NELSON K
UWA Electric Fencing technical team is currently carrying out the fencing exercise in Bwambara but has decried hindrances and difficulties in transporting materials, while affected residents continue to lament regular animal attacks, calling for urgent help.
The information was shared by the on-ground fencing team supervisor, Mr. Dan Dan Asiimwe, while giving accountability and updates on the exercise and the progress of the project.
Mr. Dan said that having completed fencing in parts of Garuka, Nyabugando, Nyakabugo B cell, they are now at Nyakabugo A cell in Kikarara parish, Bwambara subcounty. The contractor has only 1.5 km left to fulfill his contract; however, the remaining 8 km to complete Kikarara parish will be handled by another contractor who is soon to be selected.
Meanwhile, Mr. Dan said the exercise has been hindered by many challenges, as materials come from very far, and transporting them is extremely difficult, which has slowed the pace of work. He explained that trucks carrying poles often face poor road conditions inside the National Park, especially during rainy days, making transport even harder. At times, tractors meant to push these trucks are unavailable or located far away.
He added that after finishing fencing in Kikarara parish, the team plans to proceed to Bwambara parish, then Nyabubaale parish, and end in Kakoni parish, the last in Rukungiri district. However, he expressed uncertainty about when the exercise will be completed, as the Ministry of UWA deployed only a small team for the work.
He offered hope that yesterday, an overall UWA supervisor promised to award additional fencing team contracts to ease the work and accelerate the exercise, though challenges such as misdirection of teams remain.
Meanwhile, despite the benefits of electric fencing, some affected residents of Bwambara, who live near Queen Elizabeth National Park, continue to decry frequent animal attacks that destroy their food crops and put their lives at risk.
The Kakoni LC1 chairperson, Mr. Kihingimo Wickliffe, said the situation worsens daily, as wild animals move to unfenced areas following the fencing of other regions. He called on the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) technical team to expedite the fencing project in their area, provide them with the promised night raincoats, and ensure immediate and timely compensation to residents whose crops are destroyed by wild animals.
