Buliisa youth escapes death after elephant attack
He called on the President to ensure that UWA accelerates the fencing of the park to protect lives and property.
Buliisa: A 29-year-old man, John Kumakech, a resident of Waiga Village in Buliisa Sub-county, Buliisa District, is currently admitted at Buliisa General Hospital after being attacked by an elephant.
The incident occurred on Friday morning at around 7AM as Kumakech was riding his bicycle home from Waiga Trading Center.
According to his brother, Kenneth Franko Uyungi, a passing driver rescued Kumakech, rushing him to the hospital for urgent medical attention.
Uyungi has called on the government to expedite the installation of an electric fence to prevent wild animals from straying into residential areas and endangering lives.
Local leaders have expressed growing concern over frequent wildlife incursions into human settlements. Charles Ukumu, the LC1 Chairperson of Waiga Village, confirmed the incident and lamented that the area is frequently raided by elephants, buffaloes, and other wild animals that destroy crops and injure residents.
He blamed the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) for the slow pace of erecting an electric fence along the park’s boundaries, arguing that these delays continue to put lives at risk.
Allan Atugonza, the Member of Parliament for Buliisa County, has urged President Yoweri Museveni to intervene in the escalating human-wildlife conflict. Atugonza made this appeal during President Museveni’s recent visit to Buliisa to assess the progress of the Parish Development Model (PDM).
The legislator highlighted that elephants have killed numerous people and destroyed farmlands, particularly in villages bordering Murchison Falls National Park. He called on the President to ensure that UWA accelerates the fencing of the park to protect lives and property.
While addressing leaders from the Bunyoro region in Kiryandongo District, President Museveni revealed that 10 out of the planned 35 kilometers of electric fencing along the Murchison Falls National Park boundary in Buliisa have already been completed.
The President assured residents that the fence would be extended to the most vulnerable areas by the end of the financial year, as funds for the project have already been released by the Ministry of Finance.
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