Kasese farmers Vs UWA, where is the middle ground?

Photo:  Elephants in Queen Elizabeth National Park in 2010 after crossing the road. Photo by Felix Basiime


When I read the story; Over 400 Kasese farmers sue UWA over destroyed crops, in Daily Monitor, May 24, 2011, it tickled me to comment.

A group of 460 farmers in Kasese District, who claim animals from Queen Elizabeth National Park destroyed their crops and property in 2009, is seeking a Shs1.5 billion compensation from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).

They accuse UWA of negligence, alleging that the animals, including elephants, escaped from the park which is about five miles away from their gardens and destroyed their crops. 

UWA is being accused of breaching its “statutory duty by failing to construct an enclosure to limit the animals’ movement from the gazetted park”.

For sure, I don’t dispute that these farmers have not suffered losses but the whole issue boils down to nature.

This points to the old conflict between man and wildlife where both man and wildlife compete for resources, space and energy to survive. Population of man seem to be growing at a higher rate than the wild animals and bearing the fact that land is fixed, wild animals are being pushed worldwide for space and this is where the international conventions to protect both parties come in.

When one says that UWA has failed to construct an enclosure to limit the animals’ movement from the gazetted park, it raises several questions. Let us first look at part of UWA's mandate that is relevant to this issue:

1. Management and conservation of wildlife in Uganda, both in and outside the wildlife protected areas (PAs) i.e. National Parks, Wildlife Reserves and Wildlife Sanctuaries.

And part iv says: Ensuring timely and appropriate response to reported problem animals, in collaboration with the concerned communities and respective local authorities.

May be UWA could have failed on its mandate part iv but otherwise there have been several efforts asking UWA to erect an enclosure around Queen Elizabeth national park which I can’t see happen as far as the international conventions of protected areas are concerned.

One of the several conventions is; the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (also known as CMS or the Bonn Convention) which aims to conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species throughout their range. It is an intergovernmental treaty, concluded under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Program, concerned with the conservation of wildlife and habitats on a global scale. 

The Convention was signed in 1979 in Bonn (hence the name) and entered into force in 1983.
God created both man and wildlife in their distinct natural settings which we call habitats or at large ecosystems. Naturally there should not be any fence to protect either party only we see artificial enclosures around some people’s homes or schools as man tries to safe guard self from bad elements in society.

At worst, the people of Rubirizi district on the eastern part of the Queen Elizabeth National park have been asking government to erect an electric fence around the park. Compensation yes it can be done but forget an enclosure.

How the conflict started

Wild animals especially elephants in Queen Elizabeth National Park have of recent been destroying people’s crops, especially maize and cotton and during harvest time, people spend sleepless nights out lighting fires around the gardens to scare them away and some people have died in this exercise.

The Ikongo Farmers Marketing and Cooperative Society, the petitioners in this case against UWA had earlier asked government to review the UWA policy on wild animals which prohibits people from killing the animals that invade their gardens and there is no compensation for the loss. They had reached an extent of thinking that government values wild animals than its people.

UWA has always said the law does not indicate any compensation of the farmers but urges cooperation between the two sides to curb the animal invasion of the gardens. But the Kasese Resident District Commissioner, Capt James Mwesigye reasons that there is need for co-existence of all the living species on the universe

Worldwide there is growing conflict between man and animals. It is not a local phenomenon; but an issue that spans a diverse array of geographic and human demographic contexts. Although humans and carnivores have co-existed for a long time but the frequency of conflicts have increased in recent decades as a result of increased human activities in wildlife areas and forests.

According to the World Conservation Union (World Park Congress 2003), conflict occurs when wildlife’s requirements overlap with those of human populations, creating costs to residents and wild animals. If man destroys or disturbs animal’s habitat, it is quite obvious that there will be struggle for the survival from the part of the animals.

The destruction of their habitat due to human activities compels the wild animals to enter human settlements in search of food and water leading to conflict.

In the case of Uganda, man has settled in the national parks. For example, Muhokya and Katunguru trading centres and Katwe-Kabatooro town council which are inside Queen Elizabeth National park not forgetting people who have been increasingly settling on the periphery of the park like at Kyambura and Kasese town.

When this occurs, people tend to get rid of the conflict problem by killing the wild animals, but it is not the ultimate solution. It is like man building in wetlands and of course man is not aquatic and later nature proves him wrong by water bouncing back after years in floods to show him that this is my home (habitat).

Possible solutions

Human population is increasing rapidly and as a result, changing land use practices and resultant anthropogenic pressures, forest cover has either decreased or declined in quality due to habitat degradation. Avoiding deforestation and planting new trees in forest areas can help a lot in reducing conflict rate in the long run.

Though locals were living with wildlife for ages, their knowledge about the behavior and ecology of the species is remarkably poor. So governmental and non government organizations must come forward and organize awareness programs.

Man should be taught in creating tolerance towards the wildlife and must know that both were created by God with each party in its right place. I usually hear people along Kasese-Bwera and Kasese-Bushenyi roads argue that government should relocate the wild animals from the plains of Queen Elizabeth National park to the mountains to allow man more space to cultivate in the plains.

I say no, this is not your land (National Parks), my simple advice is that learn to live within the limited resources that God put to you, build sky scrapers, cultivate in high lands like people in Kisoro district do etc.

Education and training activities at different levels like in schools and colleges will help to reduce on the conflict rate.

People living at the periphery of the national parks should avoid rearing pet animals like dogs and cats around their houses as these can act as an attractant for wild animals. Unsupervised livestock grazing must also be avoided like the case in Kiruhura and Kasese districts where cows are grazed inside the parks.

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About the author
Felix Basiime is the Bureau Chief at Monitor Publications Ltd in charge Western region based at Fort Portal.
He holds several certificates in Environmental journalism from Makerere University.