UWA staff remanded over Shs 9.3 bn gorilla permit fraud

The Anti-Corruption court has remanded 11 officials of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) over conspiring to defraud the government of more than Shs 9.3 billion through the fraudulent issuance of gorilla and chimpanzee tracking permits.

The accused, who appeared before chief magistrate Rachael Nakyazze on Thursday, are part of a wider group of 15 UWA staff under investigation for manipulating the authority’s digital permit management system to generate and sell fake permits to tourists.

They face 23 counts of corruption, abuse of office, neglect of duty, conspiracy to defraud, and causing financial loss, all contained in a charge sheet signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Among those remanded are senior UWA officials, including Stephen Sanyi Masaba, director of tourism and business development; Jimmy Mugisa, director of finance and administration; Robert Maani, senior warden accounts; Alfred Emmanuel Ndikusooka, ICT manager; and Leslie Muhindo, former head of reservations.

Others include ICT and sales executives Gad Ekochu, Shafik Twebaze, Susan Ayupa, Josephine Kayonza, and Rose Namutebi, along with three staff from the records and accounting departments.

However, four suspects including Gilbert Mwesigwa (warden of software), Grace Mubeezi (senior sales executive), Michael Goobi (records personnel), and Bosco Mwondha (accounts clerk), were absent from court.

Magistrate Nakyazze issued criminal summons ordering them to appear at the next session. The prosecution, led by Barbara Kawuma and Edward Muhumuza, alleges that between July 2020 and September 2023, the accused manipulated UWA’s GoChimp System to illegally generate and issue over 1,400 invalid tracking permits used by local and foreign tourists to access Uganda’s national parks without authorization.

The fraudulent scheme reportedly caused losses exceeding Shs 9.3 billion, affecting major conservation areas such as Bwindi Impenetrable, Mgahinga Gorilla, Kibale, and Queen Elizabeth national parks, Uganda’s premier primate tourism destinations.

The GoChimp System was introduced to enhance transparency in the sale of gorilla and chimpanzee tracking permits, one of UWA’s most lucrative revenue streams, with each permit costing up to $800 (about Shs 3 million) for foreign tourists.

According to the prosecution, the suspects created parallel user accounts within the GoChimp platform, enabling unauthorised staff, including interns, to book and print permits without clearance from management.

The fake permits, nearly indistinguishable from genuine ones, were used at gorilla and chimpanzee tracking sites, including Ruhija, Nkuringo, Nyakagezi, Kanyanchu, Rushaga, and Kyambura Gorge.

Investigations by the DPP and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) revealed that the scheme exploited weaknesses in UWA’s internal controls, with significant discrepancies discovered between the number of tourists recorded at tracking sites and the revenue remitted to UWA accounts.

The 11 officials were arrested on Wednesday and face charges under the Anti-Corruption Act, 2009 and the Penal Code Act. If convicted, they could face up to 10 years in prison, heavy fines, and disqualification from holding public office.

All the accused denied the charges. Their defense team comprising David Kamukama, Francis Nyakojo, and Alex Tumuhimbise informed the court that they would be applying for bail, arguing that the accused are long-serving public servants with known residences.

Chief Magistrate Nakyazze, citing a busy schedule, adjourned the matter and remanded the 11 suspects to Luzira prison until October 31, 2025, when the bail hearing will be considered.