Residents, investor clash over Kabarole crater lakes

Lake Kyaninga, one of the many crater lakes in Kabarole District. It and many others attract tourists all year round, who come to bask in the beauty they present. Photo by Felix Basiime 

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Residents--investor-clash-Kabarole-crater-lakes-/688334-4323926-p1meyxz/index.html

THURSDAY MARCH 1 2018

In Summary

• Concern. Residents say the decision to give Ferdsult Engineering Company exclusive rights to fish from the crater lakes is unconstitutional.

By FELIX BASIIME & ALEX ASHABA

KABAROLE.

Mr James Rukampena, a farmer, no longer earns from growing maize and beans as he is lame and walks on crutches.
Mr Rukampena, a resident of Mwitampungu Village in Kasenda Sub-county, Kabarole District, who used to earn Shs1 million a month from farming, was allegedly shot by guards of Ferdsult Engineering Company while in his banana plantation that is a few metres away from Mwitampungu crater lake.

“One day, while I was moving around my gardens, I met three policemen with guns and they asked whether I had seen people who were carrying out fishing in the crater lake,” he narrates.
“I said I had not seen any and they went ahead to ask me if I had made a will for my children and I kept quiet. One of the police men said can you sit down, and in a moment he shot both of my legs,” he adds.
Mr Rukampena and other residents that depend on the 52 crater lakes in the district for a livelihood had high hopes in 2013 that Ferdsault Engineering Company would change their lives through its corporate social responsibility.

“When we heard that there is an investor who had come to develop our crater lakes, we were happy, knowing that our area was going to develop because they promised us many things such as electricity, schools and better roads,” Mr Rukampena says, adding that little did he know that he would lose his leg in the land wrangles later.
He has since been nursing wounds in different hospitals until last year when his leg was amputated at Kilembe hospital in Kasese District.
“I was helped by the community members in my village who took me to Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital until I was referred to Kilembe Hospital where my leg was amputated at a cost of Shs300,000 paid by Twerwaneho Listeners Club, non-governmental organisation,” he says.

Effect
He says his children have since dropped out of school because of lack of school fees.
“I no longer do farming as I used to do. Now my wife is in charge of every responsibility in the family. I am just seated, watching,” Mr Rukampena says.
Since the incident which occurred in September 2016, he says the company has never compensated him but that it instead blamed him for the incident. He now wants government to look after his family and the company to stop its activities in the district.
Mr Rukampena is not the only one suffering the consequences of the investment agreement between Ferdsault Engineering Company and Kabarole District administration.
In Kichwamba Sub-county where Saka Crater Lake is located, residents accuse the company’s guards of beating them up.
“In 2015, we were told by Mr Charles Busingye, the sub-county chairperson, and other local leaders that the lake was bought by Ferdsult Engineering Company, said Mr John Owomukama, a resident of Buhara Village, which neighbours the lake.

“Since then, we have been facing challenges such as being beaten by security guards of the company and we have not had peace,” he adds.
Mr Owomukama says they have been depending on the lake for fishing and water for domestic use.
He adds that the company had promised to construct for them good roads, extend electricity and clean water but up to now, none of the promises has been fulfilled.
Ms Annette Kemigisa, another resident, says the company has been terrorising the community by beating up their children confiscating their animals, fishing nets and boats.
Another resident, Mr Boaz Irumba, says his wife eloped with one of the company’s security guards and she left him with young children that he is looking after.
The company directors were not immediately available for a comment. However, in 2016, the residents together with Twerwaneho Listeners Club, a human rights non-governmental organisation operating in the district, successfully sued Kabarole District authorities, Ferdsult Engineering Services and the Attorney General. 

The applicants asked court to terminate the company’s and declare its activities illegal, unlawful and a violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Constitution.
In 2015, the district had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Ferdsult Engineering Services, in which they were given exclusive rights to fish in the crater lakes for 30 years. However, area residents contested the move.
In his ruling, Justice Anthony Oyuko Ojok cancelled the MoU after finding that the rights of the fishing communities were infringed on.

