Derrick Ampereza
Several families in parishes of Kikarara and Nyabubare in the Bwambara sub-county Rukungiri district are at risk of starvation following the destruction of their crops by elephants from Queen Elizabeth National Park.
According to some village chairpersons including Dismus Monday of Bugyera cell and Kezekia Tumwesigye of Rwesigiro cell, they said the elephants have destroyed hundreds of their gardens of maize, potatoes, and banana among others which has made them spend sleepless nights guarding their gardens putting their lives at risk.
The affected farmers accuse UWA of sabotaging a compensation plan despite follow-ups they have made both at Sub-county, district, and UWA offices.
They added that UWA officials have assessed his gardens several times but they have never received any feedback and compensation yet some farmers acquired bank loans to invest in agriculture.
Some of the farmers whose gardens and families have been invaded by elephants accuse police of asking them for bribes to consider their files before they are taken by UWA officials to be considered for compensation.
Chris Kagayano the Bwambara sub-county chairperson said the elephants have left a huge trail of destruction to the extent of some families not harvesting from the last season.
He says that the government had promised them to construct electric fences to prevent wild animals from accessing people’s gardens and homes but in vain adding that now the situation is getting worse hence appealing to the government to be on standby to support the affected families.
Kagayano says parents get income from their gardens to pay school fees for their children and family needs but now some may fail to meet them since their gardens are destroyed by elephants.
He further asked Uganda Wildlife Authority-UWA to speed up the compensation process for the affected families to get justice saying it’s the responsibility of the authority to guard wild animals against destroying people’s crops.
