The Rubanda District LC5 Chairperson, Ampeire Stephen Kasyaba, has condemned some Kigezi-based Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) for allegedly exploiting the Batwa community by showcasing them as tourism attractions instead of empowering them.
During the 2026/2027 District Budget Conference on Thursday, Kasyaba expressed concern over the increasing trend of NGOs operating in Batwa-inhabited areas and using members of this marginalized group as displays for tourists.
He described the act as degrading and inhumane, urging organizations to focus on promoting Batwa culture and helping the community commercialize their art and craft products rather than exploiting their vulnerability.
CUE IN KASYABA….ON THE MATTER…..ENG//
In a separate interview, Amos Tugumisirize, the Executive Director of Kabale District Orphans and Vulnerable Children Living with HIV/AIDS (KADOLHA), acknowledged that some NGOs indeed use the Batwa as entertainment for tourists.
He noted that Batwa community members are often made to dance for visitors in exchange for small portions of food or drinks.
Tugumisirize linked this problem to the persistent poverty and landlessness among the Batwa, who were displaced from their ancestral forests following the gazettement of Bwindi, Mgahinga, and Echuya as national parks in 1991.
He emphasized that most Batwa families lack adequate land, and the little they possess is infertile, forcing many to depend on begging and menial performances for survival.
He called for concerted efforts to support the Batwa through sensitization, commercial agriculture, and sustainable livelihood projects.
CUE IN TUGUMISIRIZE….ON BATWA….ENG//
Background on the Batwa:
The Batwa, traditionally forest hunter-gatherers, once lived across Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Their displacement in the early 1990s left them landless and marginalized, living on the peripheries of national parks and working as casual laborers for neighboring communities.
Today, the Batwa population in Uganda is estimated at around 6,000, with approximately 470 residing in the Kigezi sub-region.
Despite several interventions by government and charitable organizations, the Batwa remain among the most disadvantaged communities in Uganda, a situation highlighted when the graduation of a single Batwa university student made national headlines three years ago.
