ADRIFT STIRS MORE CONTROVERSY WITH PUBLIC OUTBURST
(Posted 15th February 2014)
In November last year an outcry of rafting and other tourism companies over what can only be described as arbitrary if not outright extortionist fees, not gazetted at the time nor suitably explained, found its way into my blog and on to other media I wrote for.
Nothing was heard of and only through multiple channels was it established at the time that in fact no collections did take place. Now, three months later, a response was received, written by those exposed back then, and notably not sent directly but again through third parties, showing an apparent lack of courage to own up to the mudslinging.
Given that composing their response to the initial article posted in 2013 took ‘only’ three months, it seems time utterly wasted as the outcome still fails to answer all those pending and pertinent questions, asked then and again now. (Link to the original article posted on 21st November 2013 to allow readers to ascertain which questions were asked and establish which were not responded to at all: https://atcnews.org/2013/11/21/new-nfa-charges-arbitrary-illegal-extortionist-or-what/)
I attach no special importance or significance to the writer, or his company, and would hardly waste my time on a ‘personal vendetta’ as it was alleged. If indeed I had any proverbial axe to grind, the waves would be visible and hit hard instead of just stating the facts as they were presented back then and letting my readers decide whom to believe.
In this spirit, let the email from my so called ‘ally’ speak for itself. I again let readers decide who is right or who is wrong here and not just by making selective comments and murky allegations, hoping that the smokescreen will conceal the truth, but by providing readers with the entire string of emails, from August to October last year and on to the latest ones received yesterday to follow the exchanges blow by blow as they happened. In fact, one actually ought to thank Mr. Cam McLeay for finally exposing his mindset and ulterior motives for all to see.
Adventure Group
P. O. Box 7681, 14 York Terrace, Kololo, Kampala, UGANDA
Tel: +256 (0)312 ADRIFT or 0772 237 438 or +256 (0)41 252 720
e-mail: raftwww.adrift.ug
Wednesday 12th February, 2014
Dear AUTO members,
The levying of green fees at the Itanda Falls is a conservation mechanism designed to protect Uganda’s Nile forests and to create a revenue stream for the local communities so that they too can benefit from their natural heritage.
It is a worthy initiative and one that should have been applauded by those with a vested interest in preserving the natural surroundings of the Nile. Instead, it’s been met with a spirited resistance from Nile River Explorers’ John Dahl, and his ally-blogger Wolfgang H Thome, whose agenda is driven more by a personal vendetta against Adrift than any genuine concern over the welfare of the Ugandan rafting industry.
In his blog, Mr Thome makes a series of damning allegations against Adrift and the National Forestry Association (NFA) without offering a single shred of evidence to back up his claims. His only sources are a letter from Nile River Explorers to AUTO and a quote from a “senior industry stakeholder on condition of anonymity”.
Adrift categorically denies any wrongdoing on its part or that of the NFA and dismisses as scurrilous the allegations contained in Mr Thomes blog as well as the letter from Nile River Explorers to AUTO. In refuting these claims, we would like to offer a chronological account of how the fees came about:
- The NFA was established to replace the Forest Department in 2004 with a mandate to identify tourism opportunities within Uganda’s Central Forest Reserves (CFRs).
- To this effect, it identified a number of potential eco-tourism sites within the reserves and advertised these in the Ugandan mainstream press, inviting tender submissions.
- Adrift bid jointly for the eco-tourism sites within (Kalagala Falls) and Nile Bank (Itanda Falls), and submitted its tender for these sites by the deadline of 31 May 2006.
- As the lead bidder for Kalagala and Itanda Falls, Adrift was invited to enter into negotiations with the NFA which were successfully concluded through the signing of the licence on 14 July 2006, subject to the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) approval which was granted in September 2008.
- The licence agreement between Adrift and the NFA also called for the need to offer adjacent communities a form of compensation so that they would be dissuaded from using the land for agricultural or livestock purposes.
- Adrift led these negotiations with all five local communities and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with each of these to ensure they benefit from the eco-tourism sites through the entry fees collected at the portage. Local committees have been established within the communities who will manage the money on their behalf and help Adrift with reforestation programmes. Additionally, similar agreements have been entered into with the sub-counties of Kalagala on the western bank and Butagaya on the eastern bank to ensure that the money raised through the green fees reaches the widest audience possible.
