Kampala, Uganda | NEWS CORRESPONDENT | For over 27 years, the Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda (ECOTRUST) has helped to protect the country’s environment by working closely with communities through conservation and nature-based financing approaches. This approach shows that when people benefit from nature, they are more willing to protect …
Read More »Money Grows on Trees: How Julius Nyanzi turned indigenous plants into innovation and conservation
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | When Julius Nyanzi walks into a room filled with scientists, he does not begin with complex formulas or laboratory jargon. Instead, he starts with a simple but provocative idea: “Money grows on trees.” For many, the phrase sounds like a joke or a cliché …
Read More »ECOTRUST shows how to make economic sense of conservation at Nairobi conference
ECOTRUST Highlights Inclusive Conservation Financing at the Business of Conservation Conference 2026 Nairobi, Kenya | THE INDEPENDENT | The Business of Conservation Conference 2026 is currently underway in Nairobi- Kenya, bringing together leaders from across Africa and beyond to discuss how conservation can become a sustainable business that benefits both …
Read More »The Okapi, Congo’s hidden ‘forest jewel’, now protected thanks to conservation milestone
The world’s only living relative of the giraffe has received its strongest global protection yet. Conservationists say the move closes trafficking loopholes, strengthens protections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and signals a historic step toward safeguarding this rare and iconic forest mammal. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | …
Read More »When African conservation crosses borders
At a quiet hotel in rain-soaked Maun, African policymakers, scientists and community voices came together to design a continental biodiversity programme rooted in shared ecosystems, resilience and cooperation Maun, Botswana | RONALD MUSOKE | On the edge of the Okavango Delta, where seasonal rains soften northern Botswana and the air …
Read More »A new continental vision to protect Africa’s shared landscapes
How a bold AU–UNDP initiative seeks to rebuild ecological resilience—and strengthen the lives connected to it Tlokweng, Botswana | RONALD MUSOKE | Africa is at a conservation crossroads. Its ecosystem-from the sprawling savannahs of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area to the montane forests of the Albertine Rift– are not just landscapes; …
Read More »African leaders agree to commit 1% GDP for continental Biodiversity Fund
African leaders explore homegrown solution as global funding for conservation sharpfly declines Tlokweng, Botswana | RONALD MUSOKE | Can Africa rescue its own biodiversity before the losses become irreversible? This is a question that once hovered at the edges of policy conversations, raised by scientists and conservationists but rarely confronted by …
Read More »From bush patrols to finish lines
Inside the Wildlife Ranger Challenge, where men and women on the frontline of conservation share their struggles, triumphs, and hopes for Africa’s future Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | On Sept. 20, at dawn, the horizon above Murchison Falls National Park in northwestern Uganda was stitched with jagged lightning, thunder growling …
Read More »The Independent’s Ronald Musoke scoops Uganda Conservation Media Award
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Independent’s Ronald Musoke emerged winner at the Uganda Conservation Media Awards gala held in Kampala on Oct 16. For his story titled, “Greatest elephant, pangolin massacre,” Musoke won the Wildlife Crime print/online category. For the effort, he received a commemorative plaque, a certificate, …
Read More »African Rangers push limits in epic Conservation Race
Murchison Falls, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | In the heart of Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park, the sun had barely risen when over 18 teams of wildlife rangers, community scouts, and teams from supporting organizations from across Uganda gathered at the starting line. The air buzzed with anticipation as these …
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The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price