UWA halts Shs5b electric fence work at Murchison

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has stopped electric fencing around Murchison Falls National Park that was aimed at mitigating the longstanding human-wildlife conflict in Nwoya District.They said they halted the exercise due to the lack of an environmental and social impact assessment report.Last year, the World Bank gave UWA a Shs5.7b grant to facilitate the electric fencing of 101-kilometre-protected areas.But at the weekend, Mr Wilson Kagoro, the community conservation warden at the park, said that despite having the funds they cannot continue with the installation of the electric fence since the government has not approved the assessment exercise that was conducted last year.“We are only awaiting the government’s approval of the environmental impact assessment to commence the installation of electric fence, without it, we cannot go ahead,” Mr Kagoro said.He further said if approved, they intend to build an additional 31km of electric fence in Nwoya, targeting areas that are hugely affected by elephant invasions.The cost of each kilometre of electric fence is estimated at $15,000 (approximately Shs56.6m).Mr Kagoro said the entire process will also include 20km in Buliisa, 20km in Masindi and 30km in Kiryandongo districts.“Despite several interventions including digging trenches, electric fences are the most effective at least at a rate of 99 percent. Because if you see the areas of Purongo and Yago Pino, the elephants are no longer passing there because we have installed an electric fence,” he said.Last year, UWA installed electric fences on part of a 29km stretch of Murchison Falls National Park in the Purongo and Got Apwoyo sub-counties in Nwoya, and Kamdini Sub-county in Oyam District.Currently, the most affected area by elephant invasion is Atwomo Village, Patira Parish Purongo Sub-county where the elephants move in large herds while exiting the national park.During a community barazza last week at Anaka Town Council in Nwoya, Mr Emmanuel Orach, the district chairman, asked the government to fast-track the approval process so that further loss of properties, including farm produce, is controlled.“The communities neighbouring the national park have continued to live in fear and starvation because when the wild animals invade their area, they either attack the community members or destroy food crops from the gardens, the process should be expedited,” he said.Ms Grace Freedom Kwiyucwiny, the State minister for Northern Uganda, said she will follow up on the delay in assessment approval.“I am going to talk to the minister for Wildlife and Tourism. The programme under the World Bank should serve its purpose. We will have the problem solved,” Ms Kwiyucwiny said.BackgroundIn May last year, local farmers reported that more than 40 elephants crossed from Murchison Falls National Park and invaded Gony-cogo Village in Lii Parish, Koch Lii Sub-county, destroying hundred acres of maize, beans, and soya beans.Locals also raised a concern about the electric poles already being eaten up by red ants, causing a potential risk of elephants crossing via the areas with broken poles.