Recently the speaker of parliament and conservationists expressed their disappointment at plans by the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) to solicit views regarding an application by a South African company to build a power dam at Murchison Falls.
The Ugandan government has canceled a plan to build a 360Megawatt Hydro Power dam, at the Murchison falls along rive Nile
The Tourism Minister Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu confirmed the development during a cabinet weekly presser at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala
Kamuntu said hydro power is good but it will take an economist argument whether it can be genretad elsewhere as there is need to transform from peasantry to modernity and tourism is the suitable industry to achieve middle income status.
“We need electricity, but we must also have foreign exchange from tourism. It should however be noted that Murchison falls National Park covers 3,893 square kilometers and a major tourist attraction.” Said Kamuntu
Kamuntu added “Murchison falls is the biggest tourist attractions in Uganda with an estimated 100,000 tourists coming into the country every year which makes it a vital asset worth preservation”.