Jessica Alupo, Uganda’s Vice President By Prisca WanyenyaThe Vice President, Jessica Alupo, has revealed plans by Government to establish water points in all national parks and reserves in Uganda, following complaints of human-wildlife conflict that have seen Government pay over UGX8 billion in compensation to families of victims of wildlife deaths and injuries.She made the revelation during consideration of a report by Parliament’s Committee on Tourism on persistent human-wildlife conflict and effectiveness of interventions to mitigate incidences within and outside parks, during the October 13, 2026 plenary sitting.“When animals come to the villages, it means there is something they are looking for, and they must get it. As we speak now, what the animals are looking for from Katakwi is just drinking water. They have a lot of pasture in Kidepo National Park, but they want drinking water, it is what they have come to look for in Katakwi district. I am glad to report to this House that Government is in advanced stages of establishing water points in all national parks in the country, so that animals do not stray away from the park to look for water during long droughts,” Alupo said.The consideration of the report came just two days after buffaloes killed a 23-year-old man in Katakwi district after 30 buffaloes strayed from Kidepo National Park into Katakwi in search of drinking water.The tragedy prompted the Vice President to appeal to legislators to lead sensitisation drives in their constituencies to warn residents on dangers of coming close to wildlife during prolonged dry spells, instead of leaving sensitisation to only the Ministry of Tourism and Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).“The boy who was killed, according to eyewitnesses, say that he also wanted to see a buffalo, to see, wanting to do tourism when the buffaloes have come to your village. That is why I was saying that awareness is very important, the community should know characteristics of these animals. It is not a matter of hearing that buffaloes are in village A, village Z, moves in a group, children, women. I have seen that,” Alupo said.While presenting the Committee’s report, Chairperson Boniface Okot revealed that the compensation process is slow, burdensome, and places burden of proof on victims. The Committee recorded several allegations of abuse by rangers that remain unanswered, while other victims are still awaiting compensation. To make matters worse, responsibility to control human-wildlife conflicts is split among agencies that do not plan together.Okot noted: “Committee recommends that UWA pays all outstanding approved claims, currently about UGX4.2 billion within three months, since funds are available, with priority given to death and injury claims and to oldest claims and starting with families who testified to the Committee. The strategic direction should therefore be prevention first, rapid response second, and compensation as fair, first and dignified safety net.”The Committee in its investigation found that human-wildlife conflict losses are widespread, repeated and unevenly documented. MPs discovered that UWA data presented does not disaggregate death, injuries, livestock and crop losses by district, species and year and that figures differ across documents.“UWA and Uganda Bureau of Statistics should develop within six months a single National Human Wildlife Incident Register that records every death, injury, livestock and crop loss by district, species, date and response and publish a consolidated annual Human Wildlife Statistical Report to Parliament. The committee recommends that the Minister amends Uganda Wildlife Compensation Regulation 2022 by shifting burden of verification to the Authority,” Okot remarked.The probe followed a concern raised by Wilson Kagyenyi (Nyabushozi County) on August 4, 2026, about destruction of crops and water facilities and loss of lives caused by wildlife from Lake Mburo National Park, where he revealed that communities that co-existed with the National Park now face severe hardship and food insecurity and asked Government to reconstruct damaged communal water facilities.According to State of Wildlife Resources in Uganda reports 2026 launched by Minister of Tourism Wildlife and Antiquities in April 2026, Uganda recorded increases of 25% in buffalo, 18% in zebra and 20% in chimpanzee populations at 6,352 animals for 2023-2025, although same report indicated decline in lions to 291 animals.Parliament wants several changes to Uganda Wildlife Authority Act Regulations by extending time for reporting an incident from 72 hours to at least 5 working days computed in accordance with Section 34 of Interpretation Act and prescribe time in working days instead of hours, prescribe uniform compensation for deaths and injuries and prescribe binding and shorter timelines for decisions by Compensation Verification Committee and Board and require Authority to pay interest at rate to be prescribed on approved claims paid after 90 days.Okot noted: “Fix compensation of death to uniform amount and prescribe published scales for permanent disability, minor injuries, livestock and crop damage with burial and emergency medical expenses paid promptly as advance and counted as part of final award and require district evaluation rates to be updated annually. Allow alternative payment mechanisms including mobile money in accordance with national payment system and remove requirement for bank account.”Parliament also wants Inspectorate of Government and internal audits at UWA to investigate alleged bribery, favouritism, arbitral rejection of claims within compensation process and report to Committee. MPs also want Auditor General to conduct value for money audit of electric fence installations covering cost variations between conservation areas and direct procurement in Oyam and quality of materials.