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Hunger looms in Kabarole as elephants raid gardens
Farmers in Sebitoli Village in Kabarole District inspect their gardens after stray elephants destroyed them last week. PHOTO | ALEX ASHABA
What you need to know:
- The animals destroyed acres of maize, Irish potatoes, beans, groundnuts and cassava, among other crops, in both districts.
Residents of Kabarole and Bulisa districts are at risk of facing food shortage after elephants from Kibale and Murchison Falls National Park destroyed more than 20 acres of gardens.
The animals destroyed acres of maize, Irish potatoes, beans, groundnuts and cassava, among other crops, in both districts.
“I had injected more than Shs1 million in my Irish potatoes garden and I was due to harvest in two weeks. We appeal for compensation,” Mr Francis Asaba from Sebitoli Village in Kabarole said last week.
“The elephants also killed my brother, Derick Ahisibwe, whom they found guarding the garden at night. We have not been helped by Uganda Wildlife Authority, (UWA) and soon, hunger will strike,” he added.
Mr David Katusiime, a farmer in Bugana Kichoke in Buliisa Sub-county, Buliisa, said they have been fighting the elephants for two days.
The animals destroyed about 10 acres of their crops, which he said was their only source of livelihood.
“We are living in fear of hunger because people’s hopes were in their gardens, now getting food will be hard, and at the same time, we are in the Covid-19 pandemic,” Mr Katusiime said.
“We request government to push back the elephants into the park because they have caused a lot of damage on farmers’ gardens,” he added.
Mr Stephen Isingoma, another farmer, expressed worry about supporting his family.
“Elephants have continued to threaten our livelihood, they have destroyed many gardens of pumpkins, maize, pawpaws, and cassava,” he said.
Mr Wilson Kagoro, the community warden in charge of conservation at Murchison Falls National Park, promised to document all the people whose property was affected and file a report to the relevant authorities.
“Let them report to us officially and we will together identify an appropriate solution,” Mr Kagoro said.
He warned against killing the animals.
Mr Kagoro also said communities whose crops have been destroyed can seek compensation since the law mandating for financial compensation for anyone whose life or property have been destroyed by stray animals was gazetted.
The Uganda Wildlife Act, 2019 provides for compensation for loss occasioned by animals escaping from wildlife-protected areas.
According to the Act, compensation is given to a person who suffers bodily injury or is killed or suffers damage of his or her property by wild animals.
The person is compensated when they submit a claim to the wildlife compensation verification committee.
The claim is verified and submitted it to the board together with its recommendation, which if approved, the victim is compensated according to the market rates.
