More than 1,185 youth turned up for the recruitment exercise of Game Rangers at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) offices located at Katunguru in Rubirizi District.
The applicants were first subjected to a 5-kilometre run before proceeding to medical check-ups as part of the screening process. Some of the applicants were captured by our cameras while crying and others fainted and lifted by UWA officials after failed to make a 5-kilometer run.
Frederick Eria Kisame, the Chief Warden for the Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area, said UWA needs only 140 successful candidates out of the exercise.
He explained that the recruitment which was conducted countrywide was intended to address the challenge of understaffing at different UWA workplaces in the country.
He reported that poaching remains a major challenge but said this would be handled better once UWA has enough manpower.
He warned the community against poaching, noting that national parks contribute a significant percentage to the country’s development.
He happily reported no cases of death during the exercise but said in other previous recruitment exercises, they would register some. According to him, today they made all the steps in making sure that the applicants are directed and briefed accordingly.
He, however, said they only had two referrals of male applicants who were unconscious after the run but reported that they were improving from the different health facilities that they were taken to.
Mr. Kenneth Obigaba Bigezikyi, a member of the UWA Board of Trustees and the Human Resource Committee, said the applicants came from Kasese, Bunyangabu, Fort-Portal, Bunyaruguru, Rukungiri and Kanungu among other districts.
Some participants, including Bwambale Wilson from Kasese and Esther Katusabe Atooki from Fortportal city, who completed the 5-kilometer race, told our reporter that the process was free and fair.
