Over 2,000 sq km of land in Mt. Elgon National Park is used for human settlement by the people of Mbale, Sironko and Kapchorwa districts, reports Nasur Wambedde. Uganda Wildlife Authority recently started retracing the park boundaries leaving over 600 families homeless. The park chief warden, James Okonya, told The New Vision the residents near the park were in danger if it was left to the encroachers. “Mt. Elgon Park is a water catchment area on which communities that surround it from both Kenya and Uganda depend,” Okonya said. He said the encroachers cut down the forest as they clear the land for cultivation. He said this affected the eco-system in the area leading to inadequate rainfall. Okonya said the residents had abandoned their land because it had become unproductive. He said there was a need to sensitise the residents on how to maintain the fertility of the land. Some of the local councillors said the biggest problem was shortage of land which was caused by population explosion. Charles Gudoyi, the councillor for Bumasifa, said the residents would continue to use the land even if they were sent away. Ends