President Yoweri Museveni has excoriated junior Tourism minister Godfrey Kiwanda for ‘chest-thumping’ over Uganda receiving 2 million tourists.

In his speech, at the passing out of 487 Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) game rangers at Paraa in Murchison Falls national park, Nwoya district last week, Kiwanda said at least 2 million tourists visit Uganda every year. The country’s target, he said, is 4 million tourists.

But an unimpressed Museveni said Kiwanda’s ‘chest-thumping’ was akin to to someone comparing two pigmies and measuring who’s taller.

“They are all short, why don’t you look for tall people to compare,” Museveni said.

Museveni also criticized the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) and Uganda’s embassies for not doing a good job to market Uganda abroad.

“We have got flora and fauna which you will not find anywhere in the world. But why would a country like Spain that has nothing to show be visited by 50 million people and Uganda just 2 million people and you are here congratulating yourself?” Museveni said.

The president noted that despite its very huge tourism potential, Uganda is yet to take advantage because of poor planning. Museveni said that airports need to be opened up in areas where national parks are to ease movement of tourists.

“Why should a tourist who is going to Kidepo first go through [Uganda’s only airport] Entebbe and then use the dusty road? Is eating the Karamajong dust part of tourism?” Museveni said.

Minister Kiwanda revealed that they are in the process of enlarging and improving roads that are going to the parks on top of improving on the marketing of tourism both locally and internationally.

He also said that his ministry is spearheading the review of the UWA Act to strengthen punishments for poachers and also provide for compensation in case of death or destruction of property of people by wild animals.

Privately, tourism officials bemoan the bad press generated by the political unpredictability in the country, low funding and fights between tourism and marketing authorities as the main cause for the low tourism numbers.

On his part, UWA executive director, Sam Mwandha said that in the last 20 years, his organisation has lost 45 rangers – majority of whom were put out of action by armed poachers.

He said national parks across the country are increasingly coming under pressure from local communities who are encroaching on their land. To mitigate this and problem animals that wander into people’s gardens, Mwandha said there is need to have clear boundaries by erecting wall and electric fences. He however noted that to be able to construct 50 kilometers of an electric fence, they need Shs 50 billion which they don’t currently have.

At the function, the six districts of Buliisa, Masindi, Pakwach, Nwoya, Kiryandongo and Oyam that neighbour Murchison Falls national park received Shs 1.9 billion as their 20 per cent share of gate fees collected from tourists