By Aggrey Baba
In a bid to enhance aviation safety, Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) has stepped up efforts to educate local communities on the dangers of human activities that attract wildlife near airports.
On March 11, 2025, UCAA held a Wildlife Management sensitisation workshop with the Bugonga community in Entebbe at the Fisheries Training Institute. The initiative aimed to reduce bird strikes and other wildlife-related risks that could endanger aircraft operations.
While opening the one-day workshop, UCAA’s Manager of Airport Operations, Mr. Christopher Omondi, urged residents to be mindful of their waste disposal and farming practices, especially within a 13km radius of the airport. He emphasized that improper waste management attracts birds, increasing the risk of bird strikes, which can severely damage aircraft engines.
Ms. Gloria Bitebekezi, UCAA’s Principal Wildlife Manager, introduced a four-way approach to wildlife management, that’s to say, community engagement, habitat control, grass cutting, and controlled waste disposal within the flight path.
She highlighted the airport wildlife management team’s progress, citing regular runway sweeps, laser beam bird repellents, and bird distress calls as key measures that have helped minimize bird strikes.
With air travel safety at stake, the Authority continues to engage communities in proactive wildlife management, ensuring that Entebbe International Airport remains a safe and efficient gateway to Uganda and beyond. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
