UWA under fire after student allegedly beaten in Namisindwa
“We have received the concerns and we are going to get interested in the matter,” Matanda said.
Namsindwa: A 17-year-old Senior Four student, Janet Nakawoya, has been admitted to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital after she was allegedly beaten by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) officials in Namisindwa District.
Nakawoya is reportedly receiving treatment and is awaiting scan results as medical workers assess the extent of injuries she allegedly sustained during the incident last week.
According to information from local leaders, Nakawoya was collecting matooke from banana plants that had allegedly been cut down during an operation by UWA officials when the confrontation occurred.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about relations between conservation authorities and communities living near protected areas.
Residents in the area have also accused UWA officials of destroying crops, including coffee, onions and banana plantations, in parts of Mukoto, Bukokho, Bupoto and Tsekululu sub-counties.
Chairman raises concerns with UWA
Following the alleged assault, Emma Bwayo, the Chairman of Namisindwa, who had just returned from an international engagement, met UWA leadership to raise concerns over what he described as alleged cases of torture and beatings involving residents in Mukoto and Bukokho.
He also visited Nakawoya at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital to assess her condition and follow up on the circumstances surrounding the alleged incident.
The local leadership has called for the concerns of affected communities to be addressed while ensuring that conservation enforcement is carried out in a manner that respects the rights and safety of residents.
The concerns come amid wider tensions in communities located near protected areas, where residents and conservation authorities have sometimes disagreed over access to land, crops and enforcement of conservation regulations.
UWA responds
Matanda Geoffrey, an administrator at UWA, said the authority had received the concerns raised by the local leadership and promised to follow up on the matter.
“We have received the concerns and we are going to get interested in the matter,” Matanda said.
He said UWA remained committed to improving relations with communities living around protected areas and building what he described as a lasting coexistence partnership.
“Our team is fully committed to building a lasting coexistence partnership with the communities,” he said.
Matanda also said the authority would look into Nakawoya’s case.
“We will treat the girl well,” he said.
The alleged assault has renewed calls for dialogue between conservation authorities and communities in Namisindwa, particularly over how enforcement operations are conducted and how disputes involving residents and protected-area authorities are handled.
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