Kanungu Deputy Resident District Commissioner Gad Ahimbisibwe Rugaju has today 06/01/2023 appealed to the residents of Kibimbiri Parish to remain calm as government prepare to start fencing off the Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area to protect them from stray animals.
Deputy RDC Ahimbisibwe Rugaju made the remarks today while speaking to residents of Kameme village in Kihihi Sub County where a stray elephant charged and killed a 53-year-old man.
According to Kihihi Sub County Chairman Nelson Natukunda, the deceased identified as Monday Boniface was killed by a stray elephant on Thursday night while he was guarding his potato garden from being destroyed by the wild animals from Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Rugaju promised the residents that he is going to follow up on the government pledge to fence off the national park as promised which is expected to start this month.
According to the residents, two elephants strayed from the nearby Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area and started destroying their crops which prompted them to try and force them back into the national park.
However, as the elephants moved towards the National park, they came across the deceased at around 10:30 pm while he was also guarding his potato garden near his homestead where he was attacked and killed instantly.
The residents complained that despite the government putting on place an enabling law providing for compensation of crops, domestic animals and human lives destroyed by wildlife animals, it has not been affected and people continue to suffer the consequences.
The residents have since threatened to kill the wildlife animals when they are cited in their gardens since the Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers have failed in their duty to drive the animals back to the Park whenever they attack.The body of the late Monday was conveyed to Kihihi Health Center IV Mortuary for postmortem examination to be carried out before it was handed over to the relatives for burial.
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