Stanley Johnson appears on Ugandan national television during visit highlighting wildlife and conservation ties

Stanley Johnson, the Editor-at-Large of The European, has appeared on Ugandan national television while visiting the country at the invitation of President Yoweri Museveni, with his trip centred on wildlife, conservation and long-standing environmental links between the UK and East Africa

The European’s Editor-at-Large, Stanley Johnson, has featured on Uganda’s national news programme during an official visit to the country that combines conservation work, wildlife tourism and high-level meetings.

Johnson is in Uganda at the personal invitation of President Yoweri Museveni and has been travelling through key conservation areas including Kibale, Mgahinga and Queen Elizabeth National Park, as well as visiting Jinja. 

His itinerary has been supported by Volcanoes Safaris, the eco-tourism company founded by conservationist Praveen Moman.

Speaking on UBC Television Uganda, Johnson thanked the Ugandan government and people for their welcome and reflected on the country’s development since his last visit.

“First of all, I have to thank His Excellency President Museveni, the government, and the people of Uganda,” he said. 

He told viewers that he sensed renewed energy and economic momentum in the country, while stressing the importance of protecting its natural environment alongside development.

Johnson said: “What has changed? Well, I’d say that there’s a real sense of vigour and dynamism in this country, and maybe more than there was last time I was here. I have a sense that you’re on a little bit of an economic uplift at the moment. Well, of course, as an environmentalist, I want to be sure that that uplift doesn’t translate into more damage to the environment, but that’s for the future.”

Johnson is revisiting some of Uganda’s most celebrated wildlife areas, including habitats for chimpanzees and mountain gorillas, species he has long championed through his environmental writing and advocacy.

“I will be particularly pleased to see the chimpanzees in Kibale, the gorillas in Mgahinga. I’ve seen them before. To see them again, you can see them as often as you possibly can and always want to see them again,” he added.

He also spoke about his long association with Volcanoes Safaris and the role responsible tourism can play in supporting conservation and local communities.

“For me, I’ve been tremendously lucky. I’ve known Praveen Moman, who has come from this part of the world. His family were here for years and years and years. Twenty-five years ago, he set up Volcanoes Safaris. I’m coming as a guest of Volcanoes. And we’ll be going on also, I think, through Queen Elizabeth Park. We will be going to Jinja as well.”

Reflecting on the presidential invitation, Johnson described the opportunity to return to Uganda as a privilege. “I had a personal invitation from the President, from President Museveni, and that is so wonderful. And how could you not come when you get an invitation from the President?”

Johnson concluded by describing Uganda as a country of exceptional natural richness. “This is a wonderful country, not just for the people but for the wildlife as well,” he said.

His appearance on national television forms part of a broader visit that highlights Uganda’s conservation credentials and the role of international advocates in supporting sustainable tourism and environmental protection. His full report will appear in the Spring edition of The European.

READ MORE: ‘Stanley Johnson in Botswana: a return to the wild heart of Southern Africa‘. Four decades after first visiting Botswana for a CITES conference, our editor-at-large follows the Chobe River, the plains of Savute and the Okavango Panhandle to see how a conservation-led approach has protected elephants, predators and some of Africa’s last great wild spaces.

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_{Main image: TDA London}