Management is very weak

The NEW VISION, Saturday, July 23, 1994 5
LETTERS

SIR - I would like to express my dismay at what is taking place in Uganda National Parks. The recovery which was expected is going down the drain due to weak management at the top.
The recent death of a German project leader in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Claus Sucker cannot go unmentioned. The CARE-DTC project leaders have for a long time been on the neck of this man. His death reportedly by hanging himself on a window leaves a trail of suspicion.
CARE-DTC and other projects operating in various parks have exploited weak leadership at the top to create instability by instigating unnecessary transfers.
If Claus had committed any offence, the only sensible thing the director should have done was to ask the donors in Germany to replace Claus, but not to transfer him to Kidepo as if he was an ordinary Ugandan staff.
In spite of small funding, Claus Sucker did more on the ground than CARE-DTC can ever think of doing in Mgahinga and Bwindi. Bwindi forest is now infested with poachers, goldminers and pitsawyers due to instability in its management.
Some elements in these projects are now dictating to the director what to do when the reverse is supposed to happen. Moral has gone down and it is high time government returned these forests to forest department since Uganda National Parks has failed to manage forests as national parks.

Sam Tumuhaise
Kabale