Residents of Bududa District have asked the Government to urgently clarify the boundary of Mount Elgon National Park and compensate families whose crops they allege were destroyed during a recent boundary demarcation exercise. The demand was made during a meeting between residents, local leaders and officials led by Captain John Emily Otekat, the Senior Presidential Adviser on Wildlife and chairperson of Honorary Wildlife Officers, to discuss the long-running dispute over the park boundary.
The meeting brought together residents from Bushiyi, Bubiita, Bukalasi and Bundesi sub-counties following renewed tensions between communities and Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) personnel in August. Residents accused UWA personnel of moving beyond areas they understood to be within the gazetted park boundary and destroying crops during the demarcation exercise.
They also alleged that three residents—Simeo Benecto, Florence Namee and Veronica Jewa—were shot and injured in Natunga Village, Namirumba Parish, Bushiyi Sub-county, during an encounter over the alleged destruction of crops and orders for residents to vacate their homes. The three were reportedly receiving treatment in Mbale. Residents said more than 100 households and 327 gardens in Bushiyi, Bubiita, Bukalasi and Bundesi had been affected, with crops including coffee, bananas, maize and onions reportedly destroyed.
The dispute has raised concerns about food security, with residents saying the loss of crops has left some families struggling to find food. Fred Wanangutu, the Bundesi Sub-county LC3 chairperson, said affected communities had historically depended on resources such as firewood and bamboo but now faced arrests and harassment when they entered the forest.
He called for the Government to provide food relief to affected families and allow residents to remain on the disputed land as they await Parliament’s position on the boundary dispute. Nasanael Nasasa, a resident, also called for compensation for the crops allegedly destroyed during the boundary exercise, saying many families were facing hunger.
Patrick Meru, a former councillor, asked the Government to involve a professional valuer to assess the destroyed crops and establish the extent of the losses. Bududa District LC5 Chairperson Geoffrey Natubu said residents had faced repeated arrests over bamboo and other forest resources.
He cited the cases of Esau Weboya, Francis Kusolo and Yusuf Wanzala, whom he said had been arrested over bamboo, and alleged that some residents were required to pay large sums of money after their arrest. Natubu said UWA should clearly demonstrate the boundaries of the national park if the disputed land is indeed part of the protected area. “There is no way our people can simply leave their homes,” Natubu said.
Fred Mukhwana, the Namirumba Parish chairperson in Bushiyi Sub-county, said UWA officers moved beyond areas residents understood to have been gazetted and destroyed crops on August 20. He said 358 people in Namirumba Parish and another 70 in Matuwa Parish had reportedly lost crops. Residents also raised concerns about longstanding conflicts with wildlife authorities, dating back to the establishment of Mount Elgon National Park in 1993.
Emmanuel Namondo, a resident, cited a 2007 incident in which residents reportedly clashed with wildlife officials following the death of a resident identified as Yefusa Wafusa. David Mawanga, the Buraba Parish chairperson in Busiriwa Sub-county, said some families had lived in the area since 1932, before conflicts over the park intensified after 1993.
He appealed to the Government to take into account communities that have lived in the area for generations. Otekat said the concerns raised by residents would be presented to President Yoweri Museveni. He said he had listened to communities affected by conflicts between UWA and residents and that efforts would be made to address the concerns.
Otekat urged residents to remain calm as the Government handles the matter. Umar Nangoli, the Member of Parliament for Northern City Division in Mbale City and Eastern Region representative of Honorary Wildlife Officers, urged residents to use the engagement to seek a lasting solution to the dispute.
Nangoli said degazetting the national park was not an immediate option but argued that the Government could consider compensating people who had suffered losses. He said Members of Parliament would push for compensation for residents who had lost crops and livelihoods. Nangoli also proposed training educated residents from the affected communities to understand and interpret geographical coordinates so they could help residents understand the park boundaries. He said food relief should be prioritised because many affected families had lost their sources of food.
Janet Grace Akeck Okori, an honorary warden, said officials had come to listen to residents and seek solutions to the concerns raised. She said the demand for food relief required immediate attention as food security was becoming a concern, while urging residents to remain patient and avoid actions that could escalate tensions.
Beatrice Nakami, a resident and mother of seven, said her family was struggling after its crops were allegedly destroyed. “We are badly off because we do not have food,” she said. Jeremiah Wanzama, another resident, said the alleged destruction of crops had affected families and livelihoods. He also alleged that some UWA officials continued to threaten residents despite an earlier directive giving them three weeks to vacate the disputed area.
Hussein Kato Matanda, the chairperson of the Mt. Elgon Stakeholders Forum and secretary for Honorary Wildlife Officers, said the residents’ concerns would be presented to the President and relevant authorities. Matanda urged residents to maintain peace and avoid confrontations with UWA officers, while also calling on wildlife authorities to avoid confrontations with communities. He said stakeholders would continue engaging both sides in search of a lasting solution. The meeting ended with calls for continued dialogue between UWA, local leaders and affected communities-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
