The Kasese-based Uganda Wildlife Research Training Institute (UWRTI) has emerged winners of this year's Wildlife Conservation competitions.
The competition organized by Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) and hosted by the Uganda Hotel and Tourism Training Institute (UHTTI) aims at raising awareness for Wildlife in schools and the general public.
Speaking during the event on Monday, the UHTTI principal Miriam Namutosi who doubled as chief guest commended the universities and tertiary institutions in attendance for joining the competitions.
"For those who have won, I congratulate you in advance but ultimately I congratulate everybody because you have all learnt something," Namutosi said.
Michael Mutebi, who represented Tourism minister Col. (Rtd) Tom Butime, urged the participants to be advocates of wildlife conservation.
"You are still young enough. Wildlife cannot speak for itself but you can speak for it," Mutebi said.
He urged all the participants to head to Tororo for the national celebrations scheduled for March 3.
The Jinja city deputy Resident District Commissioner (RCC) for Southern Division, Mike Ssegawa, while speaking during the event, commended the organizers for helping to raise awareness about tourism and conservation.
"Education is more interesting if you have the facts. Competitions like these avail participants with facts about conservation and nature," Ssegawa said.
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In a related development, UHTTI deputy principal Moses Kaneene urged tourism trainers to rally together to improve tourism and hospitality training in the country.
"We have an association bringing together tourism and hospitality trainers in the country and its secretariat is situated here at UHTTI. Let's work together to scale up tourism and hospitality training," Kaneene said.
Meanwhile UWEC publicist Eric Ntalumbwa lauded UHTTI for honoring the request to host the competitions.
"These competitions have always been held in Kampala but we decided to roll them out to other parts of the country. This year we are happy to be in Jinja," Ntalumbwa said.
A total of 10 institution's of Higher Learning took part in this year's Wildlife Conservation Quiz competition that has been organized as part of activities to commemorate the World Wildlife Day that falls on March 3, every year. They include UWRTI who were the defending champions and eventual winner with 33 points, Makerere University which emerged second with 32 points, Nkumba University (30 points), Victoria University (24 points), Metropolitan University (22 points) and Busitema University (21 points).
Others are the host UHTTI (21 points), Kampala University (15 points), Ndejje University (14 points) while King Ceasar University trailed with a paltry 4 points.
This year's main celebrations will be held in Tororo under the theme; "Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation'. They will be preceded with Quiz competitions for primary schools scheduled for March 1st followed by the secondary school competitions scheduled for March, 2.
