By Ben Musanje
Nwoya District Woman Member of Parliament Christine Lanyero Awany has demanded urgent government action to address rising cases of human-wildlife conflict in the district, following a series of deadly elephant attacks that have left families grieving.
Awany raised the matter during the 11th sitting of the first meeting of the first session of Uganda’s 12th Parliament on Thursday, saying communities affected by wildlife attacks were dissatisfied with previous government responses.
She said she returned to Parliament after residents asked her to present their concerns again, particularly following the death of a 34-year-old farmer in Nwoya who was killed by an elephant from Murchison Falls National Park.
“Honourable Speaker, I rise on the same issue of wildlife conflicts with human beings. Actually, I feel guilty on this floor because the answer was not befitting to my community,” Awany told Parliament.
She said the deceased left behind a widow and children who now have no one to provide for them.
Awany also questioned responses suggesting that some people killed in wildlife-related incidents had entered protected areas for illegal activities, arguing that such explanations did not address the concerns of affected communities.
“My colleague from Nwoya County asked the Honourable Prime Minister, and the response was that people who go to the park are killed because they go poaching. I feel that answer was also not fitting,” she said.
“There is no law in Uganda which allows a criminal to be killed.”
Responding to the concerns, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja said it was unfortunate that lives were being lost but explained that her earlier advice for communities was to report wildlife incidents to police.
Nabbanja said the reason for involving police was because wild animals are government property and the state is responsible for managing them.
“Right Honourable Speaker, I meant that the people who were affected needed to report to police. The wild animals belong to us as a government, and all of us. So when they stray, these people need to report to police,” Nabbanja said.
She added that the Minister of State for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities would provide further guidance on the government’s interventions in managing human-wildlife conflict.
Upon stepping on the flow of Parliament, the Minister of State for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Susan Nakawuki told the house that Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers are not permitted to kill suspected poachers or members of the public.
“The rangers are guided by the standard operating procedures in the Wildlife Authority. In situations like poaching, they are supposed to arrest and prosecute. They are not allowed to kill,” Nakawuki said.
She said any incident where a person is killed by wildlife officials should be reported to police, adding that responsible officers would be held accountable for their actions.
On the growing number of elephant attacks in communities neighbouring national parks, Nakawuki said government was expanding electric fencing as one of the measures to reduce human-wildlife conflict.
She said more than 400 kilometres of electric fencing had already been installed around conservation areas, although some locations face challenges due to land-related disputes and resistance from communities.
“We are now going to engage the local leadership and the communities to allow for the electric fencing to be done across all parks, and that way we shall reduce such conflicts,” she said.
Nwoya has experienced repeated fatal encounters between residents and elephants from Murchison Falls National Park due to its proximity to the protected area.
The latest incident involved Innocent Opiyo, whose body was discovered by relatives in his garden in Latoro Central village, Got Apwoyo Sub-County, after he was reportedly attacked while guarding his groundnut crop at night.
According to Got Apwoyo Sub-County LC III Chairperson Ben Latim Openy, Opiyo was attacked by a stray elephant that had moved into the community.
In August 2025, two women — Scovia Ayiyorwoth, 26, and Doreen Akumu, 46 — were trampled to death in Obira Parish while returning home with firewood.
In November 2024, Opio Robbin, a 52-year-old farmer from Langele Village in Lii Sub-county, was killed while attempting to drive away elephants destroying his crops.
Another 22-year-old man was killed in September 2024 after an elephant attacked him while he was weeding soybeans in Ceke Village, also in Lii Sub-county.
Uganda’s wildlife compensation scheme provides financial support to victims of human-wildlife conflict, including families of people killed, individuals injured, and farmers who lose livestock to protected animals.
However, communities living near national parks continue to call for stronger preventive measures, including expanded fencing, quicker response systems, and timely compensation for affected families. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
