Following high records food shortage and hunger in the parts of the Karamoja region, home to Pian Upe wildlife reserve, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and locals living around the Park have clashed over the rampant illegal grazing of livestock and killing of wild animals for food.
According to UWA officials, at least 7 animals are killed daily by the locals as a source of food. According to local leaders, over 900 Karamojongs, mainly children and the elderly have succumbed to hunger-related diseases since February this year following massive crop failure due to a long dry spell.
James Okware Ilukol, a senior warden in charge of the game reserve said that hunger is not the only reason for this worrying trend. He says there has been an increase in poaching, with poachers mowing using the local communities to kill animals for a fee.
More so, Okware said over 30, 000 cattle enter the reserves every day to graze and take water despite the UWA restrictions.
The lack of demarcated boundaries between the reserve and community is blamed for the clashes between the community and UWA.
According to the wildlife ACT 2019, it’s an offense to hunt, take, kill, injure or disturb any wild animal or plant and the punishment is imprisonment of up to 10 years or payment of a fine of up to Ugandan shillings seven million or both.
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