After a deadly occurrence, Uganda tightens security in its national parks.

Following a deadly incident in which an armed poacher murdered a ranger, Uganda has increased security in all of its national parks.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), a state-run organization in charge of animal conservation, said in a statement on Thursday that it has deployed extra employees in key positions across all protected areas to safeguard the safety of both people and wildlife.

This decision occurred after a ranger and a poacher were murdered in a gunfight in the Kidepo Valley National Park in northeastern Uganda, bordering South Sudan, on December 5.

“Our parks have always been secure, but we don’t want to take any risks, therefore we are increasing security measures in all protected areas to safeguard the protection of our tourists,” UWA Executive Director Sam Mwandha said.

The event occurred as the country enters the festival season, when attendance to national parks are likely to surge, according to the Xinhua news agency.

Tourism is an important source of foreign currency in Uganda. According to official data, the nation used to generate more than $1.6 billion per year from tourism prior to the Covid-19 outbreak.

According to the Ministry of Tourist, the country’s tourism profits in 2020 will be $0.5 billion as a result of the epidemic.