The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A long-time career conservationist, Dr. John Samuel Mwandha, the eighth executive director of Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) hands over office today as heads for retirement.
He has been at the helm of Uganda’s top conservation body since 2018 upon succeeding Dr. Andrew Sseguya. He hands over to former Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC) Executive Director, Dr. James Musinguzi.
Uganda Radio Network has interacted with Mwandha especially during his supervision tours in some of the national parks in the country. On each of those occasions he be referred to as game warden rather than executive director.
Indeed, Mwandha has risen through the ranks from community conservation warden to Executive Director of Uganda Wildlife Authority. At the time he joined UWA, there reports of massive corruption and intrigue at the conservation body. In 2013, a ton of ivory disappeared from UWA stores under unexplained circumstances.
Some of the employees at UWA described him as a humble, God-fearing and very strict when it comes to financial matters. Others told URN that despite being in charge of big sums of money at the Authority, he did not take personal gain over it.
Before rising to the position of the Executive Director, Sam Mwandha was the director of conservation and therefore ensuring that wildlife population thrive and better welfare of the rangers.
A ranger who asked for anonymity told URN that while Mwandha ensure that their welfare improves, he leaves offices when their salaries have not been enhanced by the government.
Mwandha leaves the Authority at the time when it is in a better financial status than it was in 2018. UWA had a budget of 86.8 billion shillings during the financial year 2017-2018. Latest figures from the Authority indicate that its budget was 168 billion shillings in the financial year 2023-2024.
Raymond Engena, one of the Board Members at Uganda Wildlife Authority says Mwandha is a very honest person who is guided by Christian values. Engena says Mwandah has been a very hard working person at the official level. Some have described him as a very principled person.
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