“The Uganda Human Rights Commission working with Uganda Police Force conducts an independent enquiry into allegations of extrajudicial killings and disappearances at boundaries of national parks beginning with Nwoya, Buliisa and Kasese and reports to Parliament within six months. UWA publishes and trains all rangers on standard operating procedures on use of force, requires reporting and investigation of every fatal or injurious use of force, ensures families are informed and assisted to recover remains and equips patrol teams with body-worn cameras as resources allow,” Okot remarked.The Committee defended its stance arguing that Human Wildlife Conflict is a matter of national importance that threatens human life, community livelihoods, public support for conservation, and ultimately wildlife that attracts visitors and revenue to Uganda. So far, UWA has approved UGX8 billion in claims.“Compensation is a safety net and not a means of preventing future incidences. The compensation scheme has paid out substantial sums, families and committee recommends UWA for that. Even so, scheme as designed and implemented its law but in some inconsistent and not victim-centred. Even where money is available, it has not reached victims who testified, in some cases four years after laws,” Okot explained.Joseph Mugenyi (Burahya County) called on Government to strike balance between protection of wildlife and human life, arguing communities around game parks in Kabarole perceive neglect from Government, while more regard is given to wildlife when conflicts arise.“People think Government is following animals more than people. And that is what we’re trying to bring out, that yes, we understand they bring revenue, but also people should be known. How is this taken? If an animal is killed, they will be there instantly, within one second, but when somebody dies because of animal, they will take about two, three, four days without coming,” he said.Linos Ngompek (Kibanda North) claimed women in Kiryandongo recently bemoaned wildlife was interfering with their conjugal rights as they spend nights battling elephants from Karuma Game Reserve.“A few months ago, together with Woman MP, we held stakeholders meeting and women were complaining that they no longer enjoy their conjugal rights, because in night, they are always fighting with elephants, and during day, time they would have during day, children are there. So they were asking for solution. I gave them solution, but it is in-house. So, I call upon Wildlife Authority, like if fence is still taking time, they should deploy more game rangers to help local people drive away animals because if rangers are not there, then population will have challenge in getting mitigation,” he said.Nwoya County’s Denish Geoffrey Komakech decried extra-judicial killings committed by UWA game rangers, noting Nwoya district hosts more than 50% of Murchison Falls National Park and this has made district prone to wildlife attacks.“I feel matter of extrajudicial killing has not been brought out very clearly and we feel that if people were suspected to have crossed into conservation area, disappear without trace. And over weekend, two more people, I have their name, Okello Peter Achoga and Saidi Arafat, they disappeared. My prayer to Government through this parliament is that rangers be brought to book so that there’s no more killing.”Komakech also wants districts hosting wildlife facilities to receive quotas of rangers during recruitment.“The trend has always been that when community member is killed by wild animal, you find body, you retrieve it, but each time community member or suspect has been shot from park, you will never find body. And we have cases of over 30 people have disappeared without trace, this cannot go unchecked. We are aware that UWA does recruitment of rangers, I am recommending that districts that host protected areas are given quotas because when recruitments are done, we find that residents from such districts are almost missing, they barely get,” he said.Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oboth, asked Government to investigate complaints of extra-judicial killings.“I wanted to ask the House, how would you feel if your relative just disappeared? How? And then it is attributed to a ranger killing. For us, we love person while alive, but even love more when they are dead. Please, Government, if it is true, you need to check up,” Oboth said.The post Govt to Establish Water Points in National Parks to Curb Human-Wildlife Conflict – VP Alupo appeared first on Business Focus.