Mbale City, Uganda — The Umukuka of the Bamasaba Cultural Institution, His Highness Jude Mike Mudoma, has chaired a high-level meeting with officials from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to address growing concerns and conflicts surrounding the boundaries of Mt Elgon National Park in the Bugisu sub-region.
The meeting, held yesterday, brought together representatives of the Bamasaba Cultural Institution and UWA to discuss concerns arising from the demarcation and enforcement of the park boundary in several districts, including Bududa, Namisindwa and Sironko.
According to the spokesperson of the Bamasaba Cultural Institution, Hon. Steven Masiga, the meeting focused on finding a common understanding on the boundary lines being enforced by UWA and ensuring that affected communities are adequately sensitised before any enforcement exercise is undertaken.
UWA was represented by Hon. Richard Matanda, who attended on behalf of the Chief Warden.
During the meeting, the Umukuka appealed to UWA officials to closely engage the Bamasaba Cultural Institution in the mapping and demarcation process, particularly to ensure that communities understand the exercise and its implications.
The meeting also addressed questions surrounding the boundary line being enforced by UWA, particularly whether it is based on the 1993 or 2017 boundary demarcation.
The participants agreed on the need for a clear and standardised boundary line to avoid confusion and conflict among communities living around the park.
They further proposed that the agreed boundary should be permanently marked using clear physical features, where possible, including permanent drainage structures or a tarmac road separating the park from community land.
Another key resolution was the need for greater community sensitisation before enforcement begins.
The Bamasaba Cultural Institution and UWA agreed to establish a working framework that would give the cultural institution a central role in the exercise, particularly in supporting community sensitisation and conflict management.
The cultural institution also called upon members of the public not to give money to individuals claiming to have influence over UWA operations or the boundary mapping exercise.
Masiga warned that some individuals were allegedly moving into affected communities, conducting interviews on social media platforms such as TikTok and claiming they could stop UWA teams from carrying out their work.
“We discourage any group of people from picking money from affected communities. Let us not pick money from anybody,” Masiga said.
He challenged anyone involved in collecting money from affected communities to stop the practice, while also urging communities to cooperate with authorities and avoid confrontational approaches.
“We need each other,” he said.
The Bamasaba Cultural Institution said it supports the conservation of Mt Elgon National Park but insisted that the rights and dignity of communities must also be respected during enforcement exercises.
“As a cultural institution, we are committed to preservation of the park, but also ensuring that conflicts are well resolved and our people should not be harassed during the exercise,” Masiga said.
He added that complaints arising from the exercise should be properly investigated by the relevant authorities to establish their authenticity and ensure that genuine concerns are addressed.
The institution further indicated that it could recommend a temporary halt to the enforcement exercise in areas where adequate sensitisation has not been conducted.
Masiga said sensitisation could be carried out within a short period before enforcement resumes, adding that the cultural institution would continue engaging both UWA and affected communities.
The Umukuka also appreciated UWA management for involving the cultural institution in discussions concerning the boundary issue.
He requested the team led by Matanda to brief the senior management of UWA on the resolutions reached during the meeting and communicate an official position from the authority regarding the agreed way forward.
The meeting is expected to strengthen cooperation between UWA, the Bamasaba Cultural Institution and communities around Mt Elgon, with the aim of reducing conflicts while supporting the conservation of the national park.
The cultural institution said it would formally communicate its position to UWA and continue working with the authority and communities to ensure that the boundary exercise is conducted peacefully, transparently and with adequate public awareness.
