Bushfires wreak havoc in Lamwo

Jan 18, 2017

The residents accuse hunters for being behind the bushfire in the district as they hunt for edible rats.

 

The residents of Lamwo district have expressed concern over the rampant wild bushfire that has destroyed crops and property worth millions of shillings.

The residents accuse hunters for being behind the bushfire in the district as they hunt for edible rats.

In the Acholi sub region, edible rat popularly known as anyeri is a delicacy even served in most of the restaurants.

 
A hunter with an edible rat
"If the situation is not contained the people of Lamwo are going to lose their crops and property to bushfire,"Joel Okee an elder said.

Peter Okot the LCI chairperson of Ngomoromo said he has received many complaints about the bushfire and he has informed the resident district commissioner, Jonathan Rutabingwa to address the matter.

On his part the President`s representative offered a solution of sensitizing the residents through radio talk shows and encouraged the religious leaders to take a lead in churches and social functions to warn the residents on the dangers of bushfire.

 A sorghum garden destroyed by bushfire

"In wanting to catch an edible rat, you can burn a garden of sorghum and property," Rutabingwa said.

Mary Agwech a resident of Awenoluyi subcounty said her grass thatched hut was burnt to ashes and a garden of sorghum destroyed.

The people of Lamwo made the remarks during the sensitizing meeting on emergency response on the plight of South Sudan refugees.

The meeting was convened by African Women and Youth Action for Development aimed at social protection and cohesion among the refugees and host communities.

 A truck drives past a bushfire

The Lamwo LC5 chairperson John Komaketch Ogwok admitted that the magnitude of bushfire was big and pledged with district authorities to invoke environment protection law to catch the culprits.

However, the New Vision caught up with one of the hunters at Ngomoromo Sub County who had killed an edible rat using an arrow and a bow.

James Oweny who was in the company of a dog denied that the hunters are responsible for bushfire in the district.

The explanation given by residents on why hunters torch the bushes is that it is easy to chase edible rat and see when it enters a hole of an ant-hill rather than when there is tall grass.

 

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