Eight sentenced to jail for poaching in Murchison Falls National Park
He added that the culprits are residents of Buliisa district but they forged to be residents of Masindi.
Masindi: The chief magistrate’s court in Masindi district, led by Kosiya Kasibayo, has sentenced eight people to three years in prison for killing a crocodile weighing 1000 kg and a buffalo weighing 300 kg in Murchison Falls National Park.
They include Pithua Tilla, Yauka Francis, Jackson Kwomu, Timothy Onenchan Kabaronle, David Onzima, Francis Okethwengu, James Watumu, and Perick Rwothomio, all residents of Masindi and Buliisa.
They were arrested on July 15, 2024, by the rangers and charged with counts of hunting in the wildlife protected area without permission, possession of wildlife protected specimens without permission, and also entering the wildlife protected area without permission.
Prosecution indicated that the eight were found at 22:00 hours in possession of one carcass of a crocodile and another carcass of a buffalo in the areas of Kilyangu within Murchison Falls National Park, which is a protected area, without any permission.
Kasibayo sentenced them after they all pleaded guilty to having committed the offenses.
He noted that he sentenced them because their actions are a danger to wildlife and the economy since tourism is one of the biggest foreign earners.
“You would have earned a life imprisonment sentence, but because you’re first offenders, I am sentencing you to three years. This is to deter others from committing similar crimes, but you have the right to appeal in the High Court,” he explained.
Patrick Bishendich, the counsel for the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), commended the magistrate, noting that he was happy for the judiciary to consider wildlife crimes and also for expeditiously handling the matter.
“People outside there should understand that the animals in the park are for all Ugandans but not for UWA because they earn a lot of revenue for the government, which is used to offer different services in the country,” he explained.
He added that the culprits are residents of Buliisa district but they forged to be residents of Masindi.
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