Tourism
Uganda quits anti-poaching pact over subscription woes
Katusiime said Uganda's withdrawal from the pact followed persistent difficulties the ministry had faced in paying its annual subscription fees and settling its domestic arrears.
Doreen Katusiime. (File)
By: Dedan Kimathi, Journalist @New Vision
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Uganda has pulled out of the Lusaka Agreement over funding woes, tourism ministry permanent secretary Doreen Katusiime has said.
That leaves six countries under the treaty: Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Lesotho, Congo Brazzaville and Liberia.
Ethiopia, South Africa are Eswatini are signatories.
At the core, the pact is aimed at combating poaching as well as the return of confiscated wild fauna and flora to the country of original export or re-export.
Subscription woes
On Friday, tourism ministry PS Katusiime appeared before Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (central), chaired by Patrick Guma-Oshabe Nsamba (Kassanda North, NUP).
The meeting was anchored on Auditor General Edward Akol’s report on the tourism ministry for the 2024/25 financial year.
Katusiime said Uganda's withdrawal from the pact followed persistent difficulties the ministry had faced in paying its annual subscription fees and settling its domestic arrears.
A copy of its financial statement shows that, as of June 30, 2025, the stock of verified domestic arrears stood at sh3,498,472,630.
Of this amount, sh2,270,967,451 was in respect of the Lusaka Agreement subscription, while sh358.65 million was owed to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), among others.
“Because the members were few, the subscription tended to be higher. Because of that we fell back on our subscription. So, the discussion was always towards, can we reduce the subscription?" Katusiime told New Vision.
The meeting was anchored on Auditor General Edward Akol’s report on the tourism ministry for the 2024/25 financial year.
Katusiime said Uganda's withdrawal from the pact followed persistent difficulties the ministry had faced in paying its annual subscription fees and settling its domestic arrears.
A copy of its financial statement shows that, as of June 30, 2025, the stock of verified domestic arrears stood at sh3,498,472,630.
Of this amount, sh2,270,967,451 was in respect of the Lusaka Agreement subscription, while sh358.65 million was owed to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), among others.
“Because the members were few, the subscription tended to be higher. Because of that we fell back on our subscription. So, the discussion was always towards, can we reduce the subscription?" Katusiime told New Vision.
"But then, it also affects the activities because we had already put a secretariat that sits in Nairobi (Kenyan capital). Government said 'let's only stick to those where we have the highest priority', because already we are members of CITES which is a convention on illegal trade in endangered species."
CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, to which Uganda has been a contracting party since October 16, 1991.
“So, we said maybe we will benefit from the international one. For now, we can stop our subscription to the Lusaka agreement. But if we had the funds, we would remain there," added the permanent secretary.
The development comes five months after foreign affairs ministry permanent secretary Vincent Bagiire told PAC, then-chaired by Muwanga Kivumbi and Gorett Namugga, that Uganda had accumulated sh98.95 billion in subscription arrears to international bodies.
He said Uganda had been flagged for non-compliance by the African Union (AU), a situation he cautioned risked undermining the country’s diplomatic standing.
He said the matter of subscription had been taken to Cabinet for consideration.
“I am given a ceiling by the Ministry of Finance and told this is the amount of money that you can budget. Those resources naturally cannot accommodate a bill of sh25 billion annually," Bagiire told MPs at the time.
CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, to which Uganda has been a contracting party since October 16, 1991.
“So, we said maybe we will benefit from the international one. For now, we can stop our subscription to the Lusaka agreement. But if we had the funds, we would remain there," added the permanent secretary.
The development comes five months after foreign affairs ministry permanent secretary Vincent Bagiire told PAC, then-chaired by Muwanga Kivumbi and Gorett Namugga, that Uganda had accumulated sh98.95 billion in subscription arrears to international bodies.
He said Uganda had been flagged for non-compliance by the African Union (AU), a situation he cautioned risked undermining the country’s diplomatic standing.
He said the matter of subscription had been taken to Cabinet for consideration.
“I am given a ceiling by the Ministry of Finance and told this is the amount of money that you can budget. Those resources naturally cannot accommodate a bill of sh25 billion annually," Bagiire told MPs at the time.