Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), with support from the Bureau of International Operations and Law Enforcement Affairs, donated equipment this morning to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). This donation aims to strengthen the Authority’s capacity to enhance law enforcement and intelligence efforts to fight wildlife crime.

The equipment delivered includes one Lenovo all-in-one PC, Lenovo laptops and accessories, two Honda motorcycles, 16,809 educational and awareness materials, and several other items yet to be installed and delivered. The additional items include thirty-five smartphones and waist bags, solar units for ranger outposts, and fuel cards for the two motorcycles.

Delivering the consignment at UWA offices in Kamwokya, Kampala, the Country Director of WCS, Dr. Takozekibi Nampindo, stated that the project, which is part of the Countering Wildlife Crime in the Transfrontier Conservation Area of Uganda initiative, aims to reduce poaching and wildlife trafficking within the Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area. This will be achieved by enhancing UWA’s capacity to coordinate responses at both park and national levels, as well as improving the use of high-quality data sharing and analysis to combat wildlife crime.

UWA Executive Director Dr. James Musinguzi praised WCS for their practical support in conservation efforts and promised to ensure the donation is effectively used to combat the ongoing challenge of wildlife crime.

The project, which will run until September 2026, will also provide training on Earth Ranger integration with SMART and OWADAT systems (for patrol data collection), facilitate deployment, raise community awareness about the benefits of the park and the threats posed by poaching, and support conservation education and awareness training.