Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve

Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve lies on the high plains north of Mount Elgon, in southern Karamoja in north-eastern Uganda. It was first protected in 1964 as the Debasien Animal Sanctuary. At about 2,314 km2 it is Uganda’s second-largest protected area. Since 2022 it has been managed by UWA together with the conservation group Space for Giants and the local district governments.

Why go

Pian Upe is big, open and empty. Rolling grassland and wooded savannah stretch towards Mount Kadam, about 3,068 metres high, and in the rains much of the plain turns into wetland. UWA lists roan antelope, found nowhere else in Uganda, with Jackson’s hartebeest, oribi, Uganda kob, buffaloes and giraffes, and dry-country birds such as the ostrich and secretary bird. Eland, topi and zebras move in from neighbouring reserves to breed. Lions, leopards and cheetahs are listed too, but they are rarely seen.

What you can do

• Game drives and guided walks with UWA rangers.
• Birding on the open plains.
• Hikes on the slopes of Mount Kadam, for strong walkers.
• Camping under dark, starry skies.

The people side

The reserve’s name joins two peoples: the Pian, a Karimojong group, and the Upe, as the Pokot are also known. Both are cattle keepers, and their herds and homesteads are part of the landscape around the reserve. A visit to a herding family, with a local guide, shows how life here moves with water and grass. The visit is hosted by the family and included in your trip, so what you pay goes to them.

Best time to visit

The dry seasons, December to February and June to September, are best. In the rains the black cotton soil turns to deep mud and some areas cannot be reached.

Getting there

Allow 7 to 8 hours by road from Kampala, through Mbale, and about 1 hour more from Entebbe. A 4×4 vehicle is essential. Pian Upe is easiest to add after Sipi Falls and Mount Elgon, or on a long road trip to Kidepo.

Good to know

UWA itself says wildlife here is sparse after years of settlement, grazing and poaching, and in October 2025 the government allowed Karamoja herders back into the reserve while it looks for a permanent solution. Visitor facilities are very basic: there is no lodge inside the reserve that we can recommend, so nights are spent camping or in guesthouses in towns such as Mbale or Moroto. We check current travel advice for Karamoja before every trip. It is a special trip for lovers of wide open country, not a place for a first safari. Game drives are relaxed, Level 1; hikes on Mount Kadam are Level 4, Challenging. UWA’s current prices are valid to 31 December 2026; new UWA prices start on 1 January 2027.