Elephants kill two women collecting firewood in Nwoya
The latest attack occurred on August 22, 2025, when two women from Obira Lower, who had entered Murchison Falls National Park to collect firewood, were killed by elephants.
Elephants kill two women collecting firewood in Nwoya
By NewVision Reporter
Journalists @NewVision
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Residents of Obira parish, Got Apwoyo sub-county in Nwoya district, are reportedly living in fear following a recent surge in human-wildlife conflict.
The latest attack occurred on August 22, 2025, when two women from Obira Lower, who had entered Murchison Falls National Park to collect firewood, were killed by elephants.
The deceased were identified as Doreen Akumu, aged 36, a resident of Parombo, and Scovia Ayerwoth, aged 25, a resident of Akuru sub-county, both in Nebbi district.
Reports from local authorities in Obira indicate that since January this year, three people have been killed by elephants, while three others sustained serious injuries.
Local leaders described Friday’s attack as horrific. It happened at around 5:00 p.m. when a group of about six women entered the park to collect firewood. They encountered an elephant that struck one woman to death before pursuing and killing another as she attempted to flee.
On Saturday, August 23, villagers retrieved the bodies from the bush and transported them to Anaka General Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Samuel Oromcan Opiyo Maka, the Obira parish councillor III, told New Vision that the persistent invasion of elephants into community land has put the livelihood of residents at risk.
He explained that local garden crops have been destroyed, leaving many families with little to survive on.
A report from local authorities shows that women in Obira have now resorted to collecting firewood for sale or barter to obtain food from other regions.
Despite the community adopting advice from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to grow crops less attractive to elephants, such as sesame and sunflower, the animals continue to destroy them.
Ben Latim, the Got Apwoyo subcounty LCIII chairperson, told New Vision that they reported the incidents to UWA, which provided a vehicle to transport the bodies to hospital and pledged to release funds for burial expenses.
Christopher Omara, the Nwoya resident district commissioner, urged locals to avoid entering the park without escort from game rangers, warning that such practices put lives at risk.
Efforts to get a response from UWA were unsuccessful, as Wilson Kagoro, the conservation manager at Murchison Falls National Park, did not answer repeated calls by press time.