Uganda’s ministry of Tourism has officially opened the Tourism Police in its effort to improve on the safety of tourists and their properties. According to Peter Okoshi Simon who is the leader of the new force, Uganda has got to ensure the safety of both the local and the foreign tourists if they are to gain from tourism. The newly established Tourism Police had got to work together with the tourism sector to perfect their work so said Okoshi. He also confirmed that this Tourism police will be working in all areas in the country, in all the different tourist destinations like all game parks, game reserves, hotels and so many other places in the country.
The police force that is put in place is intended to prevent crimes like stealing of tourists’ properties, physical abuse, therefore should be able to stop crimes before they happen. The ministry has so far presented 120 police officers to the ministry and will be increasing on their number as time goes by to about 900. After Lonely planet, identified Uganda as the best tourist destination for the year 2012, Uganda’s tourism industry was put in a much better position and currently the professional said that the Uganda wildlife authority together with the ministry of tourism and other different stakeholders have to find means of helping the industry so that Uganda can acquire more revenue from the industry.
It unfortunate that at the beginning of this year the sector was endangered by political riots like the walk-to-work in which 10 people lost their lives including a two year old child while so many people were hurt in the due Course. This created a state of fear among people from different countries and therefore so many of them had to counsel their trips to Uganda to protect their lives.
However, currently one can say that Uganda is stable enough for any tourists to come and enjoy his safari without experience any kind of interruption whatsoever despite the fact that the activists for change (A4C) which is the opposition group is still holding its rallies in different parts of the country lecturing to people about matters of the economy which is affected by the levels of inflation that is at 25.7%-making it the highest in the entire East African Region.
UGANDA SAFARI NEWS