Ministry Seeks Over 1,500 Environmental Rangers to Safeguard Natural Resources

The Ministry of Water and Environment has emphasized the urgent need to recruit more than 1,500 environmental rangers. These personnel are vital for safeguarding Uganda’s fragile wetlands, riverbanks, lakeshores, and central forest reserves from ongoing degradation.

Alfred Okidi, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, made the revelation while appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (Central Government) on Wednesday, 21 October 2026. Chaired by Hon. Patrick Oshabe, the committee session highlighted severe resource and personnel deficits hampering the ministry’s core mandate.

According to Okidi, enforcement efforts are heavily constrained because the ministry currently depends on just 238 police officers for nationwide patrols. Staffing gaps extend deeper into administrative units, with the climate change department operating at under 30 percent capacity, while the forestry sector lingers between 35 and 40 percent.

Beyond personnel shortages, Okidi pointed to chronic underfunding, land acquisition hurdles, and climate change as major stumbling blocks. He noted that the ministry receives no more than 40 percent of the financial resources outlined in its strategic plan, the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), and the government manifesto.

Lawmakers also raised concerns regarding rural and urban water coverage, infrastructure extensions for rapidly growing towns like Kasanda, and disaster preparedness for extreme weather events such as El Niño in highland regions like Bugisu. In response, officials outlined ongoing adjustment plans while stressing the critical need for increased tree cover to mitigate local climate shocks.

For more details on this parliamentary session, read the full report at the Parliament of Uganda.