Residents from Nabyama landing site, in Bukaboli sub county, in Mayuge district, have expressed dismay over crocodile attacks, which have claimed three lives in the past nine months.
The residents raised their concern following the death of 25-year-old Yokowasi Waiswa, who was early this morning killed by a crocodile at the landing site. It is reported that the father of two boys had gone to fetch water to prepare breakfast for his children, when a waiting crocodile attacked him.
Resident Livingstone Mukisa says that they pelted the crocodile with stones and it abandoned Waiswa’s lifeless body at the Lake Victoria shoreline.
Mukisa says that the crocodile damaged Waiswa’s sensitive body organs, causing him to bleed profusely, which resulted into his death. Mukisa goes on that they lack a borehole in the area and the lake is their only source of water, which exposes them to crocodile attacks all year long.
Mukisa adds that due to standardization of fishing protocols across the country’s major water bodies, youths in the area have resorted to alternative actives like horticulture, piggery, poultry, among others, which require high volumes of water, requiring them to access the lake at all times.
This, he says explains why they routinely throng the lake for water, but if boreholes are constructed in the area, they will easily access water for production on the mainland and will not have need to visit the lake at all times.
Evelyn Tusiime says that 11 other residents survived crocodile attacks with permanent body injuries, which have since incapacitated them from fending for their livelihoods. Tusiime says that Uganda Wildlife Authority -UWA officials ought to station crocodile traps along the shorelines, which will deter them from accessing neighbouring communities.
This she says will reduce on the number of accidents resulting from encounters between human beings and crocodiles.
Meanwhile, Godfrey Muwanguzi, the L.C.III chairperson of Bukaboli sub county, in Mayuge district says that the human-wildlife conflict between the community members and Crocodiles has existed for the past three decades, following increased settlements along the shoreline.
Muwanguzi says that, the crocodiles used to stay in designated papyrus points neighbouring shorelines, however, due to increasing water levels and population pressure, the lake has expanded outwards, overly shifting the aquatic habitats.
Muwanguzi has since challenged UWA to map out risky areas along the shoreline and issue befitting settlement protocols, so as to safeguard the public from being attacked by crocodiles.
Muwanguzi also says that, the population has developed myths about crocodiles intensifying attacks during particular seasons of the year, where they seem to exercise caution, however, the same have been dispelled overtime and he now wants UWA to train high risk communities about prioritizing their individual safety all yearlong.
The LCV chairperson of Mayuge district, David Zijja says that there are ongoing engagements with marine police to train residents along the shorelines and riverbanks about their safety. Zijja is optimistic that, through safety trainings, residents can peacefully coexist with other aquatic creatures along the shorelines, without exposing themselves to danger-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
