25 killed, 35 permanently disabled in Mt Elgon national park boundary dispute

By THE OBSERVER UG

One of the Farmers under the Taungya Program in his garden

At least 35 people including 15 game rangers and 10 residents have lost their lives in a land dispute between the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the community living around Mt Elgon National Park (MENP).

Another 35 rangers are permanently disabled resulting from the same conflict These cumulative numbers date back to 2003, UWA has said.

Originally gazetted as a forest reserve in 1938 and later designated as a national park in 1993, MENP covers Mbale, Namisindwa, Kapchorwa, Kween, Sironko, Bukwo, and Bududa districts. The park’s size was reduced by 7,500 hectares in 1983, with a portion allocated to the Benet community as a temporary settlement area.

However, there have been continued encroachments on the park, attributed to rapid population growth, settlement of the Sabiny people, and pressure on land. Samuel Amanya, MENP chief warden, explained that enforcement operations to protect the park’s borders often lead to violent encounters with locals, especially in the Kween district.

*UWA officials in the Meeting with the Benet community*

To address this issue, UWA has shifted its strategy to coexistence with locals, implementing the “Taungya” program in troubled areas.

This program involves registering encroachers and allowing them to grow crops in the restored softwood tree plantations for three to four years, fostering cooperation between farmers and the authority.

Amanya stated that the renewed strategy has been in place for the past 40 days, with a focus on registering encroachers instead of forceful evictions. Farmers who comply with the program report increased yields and express gratitude for the positive impact on their income.

However, the Benet community insists on reverting to the 1983 boundaries, claiming that UWA deliberately shifted demarcations to drive them off the land.

Speaking through a translator, Stephen Ayeko, a Benet elder, expresses concern over being labelled encroachers on what he called their land, with key installations like schools and health centres now designated within the park, despite recent government constructions.