Museveni Commissions Mbale Zoo, Urges Ugandans to Tap Global Tourism Market

What the report says

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni used Uganda’s World Tourism Day 2026 celebrations in Mbale to encourage households to view tourism and other productive activities as practical income sources, according to SoftPower News. The event was held at Mbale Secondary School Grounds, where he presided over the national commemoration and linked the sector to wider economic opportunity for communities and individuals.

SoftPower News reported that Museveni’s message focused on the need for Ugandans to participate more actively in tourism and related enterprises, framing the industry as a pathway to benefit from both local and global visitor demand. The coverage places the remarks in the context of government efforts to promote tourism as part of broader economic transformation.

The report also notes the commissioning of Mbale Zoo as part of the day’s activities, though it provides limited detail in the excerpt about the facility itself or the full scope of the launch. More generally, tourism-related infrastructure and public celebrations like this are often used to draw attention to conservation, local investment and destination marketing, but that broader context is supplementary to SoftPower News’ account.

The development matters because tourism is one of Uganda’s key service sectors and a potential source of earnings for communities outside major urban centers. Museveni’s remarks suggest continued official emphasis on expanding participation in the industry and positioning Uganda to compete in the international tourism market.