For the history buffs: so, how did the Mount Elgon National Park in Uganda come about?
| 1929: | The Forest Department assumes control over the forest of Mount Elgon. |
| 1936 – 37: | The boundary of the park was completely surveyed and demarcated. |
| 1940: | Gazetted as Mount Elgon Crown Forest. |
| 1951: | Re-gazzetted as Mount Elgon Central Forest Reserve. |
| 1968: | Around this time, most of the present day boundaries were established after periods of boundary disputes and excisions to allow families living in the forest to remain. |
| 1972 – 86: | The civil unrest in Uganda interferes with the management of the reserve. |
| 1988: | Government issues a Forestry Policy emphasising effective management of forests for both economic and environmental reasons. |
| 1994: | Management of reserve is transferred to Uganda National Parks (UNP). |
| 1996: | UNP is renamed to Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) after merging with the Game Department. |
Source: From Conflict to Collaboration By Penny Scott
So, there you have it. And today, UWA’s mission “is to conserve and sustainably manage the wildlife and Protected Areas of Uganda in partnership with neighboring communities and stakeholders for the benefit of the people of Uganda and the global community.”