Elephant attack claims life of 94-year-old man in Kitgum
Severino Obonyo, a resident of Palubolo village, was inside his house at about 9:53 am on September 9, 2026, when the elephant attacked the homestead, according to local leaders and security reports.
The elephant reportedly stamped on the house, causing its poles and other parts of the structure to collapse on Obonyo. (Photos by Christopher Nyeko)
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A 94-year-old man has died after a stray elephant attacked his home in Namokora North Subcounty, Kitgum district, crushing the house and leaving him with injuries that later proved fatal.
Severino Obonyo, a resident of Palubolo village, was inside his house at about 9:53 am on September 9, 2026, when the elephant attacked the homestead, according to local leaders and security reports.
The elephant reportedly stamped on the house, causing its poles and other parts of the structure to collapse on Obonyo.
He sustained multiple bodily injuries and was trapped under the debris.
Members of the district production committee, who were travelling to Orom subcounty, reportedly noticed the destroyed house and stopped to investigate.
They responded to the incident and alerted the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
Obonyo was initially rushed to Namokora Health Centre IV, where he received first aid before being referred to Yot Kom Medical Centre in Kitgum Municipality for further treatment.
However, his condition deteriorated, and he died in the wee hours of September 10 from injuries sustained in the attack.
She said local leaders were expected to meet at the resident district commissioner's office to push for the release of burial funds from UWA.
Residents live in fear
Obonyo's death has renewed concerns over the growing human-wildlife conflict in Kitgum, where residents say elephants are increasingly straying into communities, destroying crops and property and putting lives at risk.
Local leaders say at least two people have been injured by elephants in Namokora North subcounty since the beginning of the year.
Two people have reportedly been killed by elephants in Kitgum since 2026.
They are now calling for urgent action to stop elephants from repeatedly entering populated areas.
In August this year, the Parliamentary Committee on Wildlife and Tourism visited Chua East County on a fact-finding mission into the escalating human-wildlife conflict in areas neighbouring the park.
During the visit, John Calvin Okoya, the Chua East County legislator, accused UWA of illegally gazetting community land without adequately consulting residents.
Okoya also said President Yoweri Museveni had directed UWA to install an electric fence in Kitgum, but the project had stalled because of a dispute over where the fence should be erected.
He said communities want the fence placed along the actual park boundary, rather than on land they consider community property.
UWA pushes for electric fence
The chief warden of Kidepo Valley National Park, Dr Eric Engel, said an electric fence remains the most permanent solution to the human-wildlife conflict affecting communities neighbouring the park.
He said UWA would also intensify community sensitisation to persuade residents to support the electric fencing project.
But for residents such as those in Palubolo village, the latest death has raised fresh questions about how long communities can continue living alongside roaming elephants without a lasting solution.
Obonyo's death is the latest reminder of the human cost of the unresolved conflict between wildlife conservation and communities living on the edge of protected areas.