UWA Initiate Installation Of Electric Fence Around National Parks
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has initiated a pilot project to install electric fences around all the national parks to try preventing the wildlife from escaping into neighboring communities and destroy crops and probably injure people to death.
The project has kicked off in Kyenzaza II Village, Kirugu Sub-county in Rubirizi District following multiple complaints from residents losing their crops and lives to wild animals from the famous Queen Elizabeth National Park., the wire fence is electric solar-powered covering 10 kilometers already following President Museveni’s promise of the electric wire fence to residents of Kasese and Rubirizi districts during the 2011 presidential campaigns.
Mr George Owoyesigire who represented the UWA executive director, Mr Sam Mwandha, said the project is being piloted in Kyenzaza with 19kms stretch and thereafter, 9kms are going to be added before crossing to Muhokya for 30kms still within Queen Elizabeth conservation area, and Murchison Falls National Park will follow with 10kms stretch first, this was mentioned during the launch on Saturday.
Mr Owoyesigire added that electric fencing is an expensive venture and they will spend $6,000 [about Shs22 million] per kilometre, and all the materials are imported from Kenya which takes three months urging residents to guard the project jealously if it is to help them.
He said the solar electric fencing is more effective than trenches, cages, beehives and planting thorny plants all round the parks.
“Our major challenges are in Queen Elizabeth National Park and if we can solve the elephant invasion, UWA will have achieved 90 per cent of the problems and the 10 per cent goes to [controlling] other animals,” he pointed out.
According to the minister for Tourism Prof Ephraim Kamuntu, government is committed to maintaining good animal-human relations and urged the residents to stop poaching adding that government will do what it takes to conserve nature for the country however expensive it may be and he urged the residents and citizens to embrace economic transformation for development otherwise they will keep poaching and government will keep arresting them.
This is really smart move from UWA and will in the long term help prebvent wild animals from colliding with humans which is really good news for both tourism in Uganda as well welfare of locals that stay close to these pristine Uganda safari parks.
