Authorities in Kasese are grappling to support over 200 widows whose husbands died in various poaching and Allied Democratic Front (ADF) rebel attacks in one sub-county alone.

“Kahokya sub-county in Busongora south has more than 200 widows,” district chief administrative officer (CAO) Elias Byamungu, told New Vision Online on Tuesday, May 21, 2024.

It is reported that widows and an unspecified number of orphans are struggling to make a living after their breadwinners were allegedly killed while poaching in Queen Elizabeth National Park alone in various past incidents.

“I couldn’t believe that only one of our district sub-counties would have so many widows as a result of poaching alone,” Byamungu said.

Poachers risking being poached

Following the burden, the district administration has sternly warned those still involved in the practice to abandon it or risk being severely punished if apprehended.

Byamungu says those bent on earning a living- through poaching were not only acting outrageously but also “digging own graves.”

“They are at risk of attacks by both the wild beasts and law enforcement officers,” Byamungu added.

According to the CAO, he was documenting the details of the affected families for possible financial backup in future.

“I am trying to lobby the Office of the Prime Minister to see if we can get money to enable these citizens to survive,” he said.

He added that the district administration was negotiating with the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) for amicable and appropriate methods of dealing with poachers to minimise the number of widows in the areas neighbouring the park. 

Game meat at funerals

New Vision Online has learnt that when a poacher dies in the act, some of the food consumed at the funeral has to be game meat.

It is argued that only then the deceased’s send-off ritual is complete. If a person dies in the park and his body cannot be recovered, a grave is dug and a banana stem is buried in his place.

According to the UWA of Act 2019, anybody found guilty of tampering with the endangered species faces a penalty of shillings 20 billion, life imprisonment or both.

In a recent interview, UWA executive director Sam Mwandha said that reducing, poaching is still a major challenge frustrating wildlife conservation efforts in Uganda.

He said poachers use various methods including snares, spears and are often armed with guns to kill animals but also for self-defence lest they are attacked by game rangers. 

The exchanges between poachers and game rangers have many times turned out fatal for both parties. However, it is always the poachers who suffer the heaviest casualties.