Nwoya leaders call for faster fencing of Murchison Falls park
“I want to appeal to the government that there is an urgent need to finish fencing the park border if they want our people to be safe. We do not want to be beggars; we have the opportunity to improve our livelihood, but the level of destruction by animals from the protected areas is too much,” Oryema said.
UWA has so far installed 126km of solar-powered electric fencing along the park boundary, which extends for more than 400km, in the districts of Nwoya, Buliisa, Masindi and Kiryandongo to reduce human-wildlife conflict at a cost of sh63 million per kilometre. (UWA Photo)
NWOYA - Nwoya district LC5 chairperson Patrick Okello Oryema has asked the government, through the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), to install an electric fence along the entire boundary of Murchison Falls National Park to stop animals such as elephants from entering local farms and villages.
He said the fence would protect crops, reduce injuries and prevent the loss of human life caused by wandering elephants and buffaloes.
Oryema said that in the subcounties bordering the park, including Lii, Anaka, Purongo and Got Apwoyo, people have planted crops, but wild animals from the protected area have destroyed them, leaving communities with nothing.
Oryema said that in areas where the boundary is fenced, there are no cases of animal invasion. However, in unfenced areas, animals invade local farms and villages, destroying crops and harming people, which is causing hunger in the communities.
Oryema said that in areas where the boundary is fenced, there are no cases of animal invasion. (Credit: Jackson Kitara)
According to him, the unfenced section of the park boundary in Nwoya is estimated to be about 21km, which could easily be fenced if the government wants communities bordering the park to achieve food security and improve household incomes, as the majority depend solely on farming.
In Nwoya district, 46km have been fenced, Buliisa has 22km, while Masindi and Kiryandongo have a combined total of 58km.
However, Bashir Hangi, the head of communication and public relations at the Uganda Wildlife Authority, said the authority plans to fence the entire park boundary but does not have enough funding to complete the work at once.
He said the fencing would continue in line with the budget allocated to the authority.
Hangi said that, in the meantime, UWA wardens are deployed to drive elephants that stray into local farms and villages back into the park.