- Rafting companies currently pay between US$0.20 and US$0.40 for entry into the reserve and none of this money goes towards the local communities. The increase of fees at Itanda Falls to US$15 represents the first increase in 16 years and is only 12% of the current rafting price of US$125, considerably less than the US$35 charged at the NFA eco-tourism sit at Budongo Forest near the Murchison Falls Conservation Area.
I trust that this account will now lay to bed any misinformation and uncertainty about the fees that have been peddled in social media and letters to AUTO. If you have any further questions or concerns about the fees, please feel free to give me a call.
Yours sincerely
Cam McLeay
Adrift Adventure Company
From: Leslie Carvell leslie
Subject: Green Fees
To: ‘Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO)’ <admin>
Gloria – please distribute this to members.
Dear Cam McLeay,
It is one thing to respond to an e-mail I wrote and circulated amongst AUTO Members but when you start forwarding your response to major clients of Nile River Explorers who until yesterday had no knowledge of your attempts to ‘profiteer from their clients safety’ you have seriously crossed the ethical line one too many times.
And then to have the audacity to call this ‘a worthy initiative and one that should have been applauded by those with a vested interest in preserving the natural surroundings of the Nile’ is truly astounding. The following quotes are taken from the Kalagala Offset Management Plan (2010-2019) and refer specifically to Adrift:
‘There is clear evidence of non-compliance to environmental regulations by ongoing development by Adrift, especially at Kalagala Falls CFR which is ongoing without approval by NEMA, although the matter has now been forwarded to NEMA to address.’
‘There are proposed investments such as the proposed establishment of a Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Sport Fishing without sufficient assessment of their ecological and policy feasibility.’
‘A case in point is the ongoing establishment at Kalagala Falls CFR that, instead of recognising the adjacent cultural asset, a fence has been erected …………….’
In the past 10 years Nile River Explorers has raised, through rafting events, over $60,000 for conservation in Uganda, $10,000 of which was raised through “Rafting Gone Wild’ an event held on the last official day of rafting on Bujagali Falls and Silverback. If my memory serves me correct, Adrift were running a commercial trip that day. To celebrate our 15th birthday NRE planted over 8,000 trees in the Jinja area and all this has been achieved at no expense to anyone’s clients.
But you don’t even stop there:
‘Instead, it’s been met with a spirited resistance from Nile River Explorers’ John Dahl, and his ally-blogger Wolfgang H Thome, whose agenda is driven more by a personal vendetta against Adrift than any genuine concern over the welfare of the Ugandan rafting industry.’
I can assure you that this ‘spirited resistance’ is by no means limited to just Jon Dahl and his ‘ally-blogger’ Wolfgang H Thome, who no-one from NRE has had contact with in years but will be sure to do so now, it also includes all other Whitewater Adventure Companies on the Nile, their staff, your own staff, who are so embarrassed by these outrageous fees that they refuse to collect them on your behalf, and a large percentage of the Jinja tourism community. Even your own major clients are fleeing to other companies in disgust at the way you have tried to impose these fees and the lack of transparency you have shown in doing so.
And what exactly is your own ‘genuine concern over the welfare of the Ugandan rafting community’, because the “Save Adventure Tourism in Uganda’ team would really like to know. For months we have been lobbying the GoU to downsize the proposed Isimba Dam and preserve the internationally famous white water of the Nile using as many means as available including facebook, conducting surveys, writing reports, writing petitions, visiting ministers and appointing the services professionals to compile an Independent Economic Assessment on Isimba Dam and the potential effects on tourism in Jinja. And yet no-one from Adrift can even be bothered to hit the ‘like’ button.
Whist I have no dispute with your ‘chronological account of how the fees came about’ I would like to add pertinent events that seem to have been omitted:
Negotiations with local communities local communities and the sub-counties of Kalagala and Butagaya did not begin until late August 2013, almost 6 years after a ‘licence’ for what purpose we do not know, was approved by NEMA.
