By Andrew Nakhaboya
BUDUDA
Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) officials led by Presidential Adviser on Wildlife, Captain John Emily Otekat have met residents of Bududa District over a long-running dispute concerning the boundary of Mount Elgon National Park.
The meeting that took place on Wednesday, 23rd September, 2026 brought together residents from Bushiyi, Bubiita, Bukalasi and Bundesi sub-counties, as well as local leaders and other officials, following incidents in August in which residents accused UWA personnel of destroying crops they said were outside the park during a boundary demarcation exercise.
Residents also alleged that three people were shot and injured in Natunga Village, Namirumba Parish, Bushiyi Sub-county, during an encounter over the alleged destruction of crops and orders for residents to leave their homes.
The three, identified as Simeo Benecto, Florence Namee and Veronica Jewa, were reportedly injured and are receiving treatment in Mbale.
Residents said they were injured after questioning the destruction of their crops and objecting to orders to vacate their homes.
The dispute has also raised concerns about food security, with residents reporting the loss of crops on which their families depend.
Residents from Bubiita and Bukalasi recently went to the offices of the Resident District Commissioner and district chairperson carrying coffee, banana stems and other crops, asking local leaders to intervene before the situation worsened.
Residents said more than 100 households and 227 gardens in Bushiyi, Bubiita, Bukalasi and Bundesi had been affected. They called for compensation for destroyed crops, food relief and clear identification of the national park boundary.
Residents demand compensation
Fred Wanangutu, the Bundesi Sub-county LC3 chairperson, said residents had lost crops including maize, onions and coffee.
He accused some UWA officers of mistreating residents and alleged that some officers become violent after drinking alcohol.
Wanangutu said communities living near the forest had historically depended on resources such as firewood and bamboo but now faced arrest and harassment when they entered the forest.
He asked UWA to allow affected residents to remain on the disputed land as they await Parliament’s position on the boundary dispute.
He also appealed for food relief, saying many families had lost their crops and were struggling to find food.
Nasanael Nasasa, a resident, called for compensation for crops destroyed during the boundary exercise.
He said many families were facing hunger and appealed to the Government to provide food assistance.
Patrick Meru, a former councillor, asked UWA to involve a government valuer to assess the destroyed crops and establish the extent of the losses.
He also appealed for food assistance for communities bordering the park.
Residents cite decades of conflict
Emmanuel Namondo, a resident, said communities had experienced conflicts with UWA for many years.
He cited a 2007 incident in which residents reportedly clashed with wildlife officials following the death of a resident identified as Yefusa Wafusa.
Namondo said communities had continued living in the area after the former Central Forest Reserve was gazetted as a national park in 1993, although relations with wildlife authorities remained difficult.
He alleged that residents found cultivating in disputed areas were sometimes arrested and accused of entering the park.
David Mawanga, the chairperson of Buraba Parish in Busiriwa Sub-county, said families had lived in the area since 1932, before conflicts over the park intensified after 1993.
He appealed to the Government to consider communities that had lived in the area for generations.
Leaders call for clear boundaries
Geoffrey Natubu, the Bududa District LC5 chairperson, said residents had faced arrests over bamboo and other forest resources.
He cited the cases of Esau Weboya, Francis Kusolo and Yusuf Wanzala, whom he said were arrested over bamboo.
Natubu alleged that residents were sometimes required to pay large sums of money after arrest.
He said that if the disputed land falls within the national park, UWA should clearly demonstrate the boundaries to affected communities.
“There is no way our people can simply leave their homes,” Natubu said, calling on UWA to provide evidence showing that the disputed land belongs to the park.
He said he would support affected residents in seeking legal redress and compensation.
Fred Mukhwana, the chairperson of Namirumba Parish in Bushiyi Sub-county, said UWA officers moved beyond areas residents understood to be gazetted and destroyed crops on August 20.
He alleged that similar incidents had occurred in the past.
Mukhwana also questioned why trees were being cut during an exercise involving an institution mandated to protect wildlife and natural resources.
He said 358 people in Namirumba Parish and another 70 in Matuwa Parish had reportedly lost crops.
John Wamboyo, the LC1 chairperson of Kasuni Village, questioned why, according to him, some UWA officers allegedly assaulted local leaders representing the communities.
*UWA, Government response*
Captain John Emily Otekat, the chairperson of Honorary Wildlife Officers and Senior Presidential Adviser on Wildlife, said the concerns raised by residents would be presented to President Yoweri Museveni.
Otekat said he had listened to communities affected by conflicts between UWA and local residents and that efforts would be made to address the disputes. He apologized to residents and urged them to remain calm as the Government handles the matter.
Umar Nangoli, the Member of Parliament for Northern City Division in Mbale City, who was part of the delegation, urged residents to use the engagement to seek a lasting solution to the boundary dispute.
Nangoli said similar conflicts had been reported in different parts of the country.
He said although degazetting the national park was not an immediate option, the Government could consider compensating people who had suffered losses.
He said Members of Parliament would push for compensation for residents who had lost crops and livelihoods.
Nangoli also proposed training educated residents from the affected communities to understand and interpret geographical coordinates so they could help their communities understand the park boundaries.
He said food relief should be prioritised because many affected families had lost their sources of food.
Janet Grace Akeck Okori-Moe, an honorary warden, thanked residents for attending the meeting and sharing their concerns.
She said officials had not come to make empty promises but to listen to the communities and seek solutions to the problems raised.
On the demand for food relief, Okori-Moe said the matter required immediate attention because food security was becoming a concern.
She appealed to residents to remain patient and avoid actions that could escalate tensions.
*Calls for peaceful coexistence*
Beatrice Nakami, a resident and mother of seven, said her family was struggling after their crops were destroyed.
“We are badly off because we do not have food,” she said.
Jeremiah Wanzama, another resident, said the destruction of crops had affected families and livelihoods.
Wanzama alleged that some UWA officials continued to threaten residents despite an earlier directive giving them three weeks to vacate the disputed area.
He warned that prolonged food insecurity could contribute to school dropouts, early pregnancies and early marriages among children from affected families.
Mawanga also urged UWA to ensure its rangers conduct themselves responsibly, alleging that some officers drink alcohol while on duty.
He warned that leaving firearms unattended could create additional security risks.
Hussein Kato Matanda, the chairperson of the Mt. Elgon Stakeholders Forum, said he would deliver the residents’ concerns to the President and relevant authorities as efforts continue to find a lasting solution to the dispute.
He appealed to affected residents to continue sharing information and concerns with the stakeholders’ forum to support efforts to resolve the conflict.
The meeting ended with calls for continued dialogue between UWA, local leaders and affected communities, with residents seeking clarity on the park boundary, compensation for reported crop losses and immediate assistance for families facing food shortages.
