Tom Butime the Tourism Minister in Uganda said the Wildlife Fund will be operationalised by October 1st, 2022 to enable the start of the compensation.
The government of Uganda through the Tourism Ministry has announced they are finalising plans to make amends with those affected by wildlife attacks.
During a plenary sitting chaired by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, on Wednesday, 24 August 2022, Tom Butime, Uganda Tourism Minister said the Wildlife Fund will be operationalised by October 1st, 2022 to enable the start of the compensation.
Butime explained that the Uganda Wildlife (Compensation Scheme) Regulations 2022 No.64 and the Uganda Wildlife (Revenue Sharing) Regulations 2022 No.65 were gazetted on 05 August 2022, to give force to the compensation scheme.
He said the scheme provides for compensation claims for human death, injuries or damage to property caused by a wild animal outside a protected area, as provided under Section 83 of the Uganda Wildlife Act, 2019.
Butime revealed that since the enactment of the Act, Uganda Wildlife Authority has put aside 2 per cent of its revenue that constitutes part of the funds to support the scheme.
“These funds have to date, accumulated to over Shs900 million. Other sources of funds for this scheme include appropriation by Parliament which we are yet to benefit from,” Butime explained.
“Uganda Wildlife Authority created a human-wildlife conflict response unit that has been trained in the capture and translocation of problem crocodiles. In Namayingo, a total of 10 problem crocodiles have been moved from Lugaga, Bumeru, Dolwe and Malongo,” he added.
This, however, comes at the backbone of reported wildlife attacks on civilians across the country with the most recent being in the Kanungu district.
For the past weeks, several residents in the district have decried attacks by animals including lions and elephants on them, their farms and domestic animals from the wild animals that escape from the Queen Elizabeth National Park.
In other districts like Bullisa, many residents living around Murchison Falls national park earlier this week also appealed to the UWA over the growing number of attacks by elephants in the area.
While appearing on NTV Uganda, one resident identified as Mabara Byakagaba said whenever these elephants attack, they destroy their crops and also claim the lives of children.
He said more than one thousand people spread across twelve villages have been affected as a result of these attacks.