LAND PROBE’S ROLE

Last week, the Justice Catherine Bamugemereire-led Commission of Inquiry into land matters heard that Ferdsult Engineering Company was operating illegally in Kabarole District. The commission found that the documents Ferdsult tendered in to defend itself before the commission were forgeries and had no permit to operate in the district.
Justice Bamugemereire ordered for the arrest of the company proprietor, Mr Ferdinand Mugisha, for further investigations. The commission also found Ferdsult was operating on the lakes without environmental and social impact assessments.

Nabukeera earning from 3-acre land

Rehema Nabukeera milks 30 litres of milk from her cows everyday. PHOTO by alex ashaba. 

http://www.monitor.co.ug/Magazines/Farming/Nabukeera-earning-from-3-acre-land/689860-4354268-dd1cqd/index.html

SUNDAY MARCH 25 2018

In Summary

·         Rehema Nabukeera harvests the fish after seven months and sells each tilapia at Shs10,000. She also has a banana plantation and dairy cows. On average, the farmer gets 30 litres of milk per day, writes Alex Ashaba & Felix Basiime.

By Alex Ashaba & Felix Basiime

Rehema Nabukeera’s three-acre farm in Kanyambeho Village, Kiko Town Council in Kabarole District, is the envy of the community because of the various agribusiness ventures she engages in.
Eight years ago after dropping out of school in Senior Four, Nabukeera decided to try her luck in smallscale mixed farming.

The 32-year old farmer grows bananas, vegetables, rears cows and keeps fish.
Nabukeera was busy inspecting her banana plantation and fish pond when Seeds of Gold arrived for the interview.
At 10am, the cows were already feeding while some had already fed and were resting under trees in the farm.
She says she decided to concentrate on fish keeping, dairy production and banana farming after realising that she was putting a lot time and resources on vegetables but at the end of the day she earned less.

Banana 
“I have to deliver the banana at the market. Demand is high because of the rainy season,” she explains.
The type of bananas, Nabukeera grows include nakyetengu, nakabululu, kisansa, ntika, sukaali ndiizi (apple banana) and plantains among others.
“With the little money from relatives and friends, I started farming sometime in 2010 after dropping out of school,” Nabukeera recounts, saying she started with two enterprises – banana farming and fish keeping.

Onions, tomatoes and egg plants are some of the vegetables she moved to later as she expanded her agribusiness. She grows the vegetables at the backyard of her kitchen.
“There was good market for the vegetables in Kiko Town and still is. I would deliver my produce to specific families earning Shs150,000 in a good week,” explains Nabukeera.
She sells the bananas from Shs10,000 to Shs12,000 each depending on the variety and size to schools, individuals and markets in Kiko and Fort Portal.

Fishing 
Next to a village stream, Nabukeera has 300 square-metre fish pond that normally hosts 1,000 tilapia and catfish at any time.
She started the fish business after a series of training by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries.
The farmer feeds the fish on pellets that she buys at Shs54,000 per 50 kilogramme bag in Fort Portal. She supplements the feeds with earth worms and fertilises the pond with dried chicken droppings and cow dung.
The farmer harvests the fish after seven months and sells each tilapia at Shs10,000 while catfish goes between Shs18,000 to Shs22,000.

Cows 
Nabukeera is also in dairy production having bought three fresian cows at Shs1.5m each three years ago. On average she obtains about 30 litres of milk per day (20 in the morning and 10 in the evening). She sells each litre at Shs1,200. 
“There is a ready market for my milk locally, but my main outlet is the hotel in our major town. I also sell to the needy population and because of the quality of my milk it sells like hotcake,” he says.
To feed her cows, Nabukeera had to set aside half an acre to grow fodder such as napier grass. 
Her cattle are kept in a zero-grazing unit which is more economical and allows for easy disease and pests control. Sometimes she tethers the cows in the neighbourhood. 
Nabukeera told Seeds of Gold that for one to succeed in dairy farming, you need to ensure there is enough water and feeds for the cattle.

