The Uganda Wildlife Authority is introducing a new claims-processing system and deploying additional staff after elephant and buffalo attacks killed two people and injured three others in Agago District, where residents are demanding urgent protection and compensation.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is introducing a new compensation system and deploying additional staff to improve responses to human-wildlife conflict after elephant and buffalo attacks killed two people and injured three others in Agago District.
The attacks have heightened tensions between communities and wildlife authorities, with residents demanding faster compensation, more wildlife officers and urgent measures to stop dangerous animals from entering settlements and destroying farmland.
Agago District Chairperson Wilson Otto says more than 200 elephants and 150 buffaloes move through sub-counties bordering Kidepo Valley National Park, increasing the risks faced by communities that depend on farming for their livelihoods.
According to Otto, the animals have destroyed 726 gardens, but only 73 have been compensated. Claims for the remaining affected gardens are still being processed, leaving many households waiting for relief as they struggle to rebuild their livelihoods.
Otto says limited deployment of wildlife officers in affected communities has worsened the situation. He is calling for more ranger posts, emergency deployment of personnel and accessible reporting systems, including physical claim forms at sub-county offices for residents without smartphones or internet access.
“We want UWA to work with us as leaders,” Otto said, urging the authority to improve communication with communities and explain the challenges affecting its response.
UWA Senior Warden in Charge of Wildlife Conflict Sharon Kamuganga Kagwisa says the authority has procured a new compensation system intended to accelerate the processing of claims.
Previously, assessments conducted by rangers in the field had to be sent to Kampala for processing, a procedure that could delay decisions and payments. The new system is expected to improve the flow of information from affected communities and reduce administrative delays.
Kagwisa also said UWA had received additional staff to strengthen its field presence and improve response times when wildlife strays into settlements.
UWA spokesperson Bashir Hangi said the authority had been working with families affected by the attacks in Agago, facilitating burial arrangements and guiding them through the compensation process under the Wildlife Act, Cap 351.
He added that UWA was assisting with medical bills for injured victims and that eligible victims could receive compensation for their injuries.
Hangi acknowledged that response teams sometimes face delays because they receive numerous calls from different communities requiring assistance.
“We may delay to respond, not because we are sleeping on the job, but because we are helping other communities elsewhere,” Hangi said.
He said problem-animal capture units were on standby across conservation areas and urged residents to report wildlife sightings to authorities rather than attempt to handle dangerous animals themselves.
UWA is also working with the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) to support efforts to protect communities and wildlife in the affected areas.
Beyond emergency responses and compensation, the authority says it is pursuing longer-term interventions to reduce encounters between people and wildlife.
Hangi said UWA was working towards installing an electric fence around Kidepo Valley National Park, beginning with hotspots where animals frequently leave the protected area. The long-term plan is to fence the entire park, although the authority is still engaging local leaders who have raised concerns about the proposal.
UWA is also investing in community livelihood projects, enterprise development and revenue-sharing initiatives intended to improve household incomes and strengthen local support for conservation.
Hangi said elephants often follow established movement corridors, while human settlement and pressure on wildlife habitats increase the likelihood of encounters with communities.
However, Otto said residents needed immediate protection because the affected settlements were outside the national park and families could not simply abandon their homes and farmland.