Draft Minutes of the Uganda Wildlife Society Annual General Meeting

To address its environmental problems Aiso said Japan came up with strict environmentmanagement laws that among others targeted to resolve the energy issues, oil crisis inclusive.Japan adopted a number of environment related international laws, agreements/treaties includingthe Kyoto protocol.Concluding, his presentation Ahiso said, pollution problems following rapid economic growthenabled Japan learn the lesson that in development, integrating environment conservationconcerns in earlier planning and design stages was important. This he said could be lessons forUganda a country that may, soon face rapid economic growth following its commercial oilreserves discovery and planned developments.Prof Banage began his technical talk with a history of Uganda predating the 1960s. Among otherProf informed the audience that Uganda was the first among the East African Countries to trainScientists in Wildlife even though, it’s National Parks development took off slowly due toMosquitoe infestation. Park development in Uganda Prof said was a matter of choice notnecessity as, unlike its east African neighbors, Uganda does not have marginal lands. Addingthat, if we choose to forego wildlife, even Karamoja can be an agricultural area.

Some of the challenges to conservation in Uganda Prof Banage said are; insufficient research andadvocacy on wildlife by UWA, policy changes are taking place but management of the changesare a challenge, co-management of wildlife areas such as the Bwindi impenetrable National Park,shared experience of the indigenous peoples lacking, the Batwa for example, Uganda beinggenerally a small country, invasive species are increasing. The other problems are the increasingeconomic pressure for people to meet their needs while the resource remains constant, theexpansion of banana growing, a monoculture like pines that negatively affect species richnessand diversity and pollutes the environment and, climate change. Prof Banage concluded hispresentation by advising that all biologists must take care of what Uganda will look like fiftyyears from now, which he said he did not know.Prof Banage’s whole presentation was filmed and if you are interested in getting a copy of theDVD please contact the secretariat at uws@uws.or.ug. The DVDs will be given at a costcovering production expenses only.

Discussing Prof Banage’s presentation, the audience had many more questions for him, amongothers they asked him what policies are in place to stop people cutting trees, and KCCA fromkilling Malubu Stock as recently they did at the Makerere University Campus and to conservepeople in the Bush with Joseph Kony’s LRA. Other participants said they did not agree with ProfBanage that Banana is polluting the environment, instead they think the problem could beloopholes in management of wastes, including electronics. They further identified that flowerfirms (horticulture) around Lake Victoria are generating wastes that are being disposedinappropriately in the water body. This may result in serious negative impacts on conservationthey said. Other participants lamented why conservation is not a serious thing in Uganda as isthe case in other East Africana countries like Kenya and Tanzania. They said Bush meat has ofrecent become a big problem in the country.Responding generally to the several queries raised, Prof Banage mentioned that among otherthings, Uganda has the policies and the laws but not always the systems and implementation andor the will power to do it.

Minute 2 AGM 2012/2. PrayerThe AGM events opening prayer was said by Reverend Joseph Okumu on behalf of ReverendSimon Lwanga of the Gospel Assembly Church Kampala.Minute 3 AGM 2012/3. Communication from the ChairChairman welcomed members to the AGM 2012 and thanked them for their support of theSociety activities through the years. Chairman mentioned that the Society’s accounts are nowup-to-date for the period 2009-2011, and the treasurer will provide details in her report. He saidaudited accounts report was one of the three action points they had to work on from the previousAGM. Chairman thanked the donors to society activities and partners who have and continue towork with UWS in its various projects in 2011 which included among others the NakasongolaClimate Change Pilot Project, COBWEB in Rakai and Insingiro, the National Level PolicyDialogues etc.Chairman informed members that the executive committee and the secretariat have been workinghard to make sure the Society gets out of its predicament. He asked members to continue andeven enhance their support to the Society. This he said will help to the Society in eliciting donortrust and support otherwise they may withhold, perceiving that UWS is a small outfit that doesnot deserve a lot of money.Chairman thanked the ES and Secretariat staff for their hard work and commitment, AlexMuhweezi his vice chairperson for negotiating the Ecosystems Alliance Project and generallystanding in at all the times when he was away on his official duties. Chairman thanked the S andT subcommittee for their technical backstopping and oversight to the secretariat on their workplan and activities’. He thanked his executive committee members for working with him duringtheir term and thanked the speakers who delivered talks on UWS public dialogue events.Chairman noted that 2010-2011 had some challenges too, one them being staff turnover wherebya New Executive Secretary was recruited following the departure of the old one, seniorresearchers resigned and so the Secretariat Staffing became very limited. But despite these, thefew staff at the Secretariat were able to fully deliver on the Society planned activities for 2011and even did more Chairman noted.