Future plans
Nabukeera plans to construct another five fish ponds at her home and introduce different fish species and buy more cows to increase her income.
“If I get more money say a grant from government, I will make sure that I have more ponds and also start dairy production and get more training to venture in different businesses that will increase my earning,” she says.

Advice 
Nabukeera says while mixed farming is beneficial, a farmer risks burning out as he or she spreads their resources such as time, money and labour to the limit.
“One should plan carefully lest this kind of farming turns out to be a burden as the farmer may be unable to maximise productivity. There is also a challenge with diseases, which may spread from one crop to another, but overally, this kind of farming is better than mono farming.”

Farmers demand tea regulatory authority

On the farm. Farmers harvest tea leaves at Mpanga Tea Farm in Kabarole District. PHOTO BY ALEX ASHABA 

THURSDAY MAY 31 2018

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Farmers-demand-tea-regulatory-authority/688334-4587568-73ikfhz/index.html

In Summary

·         Annually, Uganda earns about $90-100 million from tea and the crop is one of the country’s traditional exports. The industry employs over 62,000 people and supporting more than 500,000 dependents in Uganda.
Tea is largely grown along the Lake Victoria crescent, the lower slopes of the Rwenzori Mountain and above the western rift valley.

By FELIX BASIIME

KYENJOJO/KABAROLE. Tea farmers in Tooro Sub-region are lobbying government to institute an independent tea regulatory authority to check tea standards.
The authority, if instituted, would also advocate for better regulatory policies that would protect tea farmers from exploitation by middlemen.
Tooro region is the land of tea, commonly referred to as the ‘Green Gold’, one of the most delicious and sought after teas in the world.
Tea is grown in the deep, rich and well-watered soils that are unique to the region.

Farmers say middle men pay them about Shs250 per kilo of green leaf, which is lower than what factories pay (between Shs400 and Shs600) after two weeks. This, the farmers say, has compromised the quality of tea since some farmers sell substandard and immature tea leaves to earn quick cash.
Mr John Kyomya, a tea farmer in Kyenjojo District, says: “We want government to help us by forming a tea regulatory authority so that the quality of tea supplied to factories is not compromised mainly by the middle men.”
He adds: “Because farmers want quick cash, they end up picking poor quality tea with grass and other shrubs and sell it to middlemen.”
The international tea standards require a farmer to supply tea leaves while still fresh and without other plants.

The farmers say although middlemen pay in time, they are cheated because they buy from them cheaply yet they sell the tea exorbitantly.
President Museveni in 2016 said his government had set interventions to improve the market of the Ugandan tea.
Among the interventions, he said, he had talked to Arab countries to buy Ugandan tea and promised to extend subsidies like fertilisers to farmers.
In Tooro and in the whole of western Uganda, at least 200,000 people earn their living by plucking the green leaves.
They earn between Shs10,000 and Shs20,000 each on average per day depending on the kilos one has plucked.

Farmers and companies pay between Shs100 to Shs120 per kilo of plucked green tea per day from morning up to midday.
The temperate climate allows tea to flourish from the lush plantations as it is harvested throughout the year.
The tea from the farm is of good quality, has a soothing and pleasant taste and is of a rich brown colour.
According to Mr Kasoro Atwooki, a tea farmer and a board member of Mabale Growers’ Tea Factory Ltd in Kyenjojo District, tea is the majority export from Tooro Sub-region, followed by coffee.

All this has attracted investors, who have set up six tea factories in Kabarole and four in Kyenjojo districts, while others have set up tea nursery beds as a business to supply tea plantlets to farmers in the western region.
Mabale Tea Factory, one of the four factories in Kyenjojo District is an outgrowers-based plant. It is owned by about 3,600 farmers, who are shareholders following the privatisation of public enterprises in Uganda in the 1990s.
About 6,000 tea farmers in Kyenjojo and Kabarole districts, who earn between Shs2 million and Shs3 million monthly depending on the size of their plantations, supply green tea to the factory, according to Mr Kasoro.
“Each farmer employs more than five workers and each household in these districts has more than 12 people,” he adds.

