At least 20 villages have been abandoned by residents following the invasion by wild animals in Lobongia Sub County, Kaabong district.
The villages are from the four Parishes of Longoromit, Lobongia, Pajar, and Lomusian. The residents relocated to the villages of Kamion, Timu, and Morungole in the Irk County, Kaabong district.
Wild animals such as buffalos and elephants have been moving in groups and wandering around the parts of the Kaabong district causing fear in the communities.
On Tuesday, Nangole Napul a resident of Rupa village in Sidok Sub County was killed while on her way to a trading center to sell charcoal. This brings the total number of people killed by stray elephants to three within the space of two months in the Kaabong district.
Christopher Lolem, the LCIII Chairperson of Lobongia said that the residents started relocating last year following a series of attacks by stray elephants.
Lolem noted that several calls were made to the authorities to have the affected community compensated but all in vain. He said that several gardens were destroyed by the elephants which exposed the communities to food insecurity.
He urged the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to find means of driving back the animals to the game park to enable the communities to return home.
North Karamoja which consists of the districts of Abim, Kotido, Kaabong, and Karenga has for long suffered the effects of stray wild animals such as buffalos and elephants.
In Abim district, the farmers in Chamkok, Maga Maga, Atunga, and Alerek sub-counties abandoned their gardens over Stray Elephants.
According to the UWA, they are yet to design better strategies to ensure that the interventions are implemented to curb the invasion of wild animals into the community settlements.
However, the process might take longer as this may involve lobbying for funds to erect an electric fence.
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