Also, the Chairman mentioned recurrent failure to secure 100% renewals of old members, eventhough the Society continues to receive new ones. He wondered why members register for one ortwo years and then pullout when, membership fees are not high at all. Could it be ourrecruitment, communication or servicing strategy, what could be the problem he asked?Responding to Chairman, members suggested there may be need to look at benefits for members,their involvement in the society activities as innovatively as possible. The society need to comeup with activities that motivate the different categories of members, work with students, andensure value for money in addition to the public talks. Members suggested the Society negotiatewith UWA so that its members are able to visit the National Parks free of charge or at a lowerrate given that UWS is helping the government in its conservation work.

Honorable Jacob Wangolo mentioned that in any membership organization, experience haveshown that members pull out for reasons that include failure of the organization to meetmembers expectation, communication gap and failure to maximize and or avoid strategicmistakes. He further said that what UWS is doing should enable its members access Wildlifeprotected areas easily. The Society just needs to lobby and also get many members of parliamentbecome its members and help take the issue a bit higher he added.Members asked which people are recruited to carry out the society activities and how is it done.In his response, chairman informed members that Society works are done by among othersvolunteers who include members, consultants and secretariat staff. He said UWS may not be inposition to cause UWA to bend rules to allow members access the National Parks free butconsultation will be made to see what is possible.Finally, Chairman informed members that the Society website has been updated and is constantlybeing updated with information about activities going on for members update. Adding that theConstitution and all documents referred in the AGM will be uploaded for members access anduse where need be.Minute 4 AGM 2012/4. Annual General Meeting Agenda Review and AdoptionMembers reviewed and adopted the Agenda as was presented.Minute 5 AGM 2012/5. Review of Minutes of the Previous – 2011 Annual General MeetingMr. Kabagambe Stephen proposed adoption of the Minutes of the previous AGM and wasseconded by Henry Bazira. In the interest of time, chairman suggested and members agreed thatdiscussion of the action points and matters arising be done and reference made where necessaryon the contents of minutes.Chairman informed members that it was not possible to call for an extra ordinary meeting topresent audited accounts for 2009- 2010 as planned as the accounts were not ready till this year.The treasurer will be reporting today on the period 2009-2011 accounts. Chairman noted thatmembership servicing has been improved, periodic updates on what is going on the Society,through UWS Today – E newsletter is being done. However, members are not giving feedback

nor contributing articles Chairman said, urging them to start doing so. While membershiprecruitment continues, chairman noted that renewal has remained low and is something to tacklethis year too.Minute 6 AGM 2012/6. Chairman’s report (activity 2011 and work plan 2012) to the AGMChairman reported at length on a number of projects and activities that were accomplished in theyear 2011, on the Society’s four strategic fronts i.e. conservation- research (and publications),initiatives, advocacy and policy influence, acknowledging the donors in each case. He also talkedabout achievements realized under membership, networking and publicity. He also informedmembers of staff recruitments in 2011, including interns and volunteers. Adding that, thesecretariat did well in achieving the Society’s 2011 work plans, including delivering on auditedaccount report for previous years. Chairman told members that his report will be uploaded in theSociety website (www.uws.or.ug) for members’ easy access and even download whenever theywish. Members received the Chairman’s report and noted that he and his executive committeehave done very well and they applauded them.

Chairman highlighted planned activities for 2012, making specific mention and appreciation thatfunding for most of the activities have been secured thanks to Ecosystems Alliance funding. TheEcosystems Alliance Chairman said is a three and half year programme that UWS will beinvolved in together with partners NAPE and AFIEGO. Once its funds come in, the Society willhave room to comfortably plan and execute longer term fundraising strategies. Like the 2011activity report, Chairman told members that the Society’s 2012 Annual Work plan document willbe uploaded online at www.uws.or.ug for members’ easy access and reference.Minute 7 AGM 2012/7. Treasurers’ financial report (2009-2011 and projection 2012)The treasurer informed members that the financial audited accounts report for the period 2009-2011 are ready and so the society is up-to-date on this front. She said members interested inlooking at the detailed report are free to come forward and look at the books brought at the AGMand even later at their convenience at the Secretariat. Like other documents, she said the reportwill also be uploaded in the Society’s website for members’ easy access.

