No consensus as Bududa leaders, UWA meet over Mt Elgon Park dispute
The meeting followed ongoing UWA operations in several sub-counties, including Bushiyi, Bundesi, Bukalasi and Bubiita, where officials have been enforcing the park boundary and destroying crops cultivated in areas UWA says are within the protected area.
Godfrey Matanda, the UWA administrator addresing stakeholders during the meeting. (Photos by Andrew Nakhaboya)
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Bududa district leaders and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) have failed to reach consensus on some of the key concerns surrounding enforcement operations in and around Mt Elgon National Park.
The meeting followed ongoing UWA operations in several sub-counties, including Bushiyi, Bundesi, Bukalasi and Bubiita, where officials have been enforcing the park boundary and destroying crops cultivated in areas UWA says are within the protected area.
UWA has also given some residents reportedly living inside the park a one-week ultimatum to vacate the area.
The operations have triggered concerns among local leaders and communities, particularly over the destruction of crops and the welfare of households affected by the enforcement exercise.
The latest concerns followed an incident in Natunga village, Namirumba parish, Bushiyi subcounty, where residents Simeo Benecto, Florence Namee and Veronica Jewa were reportedly shot and injured during an encounter with UWA personnel and are receiving treatment in Mbale.
The residents reportedly sustained injuries after questioning the destruction of their crops and objecting to orders to leave their homes within one week.
In another incident, residents of Bubiita and Bukalasi subcounties stormed the offices of the resident district commissioner (RDC) and district chairperson, carrying coffee and banana stems, among other crops, and asked the leaders to help address the dispute between UWA and residents before hunger befalls them.
Against this background, UWA officials and Bududa District leaders held a stakeholders' meeting at the Bududa District Council Hall on August 28, 2026, to discuss the concerns raised by communities.
The meeting brought together the district chairperson, resident district commissioner (RDC), District internal security officer (DISO), chief administrative officer (CAO), subcounty political leaders and other stakeholders from affected areas.
Much of the meeting was dominated by disagreements over crop destruction and the approach being used by UWA during the enforcement operations.
Community representatives called on UWA and the government to take responsibility for crops destroyed during the exercise, saying farmers had suffered significant losses and should be considered for compensation.
Mukhwana Wekhoola Koloto, the chairperson of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in Bududa speaking during the meeting
More than 40 gardens belonging to over 40 households have reportedly been destroyed, with crops including coffee, bananas, onions, maize and cassava among those affected.
Farmers are also concerned about how they will repay Parish Development Model (PDM) funds borrowed and invested in agriculture after their crops were destroyed.
The enforcement operation was still ongoing at the time of filing this report.
UWA officials said approximately 1,500 acres of land had been encroached on by people living within or cultivating in districts that fall inside Mt Elgon National Park.
Leaders call for MPs' involvement
Bududa district chairperson Geoffrey Natubu said concerns surrounding Mt Elgon National Park require extensive consultation involving national leaders because they affect communities in several districts surrounding the mountain.
Natubu said some communities living around the park had occupied the area for generations and called for a coordinated government approach to address their concerns.
He urged Members of Parliament from affected areas and the wider Bugisu region to join future engagements so that they can participate in discussions concerning the communities they represent.
Natubu also cautioned against leaving local governments to handle major interventions such as relocation without clear guidance and involvement from the national government.
Mukhwana Wekhoola Koloto, the chairperson of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in Bududa, said they were aware of the advantages of protecting the forest and were willing to sensitise the people living within the park to vacate, but questioned where they would go after their food plantations had been destroyed.
Mukhwana asked whether the sensitisation had also been brought to the attention of their Members of Parliament, since they represent them at national level.
He wondered why they were discussing the matter without their MPs, who could have come to guide them on the issue.
He said he could not engage in sensitising the people when there were many leaders in the district and that, when anything happened, the MPs would deny them.
RDC urges peaceful engagement
Bududa resident district commissioner Juliet Solome Namara called for peaceful and coordinated engagement between government agencies and communities.
She said residents had raised several concerns, including crop destruction and restrictions on activities within the protected area.
Namara said the concerns should be addressed through dialogue while ensuring that communities understand the government's position and have an opportunity to present their grievances.