Overproduction
According to Ms Sylvia Rwabwogo, a tea farmer in Kyenjojo, they produce more tea than what the factories around can consume.
Without any tea estates of its own, Mabale Tea Factory produces three million kilogrammes of tea in two months, which is about 10 per cent of Uganda’s annual tea export, to the world market.
Speaking to tea farmers at Mabale Tea Factory recently, Col John Anywar, the director of tea, coffee and cocoa under the Operation Wealth Creation programme assured the farmers and processors that he would table their views to his boss, Gen Salim Saleh.

Annually, Uganda earns about $90-100 million from tea and the crop is one of the country’s traditional exports. The industry employs over 62,000 people and supporting more than 500,000 dependents in Uganda.
Tea is largely grown along the Lake Victoria crescent, the lower slopes of the Rwenzori Mountain and above the western rift valley.

Tea in Uganda

Introduction. Tea was first introduced in Uganda in 1909, but commercial cultivation didn’t begin until the late 1920’s.

Decline. But in the 1970s, tea productions nearly stopped due to war, economic upheaval, and the government’s expulsion of many Asian-owned tea estate farmers.

The return. In the early 1980s, British businessman and entrepreneur, Mitchell Cotts returned to Uganda and formed the Toro and Mityana Tea Co.(Tametco), a joint venture with the government.

This move increased tea production from 1,700 tonens in 1981 to 5,600 tonnes in 1985 yet production was far less than the peak amount of 22,000 tons in 1974, and even began to decline again slightly after 1985.

Consumption. In the world today, tea stands out to be one among the most consumed popular beverages.

Blessed Uganda. With its temperate climate and rich soil, Uganda grows some of the world’s top quality tea.

editorial@ug.nationmedia.com

Water scarcity hits Ntoroko

Desperate. Residents of Kanara town council line up to fetch water at one of the shallow wells in the area last week. PHOTO BY ALEX ASHABA 

THURSDAY DECEMBER 14 2017

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Water-scarcity-hits-Ntoroko/688334-4228148-132m1ql/index.html

In Summary

·         Location. Ntoroko District is located west of the Rwenzori Mountains. It was carved out of Bundibugyo District in 2010. The district is always hit by floods to the extent of cutting off some areas while in dry seasons, the area is hit by drought.

·         District budget. According to the district chairman, Mr Timothy Kyamanywa, the floods have stretched the district budget and resources by increasing the cost of containing malaria especially among the children and malaria drugs run out of stock.

·         Erosion. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Semuliki catchment is under a lot of pressure due to increasing population. Deforestation and uncontrolled cattle grazing is leading to widespread erosion.

By ALEX ASHABA & FELIX BASIIME

For the last three years, Mr Danson Akampura, 35, has lived in Kisenyi A Village in Kanara Town Council, Ntoroko District. He treks about two kilometres in search of safe water.

Mr Akampura says the only available source of water in Kisenyi Village is the shallow well built in Kanara Town Council at Kasenyi Landing Site on the shores of Lake Albert.

He says though it was built by government 10 years ago, everyone has to pay Shs500 for a 20-litre jerrycan of water which some find expensive.

They hence end up fetching the unsafe lake water for domestic use.

“In our village, there are only two shallow wells but one is non-functional and up to now, it is not repaired. We crowd ourselves at one which is functional from morning to evening, while others fetch their water from Albert shores,” Mr Akampura says.

He says their village being near Semuliki National Park, people and wild animals such as elephants share the lake waters while others use River Muzizi.

Mr James Balikigamba, the Kisenyi B Village chairperson, says in his area, more than 323 people trek long distances for water from one shallow spring in Kanara Town.

Mr Balikigamba says some use motorcycles to fetch water while others use wheelbarrows which he says is expensive for the locals.

“Our neighbouring villages such as Kigugu, Rwenyangi and Ntoroko north use one water source. Remember, people come here at 6am from far distances and yet they have other duties to perform such as fishing and farming to earn a living,” Mr Balikigamba says.

Ms Fatima Mbabazi, who sells water at one of the shallow wells in Kanara Town Council says people line up very early with their jericans to get water and that in a day, she earns more than Shs50,000.

