By Jamillah Kemigisa
A 25-year-old mother of three was tragically killed by a stray elephant on Friday night in Kitagwenda District, reigniting public outrage over the government’s sluggish response to persistent human-wildlife conflicts in the area.
The deceased, Juliet Masika, a resident of Zambia Cell in Kanyabikyere Ward, Mahyoro Town Council, was reportedly attacked while guarding her maize garden—an increasingly common and perilous routine among farmers battling nightly wildlife invasions.
“It’s a very painful loss. Masika went to safeguard her crops from destruction, only to lose her life to the very animals she sought to fend off,” lamented Ashabahebwa Silvest, the LC1 Vice Chairperson.
Her death has once again underscored the stagnation of a 14-kilometre electric fence project launched by the government in 2023 to shield communities from elephants, hippopotamuses, and other wild species straying from neighboring conservation zones.
Local leaders say Masika is the fifth victim of fatal wildlife attacks in Mahyoro within just over two years—despite a UGX 1.5 billion government-funded fencing initiative meant to curb such tragedies.
“The project was commissioned last year, but its progress has been painfully slow. We urge the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to accelerate the fencing works before more lives are lost,” said John Vincent Bimbona, Chairperson of Mahyoro Town Council.
Bimbona revealed that although construction began in late 2023, operations have since stalled, leaving communities exposed and fearful.
“Our people live in constant terror. Wild animals continue to destroy crops and threaten lives almost every week,” he added.
Residents have voiced mounting frustration over what they describe as unfulfilled government pledges. For many subsistence farmers in Mahyoro, the recurring wildlife incursions have not only crippled food security but also turned survival into a life-threatening gamble.
“We cannot continue losing lives like this,” said a local elder. “If the fence had been completed on time, Juliet would still be alive today.”