The treasurer informed members that funds received from membership subscription is notmarching with the donors’ for example, in 2011; the figure was 0.02% of the Society’s AnnualBudget and expenditures. She further informed members that the outgoing committee did notincur any new liabilities and they actually managed to reduce the Society debt to a small extentand even had a surplus in its finances although a committed one.Giving the financial projections for 2012, the treasurer informed members that the Society hasplanned activities and budgeted to spend about three hundred and fifty million Uganda shillingsof which about 80% of this has been secured thanks to the Ecosystems Alliance, a new donorand, GEF/UNDP/GOV /IUCN and, WWF. To fill the financial gap, the society executivecommittee and secretariat will undertake fundraising activities such as writing project proposals.The treasurer thanked Alex for his dedication and efforts while in the Finance subcommittee that,has helped the Society Secure the Ecosystems Alliance and some other grants before.Responding to Chairman and treasurer’s report, members noted the committee performed verywell, they thanked and applauded them with hand claps.

Minute 8 AGM 2012/8. AGM Appointment of New AuditorsThe treasurer informed members that she needs the AGM to look approve and appoint a NewAuditor for the Society as is normal practice to change Auditors after some period of time.Reacting to her request, members noted that money issues are very sensitive and therefore it isbetter the AGM give powers to the committee to source for well qualified auditors and followingthe right procedures laid down in normal practices of Uganda. The executive committee canthen call for an extra-ordinary meeting and there present to members the selected auditor forapproval and appointment. Members mentioned that they expect among other procedures theSociety to send out call for expression of interest to be auditors.Minute 9 AGM 2012/9 Elections and Swearing in of UWS Executive Committee 2012-2014The chairman informed members the outgoing executive committee in their last meeting justbefore the AGM suggested that Alex Muhweezi be the presiding officer for the 2012 elections to

the Executive Committee. He informed members that the committee arrived at this decision forthree constitutional reasons. One, Alex has experience in presiding over elections, two he is notan interested party since he is not standing for any position and three he is up-to-date withmember subscription to the Society. Chairman mentioned that members are free to reject thisproposal and select another presiding officer if they wished. Members accepted Alex to be theelections presiding officer and upon their acceptance, Chairman called him forward and handedover to him the floor.Alex thanked the then former Chairman and the AGM for giving him the privilege to conductelections for UWS Executive Committee 2012-2014 and accepted the task, in line with theconstitutional provisions. He then went to highlight constitutional guidelines relating to electionof the executive committee. Alex informed members that the executive committee is comprisedof 9 members including the Chairman/Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Treasurer and six

members. The executive secretary, Alex mentioned is an Ex-Officio member of the executivecommittee and therefore, members have to today elect 9 members to the executive committee.Alex informed members that some of the out going members of the executive committee areeligible for election and these include the Former Chairman Dr. Eldad Tukahirwa, membersCaroline Aguti, Hon. John Kigyagi Arimpa, and Dr. Chris Bakuneeta. The other members i.e.Prof Derek Pomeroy and Pauline Natongo have served up their terms and are ineligible to standagain for any position in the executive committee this year. Alex cited articles 10 and 18 of theUWS constitution and informed members that nomination has to be done for members to beelected and they have to dully sign that they are willing to serve. The nomination forms have tobe returned to the executive secretary in time stated and wining elections is by majority vote atan AGM, with one vote one member policy being upheld.The presiding officer announced that Dr. Eldad Tukahirwa has been nominated unopposed to theposition of Chairperson, Dr. Chris Bakuneeta to the position of vice chairperson and CarolineAguti to the position of treasurer. The AGM accepted these members in their respectivepositions. Alex then informed members that Prof Pomeroy is ineligible, his nomination is thusinvalid and so members have seven candidates from whom to elect six for the position ofmembers to the executive committee.The seven members nominated for executive committee included Mr. James Lutalo thecommissioner Ministry of Tourism Wildlife and Heritage, Hon. John Arimpa Kigyagyi (Formermember of Parliament and member Parliamentary Forum on Climate Change), Mr. NewtoneNsibambi (a student member from Kyambogo University), Mr. Ambrose Mugisha (a PhDstudent currently and Former Deputy Director of Nature Uganda), Honorable Jacob Wangolo(Member of Parliament and Member Parliamentary Forum on Climate Change and NaturalResources Committee), Mr. David Mfitumukiza and Mr. Gilbert Wathum both of MakerereUniversity.Voting was by secret ballot given to members. The ballot papers contained a table having namesof the seven nominated candidates from whom individual members ticked their priority six.Polling agents collected the ballot papers and the votes were counted, tallied and summaries

