Elephant kills farmer in Kanungu
By: T. Mwajuma Twaha Adams
Stray elephant kills man. Residents of Kameme village in Kibimbiri parish, Kihihi Sub County in Kanungu District are grieving following the death of one of their members identified as Boniface Monday who was last night killed by a stray elephant.
According to Kihihi Sub County Chairman Nelson Natukunda confirmed that Monday Boniface was killed by a stray elephant last night while he was guarding his potato garden from being destroyed by the wild animals from Queen Elizabeth National Park.
According to the residents, two elephants strayed from the nearby Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area last evening and started destroying their crops which prompted them to try and force them back to 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.
Meanwhile, the Kanungu Deputy Resident District Commissioner Gad Ahimbisibwe Rugaju who visited the scene where the deceased was killed from, has 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 mauled and killed a 52 year old man.
RDC Ahimbisibwe Rugaju promised the residents that he is going to follow up the government pledge to fence off the national park as promised which is expected to start this month.
In November 2022, the Minister of State for Tourism Hon Mugarra Mutahinduka visited Kanungu District and assured the the local residents living near the Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area that government had finalised plans to fence off the National Park starting January 2023, but the exercise has not started.
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.
However Deputy RDC Ahimbisibwe Rugaju warned the residents against harming the wildlife animals and should instead work together with Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers to ensure that they are driven back whenever they attack their gardens.
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.