BIG SCANDAL: 10 UWA Bosses Arrested Over Multi-Billion Gorilla Permit Fraud | Here Are Shocking Details!

By Our Reporter

More than ten senior officials from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) have been arrested and are currently being held at various police stations across Kampala, including Wandegeya, Kira Division, and Nateete, over a massive corruption scandal involving forged gorilla tracking permits.

The arrests follow a forensic audit by the Auditor General which exposed deep-rooted fraud within UWA’s permit issuance system. The audit found that between 2021 and 2023, several officials allegedly forged gorilla tracking permits and recycled payment receipts, leading to a loss of over Shs 9 billion meant for wildlife conservation.

According to police sources, the suspects were picked up by detectives from the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) on Tuesday evening and spent the night in detention as investigations continue.

“We have concluded the initial stages of the investigation. The suspects will be produced in court soon,” said a senior CID officer who preferred anonymity due to the sensitivity of the case.

The names of the detained officials have not yet been released, but police confirmed that they are among UWA’s senior management and key staff responsible for tourism permit processing.

This is not the first time UWA has been rocked by corruption allegations. Earlier this year, four employees were dismissed after an internal probe uncovered irregularities in the issuance of tracking permits, which reportedly cost the agency about Shs 500 million. However, the latest audit suggests the scam was much wider in scope and involved systematic manipulation of financial records over several years.

The scandal has sparked public outrage, especially given that gorilla tourism is one of Uganda’s leading foreign exchange earners. Gorilla and chimpanzee tracking permits, sold to both local and international tourists, fund vital conservation work and community development around Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks.

Tour operators and conservationists have expressed concern that the fraud could tarnish Uganda’s reputation as a prime ecotourism destination.

As investigations widen, the Auditor General’s office and CID have pledged to strengthen monitoring systems within government agencies to prevent similar cases of financial abuse.