“At times I have no time to go for lunch because people crowd at this well and come from far away for water and this place is very hot,” Ms Mbabazi says.

Beyond repair

Mr David Kor, the chairperson of Kanara Town Council, says out of 12 shallow wells that were constructed 10 years ago in the area, only six are functioning while others were broken beyond repair.

“In some villages where we managed to install water management committees to maintain water sources, some have failed to repair them. We need government to intervene,” Mr Kor says.

Ntoroko District is still waiting for the fulfilment of the Shs82 billion water project that was pledged by President Museveni in 2011 presidential campaigns.

According to plan, the project was to start from River Muzizi to serve the entire district.

Despite Uganda being signatory to Sustainable Development Goals, where Goal number six emphasises availability of clean water and sanitation for all, several villages in the country are still not served.

The most affected villages in the district include; Ntoroko north A, Ntoroko south A, Mid-west and Kanyasi.

Way forward

When asked whether there are any government interventions to end water scarcity in the district, the Resident District Commissioner, Mr Wilson Isingoma, said: “Of course there is a major programme by government through the Ministry of Water and Environment. The two to three year Shs83 billion project has already started at Karugutu and it will tap [water] from rivers Wanka and Wasa for the gravity flow scheme.”

Also, Mr Robert Musiguzi, the district water engineer said: “The Shs83 billion water project in Ntoroko District will last for four years. It will be constructed in two phases, the first phase will take Shs25 billion while the second will cost Shs58 billion.”

The national population and housing census 2014 shows that 42.8 per cent households in Ntoroko District get drinking water from unsafe sources.

The latest Uganda water supply Atlas report by the Ministry of Water and Environment indicates that the access rates in Ntoroko District vary from 35 per cent in Kanara Town Council to 95 per cent in Rwebisengo Town Council.

The district has 386 domestic water points which serve a total of 55,000 people where 38,629 are in rural areas.
Of the 386 domestic water points, 108 are non-functional for over five years.

The national service delivery survey 2015 shows that the long distance to safe water sources in Ntoroko is at 41 per cent and the unreliability of the safe water points 20 per cent.

This is mainly due to breakdowns and low water pressure as the main constraints hindering the use of safe water sources.

The functionality of water sources in rural area is at 68 per cent while in urban area is at 81 per cent and most affected sub counties with less functional water sources in Ntoroko include; Butungama, Kanara and Karugutu.

Location. Ntoroko District is located west of the Rwenzori Mountains. It was carved out of Bundibugyo District in 2010. The district is always hit by floods to the extent of cutting off some areas while in dry seasons, the area is hit by drought.

District budget. According to the district chairman, Mr Timothy Kyamanywa, the floods have stretched the district budget and resources by increasing the cost of containing malaria especially among the children and malaria drugs run out of stock.

Erosion. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Semuliki catchment is under a lot of pressure due to increasing population. Deforestation and uncontrolled cattle grazing is leading to widespread erosion.

editorial@ug.nationmedia.com

Increasing local frustration at wildlife intrusion around national parks

Mary, the friendly elephant who often visited Katunguru and Kasenyi trading centres inside Queen Elizabeth National Park. It was later poised by locals for eating food in the kitchens. Photo by Felix Basiime. 

SUNDAY DECEMBER 10 2017

http://www.monitor.co.ug/artsculture/Travel/local-frustration-at-wildlife-intrusion-around-national-parks/691238-4221756-l4du7k/index.html

In Summary

·         Clashes. Despite efforts by park officials to keep wild animals in check, attacks on neighbouring villages and farms are frequent, leading to the escalation of the human-wildlife struggle.

By ENID NINSIIMA & FELIX BASIIME

Last week, two people were injured by stray bullets as security and Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) wardens pursued a stray elephant from residents’ gardens in Rukooki, Kasese District.

The injured included Uchamgiu Ahamad Khatib, 86, a resident of Kisangazi ward in Nyamwamba division in Kasese Municipality and Musoki Primuzim, 10, a pupil at Margherita Demonstration Primary School.

Problem animals 
The elephant strayed from the nearby Queen Elizabeth National Park into the cotton and maize gardens of residents of Kihara village, Kihara ward, Kasese Municipality last month.

