Angry Buliisa MP orders residents to kill stray elephants amid rising human-wildlife conflicts
UWA has since stated that it is deploying additional personnel and scouts in elephant-prone areas while working on erecting the fence.
Buliisa: Buliisa County Member of Parliament, Allan Atugonza, has directed residents to kill stray elephants if they encounter them outside protected areas, following increased elephant attacks on locals.
Atugonza expressed frustration over the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s (UWA) inaction despite repeated calls to address human-wildlife conflicts in the district.
He lamented that elephants continue to kill residents and destroy crops without compensation, raising concerns over food insecurity.
“We have done our best to ensure our people get special attention regarding human-wildlife conflicts, but we have been ignored. If elephants continue killing our people, they should be killed. If the government cannot protect its animals, they should give the land back to the community,” Atugonza protested.
The MP also criticized the government for failing to fence off Murchison Falls National Park as promised. He warned that he is ready to support any resident arrested for killing elephants outside protected areas.
“Desperate situations call for desperate resolutions. We were promised the park would be fenced within three months when the Prime Minister visited, but it has been a year with no action. If I had the skills to kill an elephant, I would do it and face court. We have been fooled enough,” he declared.
Buliisa District has seen an increase in elephant attacks, with several fatal incidents recorded.
On February 9, 2025, a herd of elephants trampled 51-year-old Kutegeka Eunice Kyabadiri Nyajangi to death in Kigoya Village while she was collecting firewood. Her four-year-old grandson survived with serious injuries.
In February 2024, the decomposing body of Benon Mpairwe, a herdsman, was discovered after an elephant killed him in Waiga Village, Bugana Parish.
In March 2024, a Bridget Katulinde, 28, was killed by elephants while trying to chase them away from her garden in Kichooke Village.
In September 2024, a boda boda rider, Dancan, narrowly survived an elephant attack in Bugana-Kichooke Village, though his motorcycle was destroyed.
In May 2024, elephants ravaged the farm of Terego Resident District Commissioner, Mr. Godwin Angalia Kasigwa, causing losses worth UGX 2 million.
In October 2023, UWA announced plans to install 30 kilometers of low-voltage electric fencing around human-wildlife conflict hotspots, costing UGX 50 million per kilometer. However, delays in implementation have angered residents.
During the commissioning of Butiaba Health Centre III in April 2024, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja promised to fast-track the fencing after complaints from locals. UWA Executive Director Sam Mwandha pledged to complete the fence within three months, yet the project remains incomplete.
UWA has since stated that it is deploying additional personnel and scouts in elephant-prone areas while working on erecting the fence.
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