates the park into the northern and southern banks, and Murchison also has some of the best accommodation facilities.

Lake Mburo National Park (Kiruhura)

This acacia-savannah park is favoured for its extensive wetland, birding, as well as trophy hunting, heavily controlled by UWA.

Queen Elizabeth National Park (Kasese)

With its Ishasha tree-climbing lions, shoebill stork, Kazinga Channel and Mweya peninsula, it is no wonder Queen Elizabeth is a very popular park.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (Kisoro)

Semliki National Park (Bundibugyo)

Situated on the floor of the Albertine rift valley, Semliki is famous for birding and primates. It boasts more than 400 bird species and 300 butterfly species and has hot springs.

Mt Rwenzori National Park (Kasese/Kabarole)

This is a mountain park, popular with climbers, and offers a rocky mountain experience, with a snow-capped peak.

Mt Elgon National Park (Mbale)

Where Rwenzori is rocky, climbing the Elgon is a forested affair. The forest changes and fascinates the higher one goes, with unique bamboo and other tree species. The breath-taking caves and waterfalls are

Covering three of the eight Virunga mountain volcanoes, Mgahinga gives both the mountaineering and gorilla tracking experiences.

Kidepo Valley National Park (Karamoja)

Kidepo is a savannah park loved for its pure, totally wild experience. It is also the Ugandan park with ostriches, cheetahs, not to mention the mountain-dwelling Ik community that makes for amazing visits.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park (Kabale)

Where gorilla-tracking in Mgahinga gives the volcanic mountains experience, trekking through mountainous Bwindi’s dense tropical forest in search of the gorillas is a different ball game. The park was declared a UNESCO natural world heritage site in 1994.

Kibaale National Park (Kibaale)

When one thinks of chimpanzee tracking in Uganda, the first park in mind is this forested sanctuary in Tooro Kingdom.

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Plans by Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda to ban the importation of used clothes (mitumba) may soon make the three countries pay the price after the US said it would impose trade penalties in retaliation to what it sees as a disruption of free trade.

The US State Department’s Harry Sullivan, the Africa Bureau acting head of the economic and regional affairs, stated that the three East African countries, whose leaders are expected to meet at a summit in Uganda, have until this week to reverse the decision or face heavy penalties.

East African Heads of State are set to meet at Summit on Infrastructure and Health Financing and Development in Kampala, Uganda on February 23, and Sullivan says he is waiting for the outcome.

“I believe the results of the meeting next week will determine how we proceed,” Sullivan said in a conference days.

The EAC member states agreed two years ago to impose a phased ban on used clothing imports (known as mitumba) over a three-year period beginning 2019.

Kenya subsequently withdrew from that agreement following US threats to end its eligibility for duty-free clothing exports to the US market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa). 

US trade officials say that the mitumba ban violates an Agoa stipulation requiring beneficiary countries to eliminate barriers to trade with America, and Kenya reportedly feared the loss of the duty-free and quota-free access to the US, its third largest market.

Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania, each of which earns far less through Agoa than Kenya — jointly affirmed last July that they intend to proceed with the mitumba ban.

The three countries argued that the action was essential to their efforts to develop domestic clothing manufacturing industries. The Trump administration disputes that reasoning.

“While we understand the East African Community’s desire to build a domestic textile sector, we firmly believe the EAC ban on imports of used clothing will not achieve that,” Sullivan told reporters.

Making inexpensive mitumba unavailable will adversely affect many people in the three countries, he suggested.

“Leaders or the EAC are saying to consumers of used clothing we are going to take this choice away from you and you will not have access to this market anymore,” he said.

“We question whether consumers of used clothing will be able to afford the new apparel being made in the East African Community market.”

A more effective way of developing domestic clothing industries would entail encouraging middle-class consumers to buy locally made apparel, Sullivan proposed.

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Meera Investiments has dragged Dfcu Bank to Land Division of the High Court, seeking to reclaim its 46 branches that were allegedly acquired illegally countrywide following the dissolution of Crane Bank.
These are part of the shares of Meera Investment that Sudhir lost during the takeover of Crane Bank by DFCU early last year.
Should court agree with the arguments of Meera Investments, all the 46 countrywide DFCU Bank branches will be closed and reverted to former.
Also sued alongside DFCU Bank, is the Commissioner of land registration in connection with the land on which the buildings for the 46 branches sit.

CASE 1 – BRANCHES – REPLY TO 1ST DEFENDANTS WRITTEN STATEMENT

In the suit, Meera Investments contends that it is the rightful owner of the 46 branches formerly trading as Crane Bank and that for any transfer to have been effected to Dfcu Bank; it is consent should have first been sought.
“The Commissioner land registration connived with DFCU Bank to transfer the leases of the 46 properties into the latter’s names without the written prior consent of Meera Investments, a move which is null and void,” Sudhir argues.
Meera Investments, which is one of the entities owned by business tycoon, Sudhir Ruparelia, wants court to declare that the continued presence of DFCU Bank on its properties amounts to trespass and that they should be ordered to vacate with immediate effect.

CASE 1 – BRANCHES – 1ST DEFENDANTS WRITTEN STATEMENT OF DEFENCE

On the part of the Commission land registration, Meera Investiments wants court to direct them to immediately cancel out DFCU Bank as being the right full owner of those suit properties and reinstate them as the rightful owners.
Meera in its law suit, avers that at the time when Bank of Uganda (BoU) took over the management of then Crane Bank, now under receivership, in October 2016 before its eventual sell to DFCU, was the lessee of the suit properties and paying US $6,000 every beginning of the year.
Meera adds that by transferring the same properties to DFCU Bank without their prior written consent, is illegal.
In exercise of its powers, Bank of Uganda in January transferred the liabilities (including deposits) of Crane Bank to DFCU Bank.
Bank of Uganda Governor Emmanuel Mutebile said in a statement that the central bank also conveyed Crane Bank’s assets to DFCU bank.
Addressing journalists in Kampala, Mr Mutebile explained that all customers and depositors of Crane Bank were to have their accounts operated by DFCU Bank through its wide branch network.

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