On the 30 August 2013, the day after the meeting with Butagaya, Jon Dahl, Managing Director of Nile River Explorers e-mailed you and requested clarification as to the purpose of the meetings and clarification of ‘Green Fee’s. Three days later we received the following reply:
‘We are happy to clarify the situation around ‘Green Fees’, but I am currently in New Zealand and would prefer to do it in person.”
· On the 10 September 2013, Thomas Madsen, director of Nalubale Rafting also e-mailed requesting more detailed information. We received the following reply:
“The Green Fees are an instruction from a Government Agency (NFA). In a similar manner to UWA charging for entry into its national parks, NFA has the statutory right to charge for entry into its eco-tourism sites.
…………………….. We have agreed to pay them.”
Yet according to your own chronological account it was Adrift that negotiated and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the local communities not the NFA, so who and what did you agree to pay.
· On the 24th September 2013 we received further correspondence from you to say that you would be returning to Uganda in late October and could make time to meet with us then. To date no attempt by you or anyone else from Adrift has been made to meet with other Whitewater Adventure companies on the Nile to discuss Green Fees.
· On the 23rd October 2013 we received a letter from the ED of NFA which included the following:
“This is to bring your attention that Adrift Adventure Company Limited, holder of Ecotourism License and operating in Kalagala and Nile Bank (Itanda) Central Forest Reserves has been duly authorized by the National Forestry Authority (NFA) to collect access in the afore mentioned ecotourism sites.
……………………………………….
Further to this the fees collected will be shared between the licensee, NFA, the local communities and the Sub-county local Governments as per signed agreements.
………………………………………..
By copy of this letter, Adrift Adventure Company Limited is authorised to collect the fees with effect from 1st October 2013.
Unfortunately for you the letter from the ED of NFA does not state who is actually responsible for paying these fees and therefore who the fees are to be collected from. If it is from the individual person then Adrift have been severely negligent in their responsibilities under the licence granted. From the 1st October 2013 till today, only one attempt has been made by Adrift staff to collect of these new fees:
On the 26th January, as part of the annual Nile River Festival, a non-profit event, the ‘Hendri Coetzee Memorial Race’ was held at Itanda Falls. Hundreds of people including competitors, spectators and local residents gathered on the banks to celebrate the river’s spectacular white water, the community that surrounds it and the life of a truly inspiring friend. It was on this day that the usual NFA entry fee sign was removed and replaced with a laminated ‘Adrift / NFA’ schedule of fees and an attempt at collection of fees was made.
But regardless of all the above, anyone participating in white water activities that require them to walk around Itanda Falls are actually walking on a 50 metre path approximately 10 metres from the river and therefore on NEMA land not NFA which they are allowed to do so un-impeded by both Ugandan and international law. Until Adrift / NFA can prove the legality of collecting fees for walking around a dangerous body of water NRE will refuse to pay and actively encourage our clients to do the same. And even if you can prove the legality – it will be up to Adrift as authorised by the NFA to actually collect the fees directly from clients NOT individual companies to do so on your behalf.
If you like me to organise a meeting for you to able to discuss the issue of ‘Green Fees’ with all stakeholders who will be affected I would be more than happy to arrange it on your behalf, just tell me a day and a time.
For anyone else who would like to discuss this further please feel free to give me a call – my direct telephone number is:
0772-820206.
For anyone interested in finding out more about ‘Save Adventure Tourism in Uganda’ visit our facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/saveadventuretourisminUganda
For anyone interested in helping to conserve the ‘Source of the Nile’ by signing our petition:
ctrl + click on the picture below
Regards
Leslie Carvell
General Manager
Nile River Explorers
T: +256 (0)434 120236
M: +256 (0)772 422373
From: CAM MCLEAY [mailto:cam]
Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2014 1:47 AM
To: jon
Cc: Nile River Explorers; Will Clark; Thomas Madsen; Adrift – Dennis Ntege; Jimmy Muyanja; Sam Ward; Kayak the Nile; Leslie Carvell; Yasin Kabunga; Gary Elmes
Subject: Re: Green Fees
FYI
On 11Feb, 2014, at 12:19 AM, wrote:
Mandated by whom?
Mark
NRE Operations
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