ELEPHANTS ATTACK LEAVES THREE PEOPLE DEAD IN NINE MONTHS IN KABAROLE DISTRICT

 KABAROLE                                                   21^ST/ DEC/ 2021

Ahaisiibwe Derrick 25yrs and God Kwebiha 45yrs all from one family of Mr.  John Kwebiha of Ssebitoli A village in Busoro sub-county in Kabarole district, were attacked and killed by elephants in a period of three months.

According to Mrs. Kabajungu Beatrice of Kaswa village in Busoro sub-county and a mother of one God who was attacked and killed by an elephant that found him in his garden said that, “I have much pain at heart after my son and grandson were attacked and killed by an elephant.

My son left five children and three grandchildren that are struggling to take care of them without any support from Uganda wildlife authority that is responsible for keeping elephants away from our communities.

When my son was killed by an elephant in March 2021, I contacted UWA officials but since then they keep on telling me things will be worked on but nothing has yielded yet, Mrs. Kabajungu said.

I have nothing to feed these orphans after elephants destroyed all crops that we grow in our area, I had acquired a loan to grow crops but all were destroyed by elephants, she added.

Am requesting UWA officials and the government to come to my rescue to look after these orphans and also clear the loan that I used to grow crops because I will not harvest anything, Kabajungu added.

Residents in Ssebitoli A and Ssebitoli B villages border Kibale national park where elephants escape and attack people in the community and destroy their crops.

Residents have on several occasions complained to UWA to be compensated for their crops but all in vain.

Residents took us to their gardens where an elephant attacked and killed one Ahaisibwe Derrick 25yrs who was guarding his garden and they complained of UWA for accusing them of trespass yet its elephants that finds us in our gardens, angry residents narrated.

They called upon UWA to erect an electric fence to stop elephants from crossing to their gardens.

The LC1 chairperson Ssebitoli B Mrs. Kamuli Violet said that, we have lost three people in a period of nine months and we have written to UWA for compensation but all in vain.

When we talked to the Chief Warden Kibale conservation area Mr. Asalu Edward he said that, it’s unfortunate that we have lost lives in elephant attacks but as UWA together with district officials we have established permanent out posts in areas where we have registered rampant elephant attacks and we have deployment of rangers permanently in those places and the community has been supportive that they provided accommodation for the rangers because we had nowhere to accommodate them immediately, Asalo said.

He added that UWA is planning to construct body walks in swamps that are lowering elephants to cross from the park, Mr. Asalo added.

Due to public outcry of elephant attacks in Busoro sub-county, it has attracted the attention of the state minister for tourism Hon. Martin Mugarra together with local government minister of state who doubles as the area woman Member of Parliament Kabarole district Hon. Victoria Rusoke and other UWA officials to go on ground and assess the impact of elephant attacks.

While meeting families that were affected, the state minister for tourism and antiquities Hon. Martin Mugarra said that, as a ministry and government we appreciate the challenge were concerned and committed about people’s lives and properties that why we are here on fact finding at the ground so that we can go back and work on a conclusive solution to this problem and the solution we have seen is mainly electric fencing because trenches are not the best solution.

We want people to live peacefully and also protect wildlife.

On the issue of compensation of people who died and properties, we are trying to follow up the matter because their names were submitted to the ministry and they will be compensated.

The ultimate solutions are guidelines for the compensation funds and we’re working upon it hopefully early next year, said Hon Mugarra.

The state minister for local government and area woman member of Parliament Hon. Victoria Rusoke said that there is need to sensitize communities that nears parks to accept and realize that tourism is one of the biggest income earners of this country and the negative attitude of the community that the government values wildlife more than human beings is wrong and we have to correct that mindset.

Elephants’ attacks in communities neighboring Kibale park in Busoro sub-county fear to face hunger after elephants destroy their crops.