Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has officially opened the Uganda Wildlife Forensics and Timber Laboratory at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC), Entebbe.
The state-of-the-art laboratory was handed over by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) with support from the TRACE Wildlife Forensics Network. The laboratory was officially opened by the Ambassador of the European Union to Uganda, H.E Jan Sadek.
Wildlife forensic science plays a vital role in strengthening law enforcement and ensuring compliance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Sadek underscored the significance of the facility, “This is much more than the inauguration of a building. It is a clear signal that wildlife and forest crime are treated as serious, organised crime and they will be investigated, prosecuted and punished.”
He highlighted that for years Uganda and the wider region lacked the forensic capacity to identify wildlife and timber species, despite illegal logging being a major transnational crime. He added that without scientific evidence, many cases fail in court, allowing criminal networks to thrive.
The new laboratory bridges that gap by providing advanced forensic capabilities, including timber DNA analysis to accurately identify species and trace their origin.
It also operates under an international-standard Quality Management System to ensure evidence produced is credible and admissible in court.
Giovanni Broussard, Africa Coordinator for the UNODC Global Programme on crimes that affect the environment, underscored the global implications of wildlife and timber trafficking, which are driven by transnational organised crime networks that operate across borders.
“By strengthening forensic capacity in Uganda, UNODC is helping to close critical evidence gaps, enhance accountability and ensure that criminals who exploit nature for profit are brought to justice,” he said.
David Musingo, the Commissioner of Community Conservation at UWA, emphasised the impact of the facility on conservation efforts. “This laboratory strengthens our ability to link science directly to law enforcement. It gives Uganda the tools to not only investigate wildlife crimes more effectively but also to secure convictions that were previously difficult due to a lack of credible evidence.”
Beyond infrastructure, the project also invests in training and capacity building to ensure long-term sustainability.
In the coming months, the laboratory will fully operationalise timber DNA analysis, further strengthening Uganda’s ability to combat forest crime.