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Kitgum, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Farmers in Namokora sub-county in Kitgum district are crying foul because of stray elephants that are destroying their crops.
Geoffrey Opyet, the LC3 chairperson of Namokora sub-county says that elephants estimated to be between 50 to 100 in number invaded the area on Thursday last week and have continued to destroy crops until today.
He revealed that the elephants move along their corridor in Lunganyuta, Orom sub-county at night, destroy crops, leave and return the following night.
According to Opyet, the animals have destroyed an estimated 150 acres of crops in Orabul, Masaka, Odilang, and Guda villages in Pagoda East parish, Namokora sub county.
George Acaye, the LCI of Guda village in Pagoda East, says the elephants invaded his village Monday night and destroyed at least 600 acres of sunflower, millet, pumpkins, and sorghum among others. Acaye, who is also a victim of the elephant invasion, said that he lost six acres of crops, which include sunflower, sorghum, and two acres of millet.
“I appeal to the government to compensate victims of the elephant attack because we shall have no food and money to pay our children to school,” Acaye said. Bosco Bongowat, another victim of the elephant invasion in Orabul village, said he lost an acre of bananas.
According to Bongowat, the stray elephants numbering about six destroyed two acres of millet in his village, two acres of potatoes, and one and a half acres of bananas. He said Uganda Wild Life Authority-UWA officials only assessed two gardens and promised to return Tuesday but had not returned.
Martin Oryem, the Assistant Warden for Community Conservation in Kidepo Valley Conservation Area, said UWA- has received information about the invasion by the elephants in the four villages.
He said that a team of rangers from UWA assessed the damage by elephants and found no extensive damage, adding that elephants had gone to check if the crops were mature. According to Oryem, when they moved with the leaders in the affected villages, they found that the number of acres destroyed could not reach five acres.
Olweny blamed the community for always exaggerating the extent of the damage by elephants, adding that in most cases, victims are left out for purposes of compensation.
Olweny said last month UWA opened an outpost in Tikao in Orom sub county, where rangers have been deployed with vehicles and motorcycles to reach near and distant areas in case of an invasion by elephants.
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