She urged UWA, district leaders and security agencies to provide communities with clear and consistent information and cautioned against approaches that could create unnecessary tension between residents and enforcement personnel.
Denis Elyebu, the Bududa district internal security officer, said they could not stop sensitising locals to leave the forest, but the problem was that UWA had not provided a clear boundary linking the park to community land.
He said he had gone to the ground in Bushiyi and realised that, apart from eucalyptus trees, UWA officials had not done enough to provide a boundary that could be used by the locals.
He asked UWA officials to provide each subcounty with coordinates so that they were not caught off guard during these operations.
CAO cautions against rushed action
Bududa chief administrative officer Max Martin Mukula cautioned against rushing into enforcement or relocation measures without adequate planning.
Mukula said the consequences of government actions, particularly for households that may be required to leave areas confirmed to be within the protected area, must be carefully considered.
He said any relocation or eviction process should follow applicable legal and administrative procedures while taking into account the welfare of affected communities.
The CAO also called for accurate information on affected households, crops, homes and livelihoods to support government planning and decision-making.
UWA explains park mandate
Godfrey Matanda, the UWA administrator, explained the Authority's mandate to protect and manage the protected area.
Matanda said Mt Elgon was gazetted as a national park in 1993 after previously being managed as a Central Forest Reserve.
He said the park boundary is established using geographical coordinates and that the legally established boundary has not changed, although population growth and encroachment have created challenges in some areas.
Matanda said some boundary pillars had reportedly been removed, displaced or shifted, making it necessary for stakeholders to work together to verify and clearly identify the boundary on the ground.
Leaders seek clarity on boundaries
The meeting also focused on concerns over different references to the Mt. Elgon park boundary, including those associated with 1993, 2005 and 2017.
District and security officials called for accurate geographical coordinates and clear, visible boundary markers to help communities, enforcement personnel and local authorities identify the extent of the protected area.
Stakeholders said clear boundary information would help reduce misunderstandings and potential conflicts between communities and conservation authorities.
Participants also called for verification of allegations that some boundary pillars had been removed or shifted and for the findings to be communicated clearly to affected communities.
Resettlement concerns raised
The issue of people who may be required to leave areas confirmed to be within the national park was also discussed.
District leaders said residents required to leave protected areas who have no alternative place to stay should be considered for resettlement through the appropriate government structures.
They said the matter requires engagement with relevant national government institutions to establish a clear and coordinated approach.
Stakeholders emphasised that any resettlement process should be properly planned and communicated to affected communities.
UWA, communities urged to cooperate
The stakeholders also discussed allegations of misconduct, possible collusion and targets of segregation involving some enforcement personnel and community members.
Participants called for such allegations to be investigated and appropriate action taken where wrongdoing is established.
At the same time, communities were urged to comply with the law and avoid activities that contribute to encroachment or undermine conservation efforts, including illegal cultivation and interference with boundary markers.
UWA also encouraged communities to explore conservation and tourism opportunities around Mt. Elgon, which could contribute to local livelihoods.
MPs to join future engagements
At the conclusion of the meeting, stakeholders agreed that Members of Parliament from affected areas should be involved in subsequent engagements.
District leaders said MPs should participate as a team in the planned sensitisation and community engagement exercises rather than leaving the responsibility to the district chairperson and sub-county leaders alone.
Their involvement is expected to provide a platform for national leaders to participate in discussions on community concerns and contribute to issues requiring national-level intervention, particularly resettlement and other major government measures.
The meeting ended with a commitment to continue consultations among UWA, district authorities, security agencies, MPs and communities despite the lack of consensus on some of the key concerns.
District leaders also pledged to pursue a peaceful, lawful and coordinated approach to managing Mt Elgon National Park while seeking solutions to concerns raised by surrounding communities.
Gov seeking to resolve boundary impasse
It should be noted that the matter of boundary demarcation is currently with Cabinet, awaiting tabling before Parliament so that fresh demarcation can commence.
However, as the destruction and cutting of people's crops is still ongoing, the question remains when Cabinet will pronounce its position on fresh demarcation, which will then be followed by Parliament