Due to fear, the residents have since failed to harvest their crop despite being ready for harvest as maize stems are tall enough to obscure the wild animal.
Efforts by UWA officials to push the wild animal back to the park have yielded nothing despite the shootings.

However, the situation in Kasese spells a wider human wildlife conflict that has been growing in the areas surrounding the second biggest national park in Uganda.
The park borders Kasese, Rubirizi, Kanungu, Ibanda, Mitooma, Rukungiri and Kamwenge districts.

Local governments currently share 20 per cent of the revenue from gate collections by UWA every year, and the measures to curb animals from crossing into peoples gardens have not stopped the conflict from growing.

Revenue earned
In July 2016, Kasese received in excess of Shs 362 m, Rubirizi Shs155m, Kamwenge Shs128m, Rukungiri Shs90m, Mitooma Shs89m, Kanungu Shs81m and lastly Ibanda Shs 21 m. Kasese District got the biggest share of the funds since it covers the biggest part of the park.

Close to Shs 4b has been paid out by UWA to districts since 2003 as 20 per cent revenue sharing to help them solve the human-wildlife problems which have persisted.

Claims of loss

Despite this, wild animals especially elephants have continued to stray into people’s gardens and also attack, kill and injure the people.

In 2011, a group of 460 farmers in Kasese District unsuccessfully sought Shs1.5b compensation from UWA following claims that animals from Queen Elizabeth National Park destroyed their crops and property. 

The farmers under their umbrella organisation, Ikongo Farmers Marketing and Processing Cooperative Society unsuccessfully sued UWA in High Court in Kampala accusing 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.

The crops allegedly destroyed were soya beans, groundnuts, maize, mangoes, pineapples, bananas, and cotton. 

The aggrieved farmers sought general damages, claiming that UWA breached its statutory duty by failing to construct an enclosure to limit the animals’ movement from the gazetted park.

The group further contended that as a result of the destruction, they suffered profit losses and defaulted on their loan obligations as their financial needs including loan repayment were dependent on the sale of the destroyed produce.

Local grievances
Similar stories cut across many areas surrounding the park as communities complain but in vain.

They allege that UWA in turn accused them of encroaching on the park, which attracts animals into their homes and that they are interfering with the park ecosystems and disturbing wild animals which are at peace in their natural habitats.

In the recent case, Kezia Kabugho, one of the farmers whose garden was invaded last week by a stray elephant said that they have abandoned their gardens for fear of their lives. “We have lost our crops to the elephant that has stayed here since the month (November) begun. We fear to come to the gardens since the elephant is dangerous and can harm or kill us,” Kabugho said.

Morris Mumbere, a cotton farmer in the affected village expressed his disappointment with UWA management for their failure to control stray animals which he said had become a major problem to promotion of agriculture.

“We have lost our crops to wild animals for a long time but nothing has been done. We want the president to solve the problem or else we devise other means,” Mumbere said. “We have been talking about the issues of wild animals invading people’s gardens for about 10-15 years now, but nothing has been done to address the problem,” he added.

Farmers’ requests
The people of Rubirizi District on the eastern part of the Queen Elizabeth National Park have for long asked government to erect an electric fence around the park, something which is next to impossible based on international regulations on conservation and protection of natural resources, of which Uganda is a signatory.

The farmers in the districts around the park have asked government to review the UWA policy on wild animals which prohibits people from killing the animals that invade their gardens and also review the issue of compensation for the loss.
According to UWA, the law does not indicate any requirement for compensation for losses incurred but urges cooperation between the parties to curb the animal invasion of the gardens.

Need for cooperation
However, the Kasese Resident District Commissioner, James Mwesigye reasons that there is need for co-existence of people and wildlife.

Worldwide, there is growing conflict between man and wild animals. It is not a local phenomenon; but an issue that spans a diverse array of geographic and human demographic contexts.

Although humans and wildlife have co-existed for a long time, the frequency of conflicts have increased in recent decades as a result of increased human activities in wildlife reserves 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 animals’ habitat, it is quite obvious that there will be struggle for the survival on the part of the animals.

