

30 July 2024, 2:44 pm
By Joseph Logola
Over 50 acres of crop gardens in Kotido district has been destroyed by marauding elephants.
A group of 8 elephants, suspected to have escaped from Kidepo Game Reserve, invaded the area on Monday morning and destroyed acres of crop gardens in West division, North division and Rengen subcounty.
Alice Lopera, one of the farmers in West division, Kotido municipality, says the elephants destroyed two acres of her crop garden where she had planted sorghum and millet. She says her neighbours also lost a crop garden of about 5-8 acres.
Peter Lochul, the LC1 of Kadakori village, says that 8 elephants invaded several villages of Kanawat, Nagolopoe, Kotyang, Lomejan, Chaichaon and Lokatap , further noting that they destroyed several acres of sunflower, maize, simsim, millet, sorghum, and soybeans worth million shillings.
Paul Darlington Lomanio, another farmer from Rengen subcounty who lost his two acres of sorghum to the elephants, says the district leaders from the agriculture office visited several gardens destroyed and they compiled the magnitude of the damage caused, hoping that the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) officials take further action.
Cicilia Namoe and Elisabeth Lomalem, some of the farmers from Katap village in Rengen subcounty, say they were shocked to watch the elephants move around homesteads ravaging their gardens.
Elijah Lobur Lokoribok, Rengen subcounty LC3 chairperson, says just last month, marauding elephants destroyed crops in camps of Kaletha, Loperu-Alomongin, Kalokotido, Moruitit among others.
Elijah said the attacks by stray animals are compounding the food insecurity caused by erratic weather