The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has secured deterrent sentences against four wildlife offenders convicted by the Chief Magistrate’s Court of Masindi for unlawful entry into a protected area, unlawful hunting and unlawful possession of wildlife specimens of protected species.
The offenders, identified as Owinja Gilbert, Oyergiu Damas, Iutung Godfrey and Oyirworh Stephen, were arrested on July 15, 2026, at about 9:15 a.m. in the Corner Ojara area.
They appeared before the Chief Magistrate’s Court of Masindi on July 23, 2026, where they pleaded guilty to all the charges and were remanded.
On September 3, 2026, the court sentenced each offender to two years’ imprisonment for unlawful entry into a protected area, four years for unlawful hunting in a protected area and eight years for unlawful possession of wildlife specimens of protected species.
The sentences will run concurrently.
In addition, each convict was ordered to pay UGX 10,000 per kilogramme of wildlife meat, amounting to UGX 4,170,000 for the 417 kilogrammes recovered.
The exhibits recovered from the offenders included 11 spears, four knives, one panga, one sharpening file, 417.952 kilogrammes of suspected wildlife meat, five buffalo tails, one giraffe tail, two buffalo horns, one oribi horn, Uganda kob skin and legs, Jackson’s hartebeest legs and other buffalo body parts.
During the proceedings, defence counsel Ms. Ajok Harriet pleaded for leniency, citing the offenders’ status as first-time offenders and their family responsibilities.
However, UWA lead prosecutor Kato Robinson urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, citing the increasing prevalence of wildlife offences around Murchison Falls National Park and the importance of wildlife tourism to Uganda’s economy.
In his ruling, Chief Magistrate His Worship Olara Gumutwero noted that although the offenders were first-time offenders, the increasing prevalence of wildlife crime warranted a deterrent sentence.
He emphasized the importance of protecting wildlife to support Uganda’s tourism industry and national development goals.
Dr. James Musinguzi, the UWA Executive Director, said the authority remains committed to protecting Uganda’s wildlife and will continue working with law enforcement agencies and the Judiciary to combat wildlife crime.
He urged people involved in wildlife trafficking and other wildlife-related crimes to seek alternative livelihoods.
Dr. Musinguzi also noted that UWA is deploying technology to track offenders and strengthening ranger presence to protect Uganda’s natural heritage.