The destruction of their habitat due to human activities compels wild animals to enter human settlements in search of food and water, leading to conflict. In the case of Uganda, many communities have settled in parts of national parks. For example, Muhokya and Katunguru trading centres and Katwe-Kabatooro town council have been established inside Queen Elizabeth National park.

There are also groups of people who have been increasingly settling on the periphery of the park, at Kyambura and in Kasese town.

The destruction of their habitats 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 some parts of national parks. For example, Muhokya and Katunguru trading centres and Katwe-Kabatooro town council are inside Queen Elizabeth National park not forgetting the people who have been increasingly settling on the periphery of the park like at Kyambura and Kasese town.

Mitigations so far

UWA and some organisations like Malaika honey have over years made some mitigations like digging trenches and erected bee hive fences in some strategic places at the periphery of the park and along crop gardens in a bid to stop wild animals from crossing into the gardens and this has stopped some animals but others continue destroying the gardens or attacking people in their homes.

Mr Simpliocus Gessa, the UWA public relations officer is concerned about the impact of the Community projects funded by UWA saying that Problem animals have remained a biggest challenge to the institution.

 “We have given out a lot of money to the parishes adjacent to the park as one way of enabling the communities to sustain themselves since they are the most affected by problem animals but the situation seem not to be changing”, the  Warden community conservation in QEPA said recently during the visit to the park.

Mr Gessa, explained that UWA has come up with a lot of interventions to solve the problem animal challenge but human – wildlife conflict has remained due to animals adaption to the new methods.

“We are now using some many interventions at a go to reduce on human –wild life conflicts by constructing trenches and on the sides plant thorny plants and establishment of bee keeping a long side the trenches  but animals keep on looking for ways of crossing”, Gessa added.

The PRO said that UWA relocated four crocodiles last year to safer areas in order to save lives of fishing communities in the park.

Way forward

Some conservationists reason that the 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 pastoralists graze their cows inside the parks.

Mr Jeconious Musingwiire, the western region focal person and public awareness officer for NEMA says “One of the interventions UWA has made is digging trenches where animals normally cross”

He adds, “But farmers should plant crops that are repellant to the wild animals like tobacco, tea and or green pepper to create a buffer zone, but tea growing is more economic like in the communities around Kibaale national park in Kamwenge district”.
                                          END

Salt mining leaves bitter taste for Kasese residents

Earning a living. Women extract salt at Lake Katwe in Kasese District recently. PHOTO BY ENID NINSIIMA 

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 2 2017

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Salt-mining-leaves-bitter-taste-for-Kasese-residents/688334-4165724-hlq6k4/index.html

In Summary

·         Employment. According to Mr Nicholas Arinaitwe Kagongo, an environmentalist, at least 5,000 people are involved in salt mining in Lake Katwe.

By ENID NINSIIMA & FELIX BASIIME

KASESE. Salt mining remains one of the major sources of livelihood for the people of Kasese residing around Lake Katwe.
Salt mining, however, comes with enormous challenges that have affected the way of life for Kasese residents.

Ms Agnes Nyangoma, 25, a salt miner at Lake Katwe in Katwe –Kabatooro Town Council, has been mining salt for 10 years.

She is among hundreds of women working at the salty lake who outlined to Daily Monitor in an interview some of the challenges they face. 

“We believe we have made a commendable contribution to the development of this country, but we have lost our sexual appetite due to the dehydration caused by salt. Our men have abandoned us for other women who do not extract salt. This leaves us to bear the burden of single motherhood,” Nyangoma says.

Nyangoma’s experience is shared by other women in the area who despite the challenges can still afford a smile.

According to Mr Nicholas Arinaitwe Kagongo, an environmentalist, at least 5,000 people are involved in salt mining in Lake Katwe. 

He says among the 5,000, about 60 per cent are women.The women scrap the bottom of the salt pans to scoop the salt. They use their feet to crash the salt to form small/fine crystals and then wash the crystals forming edible salt. The men walk far in the waters to extract the rock salt in the shallow lake.

