Buliisa residents have been assured of expedited efforts to mitigate human-wildlife conflict, including the construction of an electric fence and the compensation of victims, following a visit by the Minister of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities, Hon. Tom Butime yesterday.

The minister, accompanied by officials from Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the Ministry, held a meeting at the Buliisa District Headquarters, where he engaged with key district leaders, including the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Bahebwa Longino, District Chairperson (LCV) Lukumu Fred, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Musa Ismail Onzu, District Internal Security Officer (DISO) Isiko David, and District Police Commander (DPC) Tayebwa Micheal, among others.

During the meeting, the minister assured stakeholders that UWA had already begun constructing the electric fence and that within the next two months, 20 kilometers would be completed. The fence is part of a broader strategy to prevent wildlife, particularly elephants, from straying into communities, destroying crops, and causing loss of lives. He also acknowledged concerns over delays in compensating victims of human-wildlife conflict and reassured the district that the process was being expedited.

A total of 98 compensation claims have been received from Buliisa, of which 59 have been approved by the board, while 39 are still pending verification by the Compensation Verification Committee, which is scheduled to convene next week. So far, 10 people have already received payments, while 49 others are yet to sign consent agreements to enable the processing of their compensation. The minister emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring that affected individuals are compensated fairly and promptly.

Following the meeting, the minister and his delegation visited the 10-kilometer electric fence currently under construction, which stretches from River Nile to Pondiga. They also held discussions with the senior management of the Murchison Falls Conservation Area (MFCA) to assess ongoing efforts to address human-wildlife conflict. Later, the minister visited a family that recently lost a mother to an elephant attack, offering condolences on behalf of the government.

During the discussions, district leaders highlighted several challenges faced by communities in Buliisa due to persistent human-wildlife conflict. These included delays in the construction of the electric fence, continued loss of lives due to elephant attacks, prolonged compensation processes, and the destruction of food crops such as cassava, maize, bananas, and mangoes, which has worsened food insecurity in the area. The district also requested humanitarian assistance in the form of food relief for affected communities and called for the formal recognition of the ‘Butebbengwa’ Cultural Institution for the Bagungu community.

Hon. Butime reaffirmed the government’s commitment to working closely with local leaders to find lasting solutions to human-wildlife conflict in Buliisa. He assured residents that the ministry and UWA are dedicated to strengthening mitigation measures and ensuring that communities living near protected areas can coexist peacefully with wildlife.