The Uganda Wildlife Authority has entered a new era with the handover of leadership from Sam Mwandha to Dr. James Musinguzi, who has been appointed as the new executive director.

After seven years of dedicated service, including leading Uganda's premier conservation body since 2018, Sam Mwandha is stepping down to begin his retirement.

This transition was marked by a handover ceremony today at the UWA Headquarters in Kamwokya.

The leadership transition at the Uganda Wildlife Authority took place today, marking the beginning of a new era with Dr. James Musinguzi, former Executive Director of the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC), taking over as the new Executive Director of UWA, succeeding Sam Mwandha.

The transition was formalized during a handover ceremony at the UWA Headquarters in Kamwokya, which was attended by various dignitaries.

Professor James Kalema, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at UWA, began by expressing his appreciation for Sam Mwandha's dedicated service over the past seven years. He highlighted several significant achievements during Mwandha's tenure, including the remarkable growth of the authority and a notable increase in revenue.

Professor Kalema also pledged his support to the newly appointed Executive Director, Dr. James Musinguzi, vowing to work closely with him in the next chapter of UWA's journey.

Mr. Sam Mwandha, the outgoing Executive Director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, urged UWA staff members to continue their dedicated work and offered advice to Dr. James Musinguzi on various approaches to handling matters within the authority.

He also highlighted some of the challenges facing UWA, encouraging the new executive director to seek effective solutions to these issues.

The Permanent Secretary presided over the handover ceremony, during which the instruments of office were officially transferred from Sam Mwandha to Dr. James Musinguzi.

Dr. James Musinguzi outlined some of the key areas he plans to focus on and called for the support of the team to ensure effective service delivery while also maintaining and enhancing revenue generation.

The State Minister of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities commended the outgoing Executive Director for a job well done and encouraged the newly appointed officials to foster a strong work ethic and embrace good character in their roles.

The ceremony also witnessed the appointment and promotion of various officials, who were elevated to higher ranks within the organization.