The wrangle between Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and communities living around Mt Elgon National Park has escalated, with locals accusing UWA of using disproportionate force to evict them and destroying their crops.
The area was gazetted as a national park in 1993 after previously being managed as a central forest reserve, but since then UWA rangers and locals have routinely clashed, resulting in injuries and sometimes death on either side.
Last week, a meeting between UWA officials and Bududa District leaders was held at the Bududa District Council Hall to discuss the concerns raised by communities following the ongoing UWA operations in several sub-counties, including Bushiyi, Bundesi, Bukalasi and Bubiita, where UWA officials have been enforcing the park boundary.
The operations have triggered concerns among local leaders and communities, particularly over the destruction of crops and the welfare of households affected by the enforcement exercise.
The Bududa District Chairperson, Mr Geoffrey Natubu, said concerns surrounding Mt Elgon National Park require extensive consultation involving national leaders because they affect communities in several districts surrounding the mountain.
Mr Natubu said some communities living around the park had occupied the area for generations and called for a coordinated government approach to address their concerns.
Last month, an incident occurred in Natunga Village, Namirumba Parish, Bushiyi Sub-county, where residents were reportedly shot and injured during an encounter with UWA rangers.
The fights reportedly broke out after the locals reportedly questioned the destruction of their crops and also objected to UWA’s orders to leave their homes.
Earlier, residents of Bubiita and Bukalasi sub-counties had also stormed the office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) and district chairperson carrying coffee and banana stems among other crops, requesting the leaders to help address the dispute between UWA and residents.
The locals call upon UWA and the government to take responsibility for crops destroyed during the exercise, saying farmers had suffered significant losses and should be compensated.
‘More than 40 gardens belonging to over 40 households have reportedly been destroyed, with crops including coffee, bananas, onions, maize and cassava among those affected,’ Mr Robert Masaba, one of the affected people from Bukalasi Sub-county, said.
Farmers also say they may fail to repay Parish Development Model (PDM) funds borrowed and invested in agriculture since their crops have been destroyed by UWA rangers.
Preservation
UWA officials say approximately 1,500 acres of land had been encroached by people living within or cultivating in districts that fall inside the park.
Mr Mukhwana Wekhoola Koloto, the Bududa National Resistance Movement (NRM) chairperson, said UWA should prioritise sensitisation before operations are carried out.
‘We are aware of the advantages of protecting the forest and we are willing to sensitise the people living within the park to vacate but where will they go now since their food plantations have been destroyed,’ he said.
The Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Ms Juliet Solome Namara, called for peaceful and coordinated engagement between government agencies and communities.
She said residents had raised several concerns, including crop destruction and restrictions on activities within the protected area.
‘The concerns should be addressed through dialogue while ensuring that communities understand the government’s position and have an opportunity to present their grievances,’ she said.
She urged UWA, district leaders and security agencies to provide communities with clear and consistent information and cautioned against approaches that could create unnecessary tension between residents and enforcement personnel.
Mr Denis Elyebu the Bududa District internal security officer(DISO) said UWA should provide a clear boundary separating the park from community land.
‘The UWA officials should provide each sub-county with coordinates such that they are not caught off-guard during these operations,’ he said.
The Bududa Chief Administrative Officer, Mr Max Martin Mukula, cautioned against forced relocation measures without adequate planning and sensitisation.
‘Any relocation or eviction process should follow applicable legal and administrative procedures while taking into account the welfare of affected communities,’ he said.
However, Mr Godfrey Matanda, the UWA administrator at Mt Elgon National Park, explained that the authority has the mandate to protect and manage the protected area.
‘The park boundary is established using geographical coordinates and the legally established boundary has not changed but population growth and encroachment have created challenges in some areas,’ he said.
Mr Matanda added that some boundary pillars had reportedly been removed, displaced or shifted, making it necessary for stakeholders to work together to verify and clearly identify the boundary on the ground.
However, UWA said it remains committed to working with district and local leaders to address concerns raise by the locals.