By Swift Reporter
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has stepped up efforts to address human-wildlife conflicts in Agago District, pledging to deploy more rangers, strengthen emergency responses and expand community sensitisation and livelihood initiatives to protect residents while promoting wildlife conservation.
The commitments were made during a meeting between UWA management and Agago leaders at the Floating Restaurant in Entebbe, following concerns over elephants and buffaloes reportedly straying from Kidepo Valley Conservation Area into communities, destroying crops and endangering lives.
The delegation, led by State Minister for Northern Uganda Beatrice Akori Akello, included Members of Parliament, the Resident District Commissioner, LC5 Chairperson Wilson Otto, LC3 chairpersons and councillors representing 14 affected sub-counties.
Presenting a petition, Otto said Agago had recorded seven deaths, 12 injuries and the destruction of 426 gardens by elephants and buffaloes over the past four years. He also claimed that more than 150 elephants and 200 buffaloes had become resident in the district, increasing pressure on farming communities.
The leaders called for additional ranger posts, improved transport for wildlife response teams, greater community awareness, expedited compensation for affected residents and the relocation of the animals to Kidepo Valley National Park.
Responding to the concerns, UWA Executive Director Dr James Musinguzi pledged to visit Agago to assess the situation and identify practical interventions. He directed the chief warden for Kidepo Valley Conservation Area to establish two additional ranger posts in the district and deploy more rangers equipped with motorcycles to improve mobility and response times when wildlife incidents are reported.
Musinguzi also committed UWA to expanding community support through scholarships for children in affected areas, tourism development initiatives and livelihood projects designed to help residents benefit from wildlife conservation.
He said community awareness and education programmes would begin in the first and third weeks of November 2026. He further pledged to expedite compensation processes and continue engaging the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and other stakeholders to strengthen conservation efforts and improve responses to human-wildlife conflicts.
The interventions form part of UWA’s efforts to address the challenges communities face when wildlife moves beyond protected areas, while ensuring that conservation efforts also support public safety and local livelihoods.
Minister Akello urged UWA to strengthen emergency interventions, intensify community sensitisation and create more opportunities for residents to benefit from tourism and wildlife-related initiatives.
Meanwhile, UWA Commissioner for Legal and Corporate Affairs Chemonges Sabila Mongea encouraged Agago leaders to explore opportunities provided under the Uganda Wildlife Act, including ranching, as part of broader approaches to managing human-wildlife relations. He also appealed to the Acholi community to continue valuing elephants, which he described as culturally significant totem animals.
