Namisindwa leaders call for alternative livelihoods for communities near Mt. Elgon National Park
He said such initiatives are intended to support communities and promote better relations between residents and the park authorities.
Namisindwa: Leaders in Namisindwa District have called for alternative livelihood and survival options for communities living near Mt. Elgon National Park, amid growing tensions between residents and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
The tensions have reportedly resulted in the destruction of crops worth billions of shillings and clashes between UWA officials and residents accused of encroaching on the park. The situation is particularly concerning in Mukoto, Bupoto and Bukokho sub-counties, where some residents have reportedly been beaten and admitted to hospital.
Leaders are now intensifying calls for alternative livelihood programmes to help address the situation and reduce conflicts between communities and park authorities.
Namisindwa District LCV Chairman, Emma Bwayo, said he visited Mukoto on Wednesday and witnessed the destruction of crops, adding that the exercise was still ongoing.
Bwayo said his engagement with UWA officials indicated that the authority was implementing the 2018 Cabinet resolutions arising from the 2017 boundary-marking exercise, which he described as a government position.
However, he said it was irregular to destroy mature crops and beat residents, stressing that there was a need for the government and UWA to provide alternative sources of livelihood for communities living near the park.
“There is a need for alternative sources of survival for our people. UWA should start supporting communities living near the park through group funding and other livelihood programmes,” Bwayo said.
Namisindwa Woman Member of Parliament Peace Khalayi, who was part of the team that visited the affected communities, accused UWA of failing to adequately listen to local leaders despite repeated engagements.
Khalayi said the situation undermines the authority of elected leaders and makes them appear ineffective before their constituents, yet they have held numerous meetings with both local and national UWA officials over the matter.
She called for greater cooperation between UWA, local leaders and affected communities to find lasting solutions to the recurring conflicts.
Meanwhile, Godfrey Matanda, the UWA Administrator for the Elgon Conservation Area, said the authority is committed to working with communities living near the park to improve their livelihoods.
Matanda said UWA has been funding community groups and will continue doing so. He cited a group in Bupoto that is expected to receive funding during the current financial year.
He said such initiatives are intended to support communities and promote better relations between residents and the park authorities.
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