EDITOR
Residents of Mahyoro Town Council in Kitagwenda District are mourning the tragic death of a young mother who was killed by an elephant on Friday night — an incident that has reignited community outrage over the delayed completion of the government’s electric fence project meant to protect them from stray wildlife.
The deceased, 25-year-old Juliet Masika, a mother of three from Zambia Cell in Kanyabikyere Ward, was attacked and killed while guarding her maize garden from marauding elephants.
“It is a very painful loss. Masika had gone to protect her garden from destruction, only for her life to be taken by the same animals she was trying to keep away,” said Ashabahebwa Silvest, the LC1 Vice Chairperson.
Local leaders have decried what they describe as government negligence and slow response to recurring wildlife attacks that have claimed several lives in recent years.
“This is the fifth person we’ve lost to wild animals in just two and a half years,” said John Vincent Bimbona, Chairperson of Mahyoro Town Council. “The government launched the fencing project last year, but progress has been too slow. We need UWA to expedite the work before more lives are lost.”
In September 2023, the government, through the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), launched a 14-kilometer electric fence project worth Shs 1.5 billion to curb animal invasions by elephants, hippopotamuses, and other wild species from Queen Elizabeth National Park.
However, residents say construction has since stalled, leaving communities vulnerable to frequent crop raids and fatal attacks.
“Our people are living in fear. Wild animals continue to destroy crops and threaten lives almost every week,” Bimbona added.
The grieving community is now calling on UWA and the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities to urgently complete the fence, which they believe is the only sustainable solution to end the human-wildlife conflicts devastating Mahyoro and neighboring areas.
Wildlife incursions have been a persistent challenge in Kitagwenda District, with elephants and hippos frequently straying into gardens and settlements. The long-awaited electric fence project was expected to reduce these confrontations, but its slow pace has left communities feeling abandoned.
