16 ELEPHANTS INVADE FARMS, DESTROY CROPS IN KASESE

By Joel Kaguta

www.mknewslink.com

In Kasese

An elephant herd on Thursday escaped from the Queen Elizabeth National Park, raided and destroyed crops in Kirembe cell, Kasese Municipality.

The area LCI chairperson for Kirembe cell, Lawrence Bwambale confirmed that at least 16 elephants were seen at around 11pm crossing from the gazetted area to the neighboring gardens of maize, beans, groundnuts and banana plantations.

Mr. Bwambale said that Kyababinga and Kirembe cells which are best known fields for maize, beans, groundnuts, Chai seed and cotton have registered the most gardens severely destroyed by the wild beasts.

Bwambale mentioned Doviko Isedemu, Robert Muhesi, Emmy Baluku, Zimonia Baluku, Biira Jetress, Beatrace Masika, Mbayahi Masereka and John Nsenkayi as people whose lives will become unbearable because of the elephants which have destroyed their crops.

Bwambale and Emmy Makupe, the parish chairperson have started compiling a report and to ascertain the exact of people whose gardens were also invaded by the animals.

“This is not the first time when the elephants invade our area, last season the same elephants escaped from their habitant and destroyed peoples’ crops”, Bwambale said.

John Nsenkayi, a maize farmer said that the frequent invasion of elephants has affected his incomes because for the last four seasons, his maize field has been destroyed by the elephants.

“Since the season has looked to be very good, I was expecting to harvest nineteen sacks of dried maize and I would sell two tonnes at one thousand three hundred each kilogram,” Nsenkay adds.

He disclosed that last season was not good because his beans, ground nuts and maize were torched due to the dry spell that severely hit the area.

Nsenkayi, a father of 3 children asked the Uganda Wildlife Authority-UWA, an authority mandated to look after the animals in the game reserves to always compensate people whose crops are have been destroyed by the elephants.

He said that the invasion of these animals everyday is the epicenter of human-elephant conflicts especially to the people neighboring game reserves.

“These elephant came last week, they came today and I don’t think they will not come today night because these animals are like human beings who know when the crops are ready for consumption,” Nsenkayi said.

Biira Jetress another farmer said that all her three acres of maize were destroyed and is not sure of harvesting anything. Biira said that she injected a lot of money in hiring land, purchasing pesticides and cultivation which has now been put to waste.

“Actually I have wastage a lot of money in agriculture yet without it, my life will be hard because I have a huge family to look after, government should help us,” Biira added.

According to Kasese Municipal Agricultural Extension Officer, Asanairi Muhindo Bukanywa, the area is losing billions of shillings to animals that stray into peoples’ farms.

He said that his office is compiling a report about the magnitude of the destruction and will report the problem to relevant offices for redress.

Mr. Bashir Hangi, the Uganda Wildlife Authority Spokesperson told www.mknewslink.com reporter on phone that stringent measures including the enclosing of game reserves will solve the problem of animal escaping to people’s gardens.

“You know we have started electric fencing at game reserves and the project was officially launched at Kyenzaza village, Kyambura sub county, Rubirizi District and Queen Elizabeth National Park is the most targeted one”, the Spokesperson noted.

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