Ms Paskazia Queen, a single mother of 11, says she has spent 40 years in salt extraction. Queen, 50 narrates that she started extracting salt as a young girl at the age of 10.
“I work for Shs4,000 or 5,000 daily. We have health complications as a result of this job. We have body sores. We don’t have protective gear,” Queen says.
“It is from the Shs5,000 daily that I must feed my family and do any other domestic needs. I do not have a husband. I look after those children single handedly,” Queen adds.
She says all the women in salt extraction business have to wear heavy knickers and thick pads before they go in the salty waters to protect their private parts from getting into contact with salt.

She also says they put on socks to protect their legs from getting cut by salt crystals since they do not have gumboots.

“We are dehydrated because of the salt. Our uteruses have problems, we sustain body wounds, but all in all, we have to work since we have no other source of income,” Queen says.

But Dr Peter Kibingo, the Kasese Municipality health officer, dismisses arguments that salt is responsible for their injured uteri reasoning that salt is a disinfectant that cannot affect the uterus.

“How can salt affect the uterus and yet it is a disinfectant. That is a pure lie, it can cause other health hazards but not that,” Dr Kibingo says.
Dr Kibingo acknowledges that salt contains hydrogen sulphide which causes allergies to some people.

“It is true salt has hydrogen sulphide that causes allergies depending on the skin type. Salt is like any other thing where people react differently,” Dr Kibingo adds.
Mr Moses Balyebuga, a salt extractor, says uncircumcised men must put on condoms before they enter into water because salty water affects their private parts more than those of circumcised men.

“We go in the middle of the lake to extract salt rocks (locally called mahonde). We get injured in the process, our private parts are affected,” Balyebuga said.

Help
The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Kasese Branch manager, Ms Charity Nahabwe, says URA has decided to give the salt miners gumboots and overalls.
Mr Sulait Mabula, the acting sub-county chairperson for Katwe-Kabatooro Town Council, says the salt lake is a major source of revenue for the district local government.

“The town council gets Shs100 million per quarter as local revenue,” Mabula says.
He calls upon the central government to revamp the salt industry.
“As government promotes tourism, we want it also to market our salt. We have engaged the ministries of Trade and Tourism over the same but nothing much has come up,” he says.

“I believe this salt lake is the highest source of local revenue and I hope if it is developed it can help government to earn a lot of revenue,” Mabula adds.

 According to Mr Kagongo, there is domestic violence among the mining communities as a result of issues to do with salt extraction.

As a mitigation measure to curb domestic violence in Katwe, Kagongo says they as management have created a new and separate market for the women at the lakeside where women have enjoyed in selling their products first to the tourists.

“It is true, dehydration is there and its effects on both women and men, but what we have done as management, we have created another market for women only who sell small quantities of salt to mainly tourists and this has helped them so much to reduce on domestic violence as most women now earn and make their ends meet”

About Lake Katwe

Lake Katwe has a salt rock that lies on a contour line that connects lakes: Katwe, Munyanyange, Nyamunuka and Kasenyi (Bunyampaka).

Fresh water from the streams goes through the vents and dissolves the main rock to become a salt solution which quickly turns into salt due to evaporation.

The communities at Katwe-Kabatooro town council are entirely surrounded by Queen Elizabeth National Park and rely on traditional solar salt mining and fishing in Lake Edward and tourism for their livelihood.

For the lake to continue the processes that leads to salt production, it needs a constant supply of fresh water from streams uphill. The fresh water then seeps into the sodium chloride rock at the bottom of the lake, dissolves its particles, and changes into salty water that is commonly called brine or saline. When this salty water returns to the surface due to pressure from the volcanic activity underneath, the water evaporates and leaves behind salt.

Lake Katwe is a depression where liquid has collected. Deep in the ground is a main salt rock that lies on a contour line that connects crater lakes: Katwe, Munyanyange, Nyamunuka and Kasenyi. All these have a salt rock deep in the ground, but only Lake Katwe and Lake Kasenyi can produce salt. This is because the two lakes have streams that bring fresh water to the sea.