Walter ODOKORWOT

Walter is a conservationist with more than 27 years of experience in wildlife management and community conservation. He began his career with the Uganda Wildlife Authority, where he served as Warden for Tourism and Community Conservation and helped pioneer the concept of community-led conservation in Uganda, inspired by models in Kenya and Namibia. In 2020, he founded Umoja Wildlife Conservancies of Uganda (Umoja), a national NGO that works with landowners and communities to establish and manage conservancies. Under his leadership, Umoja has rapidly grown from three conservancies in 2021 to 18 across the country today, empowering communities to conserve, manage, and benefit from wildlife on their land. Walter has been recognized nationally and internationally for his contributions, including awards from the Uganda Ministry of Tourism, the Alibaba Foundation & African Ranger Paradise Foundation, and the Karamoja Conservation Award. He holds an MBA, a Bachelor’s degree in Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution, professional certificates in Wildlife Management from various African institutions, including a certificate in Protected Area Tourism Design from Colorado State University, USA.