Locals of Kigumba sub-county, Kiryandongo district are grappling with herds of elephants that escaped from the Murchison Falls National Park and destroyed their garden worrying them for the expected hunger. The residents of Kigumba, one of the areas bordering Murchison National Park are in fear of a severe food crisis as elephants from the park continue to ravage their crops. The communities have expressed frustration over repeated destruction of gardens, with little relief from the government.
Mr Emma Wafula, a resident of Mpomwe Village, Kigumba Sub-county, expressed concern about affording food and school fees for his children, who may be forced to drop out of school.
“Elephants are a huge challenge here. We have no food left since all our crops have been destroyed. We are now facing hunger, and when school reopens, I don’t know if we will be able to provide food for our children. I was hoping to make money from my harvest to pay for their school fees,” he said.
“Every year, Uganda Wildlife Authority allocates funds to support communities near the park, but that money never reaches us. It is embezzled by top officials in the district. The only thing we have seen is a trench that was dug five years ago, but it is so shallow that the elephants easily jump over it and destroy our crops,” Wafula lamented.
Children in the area are reportedly missing going to school to stay home and guard gardens. Ms Nagala Federesi, another resident of Mpomwe Village, said her family’s one acre of maize was destroyed.
“In a few months, feeding my children will be a struggle. I had pinned all my hopes on this harvest, but now it’s gone,” she said.
Mr Isa Mark, also from Mpomwe Village, said: “We invest a lot during the planting season, but when harvest time comes, we have nothing to show for it. Hiring an acre of land costs Shs100,000, and we spend over Shs700,000 in total. But in the end, we only get two basins of crops because the elephants destroy everything.”
Mr Isaac Museveni, the chairperson of Kigumba Sub-county, said local leaders have limited resources to effectively address the issue.
“We have tried to dig trenches but encountered rocks and swamps that make it impossible. These are the areas where elephants cross from and destroy our gardens. This situation has made life extremely difficult for my people, and some have lost their lives or become disabled while trying to chase the elephants away,” Museveni said.
The Kiryandongo Assistant Resident District Commissioner, Mr Samuel Mbabazi, confirmed at the weekend that he has received numerous complaints about elephants destroying gardens.
“I will investigate the matter, and if I find that anyone has misappropriated the money meant for these poor people, they will be arrested immediately. These corrupt officials are making the NRM look bad, and I won’t tolerate that,” he said.
