ELEPHANT ATTACKS! Over 1500 Kitgum Victims Curse UWA Over Stalled Compensation
Residents in Kitgum, Uganda, are protesting against the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) due to significant delays in compensation for damages caused by elephant attacks. Despite submitting over 1,000 claims, many victims remain unpaid, leading to public confrontations between local leaders and wildlife officials.
Why it matters
This highlights the growing tension between wildlife conservation efforts and the livelihoods of rural communities living near protected areas.
KITGUM: Angry residents in Kitgum have turned their guns on the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), accusing the agency of dragging its feet on compensation for victims of elephant attacks, even as the animals continue invading gardens, destroying crops and injuring residents.
The frustrated residents say they have endured years of waiting for compensation after submitting claims to UWA, with some alleging that they have received neither payments nor proper feedback on the fate of their applications.
The anger boiled over during a meeting between UWA officials, Members of Parliament and residents in Orom Sub-county on Sunday, where the authority pledged to compensate about 150 people within two weeks.
UWA Commissioner for Community Conservation David Musingo told the gathering that the authority had received about 1,000 compensation files from affected communities and was processing them for payment.
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