ead. Mr. David Mfitumukiza received the least votes and therefore was not successful in theelection to the executive committee while the rest of the nominated members made it.After the election results announcement, the presiding officer called the elected Chairman andhis committee to the front and handed over the floor to the elected Chairman. The chairman onbehalf of his committee thanked members for electing them and pledged they would serve theSociety to the best of their abilities and called upon members to support and work with them.The Chairman then called on Reverend Joseph Okumu to pray for the New ExecutiveCommittee, which he did, asking God to guide and bless them so that come next annual generalmeeting and through out their term, they will have a good report. Seven of the nine electedmembers were present and are in figure below while the list of all the nine members ExecutiveCommittee of UWS 2012-2014 follow in the table.

Table: Full list-Ninne Members of Uganda Wildlife Society Executive Committee 2012- 2014No. Name Position Telephone Email address1 Dr. Eldad Tukahirwa Chairperson 0772798626 e.tukahirwa@asareca.org2 Dr. Chris Bakuneeta V/Chairperson 0775526657 cbakuneeta@zoology.mak.co.ug3 Ms. Caroline Aguti Treasurer 0772619300 Caguti2002@yahoo.com4 Hon. John Arimpa Kigyagi Member 0772482528 kigyagi@yahoo.com5 Hon. Jacob Wangolo Member 0772952851 jwangolo@parliament.go.ug6 Mr. James Lutalo Member 0414314221 jlutalo@mtti.go.ug7 Mr. Ambrose Mugisha Member 0700720091 Ambrosemugisha82@gmail.com8 Mr. Gilbert Wathum Member 0774971148 Wathum@unique-landuse.de9 Mr. Newtone Nsibambi Member 0783239130 nsibambinewton@yahoo.com*As Executive Secretary of UWS, Dr. Nyadoi Priscilla remains the Ex-Officio Member of the Executive Committee.She can be reached at uws@uws.or.ug or msnyadoi@yahoo.com and mobile telephone on 0779250961.Minute 10 AGM 2012/10. Any Other BusinessMembers suggested that communication must be made frequently to members about on goingactivities and opportunities for them to participate. The secretariat make arrangement to recruitregional members but this are otherwise not membership category implied in the constitution.Any constitutional amendments need to be proposed at least sixty days before the AGM and only

the AGM can amend the constitution. The other approach Chairman informed members is bycalling for an extra ordinary members’ meeting, upon reception of a petition signed by at least 20members of the Society. Chairman further informed members that each one of them is supposedto have a copy of the constitution. To ensure this, the secretariat will produce a soft copy of thedocument and upload it in the Society’s website (www.uws.or.ug) for all members to download.Members requested that the secretariat make and distribute a documentary of the AGM. MsNasubuga a student of Makerere University mentioned that she was happy with the progress ofhaving student member elected to the executive committee of Uganda Wildlife Society. She saidthe universities have student associations that can continue the membership representative incase an elected student member finishes his education before serving out his term in thecommittee. For example, Makerere University Wildlife Student Association exists.Chairman thanked members for their big turn up and participation in the AGM, urging them tocontinue working with the Society throughout by contributing articles to the E-Newsletter,giving feedback and visiting secretariat for updates/involvement in day to day Society activities.There being no any other business to discuss, Chairman closed the AGM at 8. 45 PM.………………………Dr. Eldad TukahirwaChairman… ……………………….Priscilla NyadoiExecutive Secretary

AppendixRegistration list of (Names and contact details of participants in the Uganda Wildlife Society2012 pre AGM and AGM events) to be scanned and attached but in all, participants were about118.