By Joshua Imalingat
Stray elephants have Wednesday morning trampled to death a 71-year-old woman in Kaabong district.
Napul Nangola a resident of Rupa village, Kasimeri parish, in Sidok sub county was killed as she strode to the nearby trading center to sell her two basins of charcoal. This brings to three the total number of people killed by stray elephants in Kaabong district in a space of only two months and eight in one year, according to the local leadership.
Gabriel Ngoya Teko the Kasimeri parish councilor told Etoil A Karamoja that this is the fifth such incident to happen in Sidok sub county alone since May last year.
He explained that the local leadership has since reported the incident to police and Uganda Wild-Life UWA officials in Kidepo Valley National Game Park for further management. He is however, frustrated that such incidents keep happening, unabated appealing to UWA officials to find a lasting solution to the human wild life conflicts.
Jino Meri the Kaabong district LCV chairperson says the issue of human wild life conflict has become a point of concern for the district leadership. He now wants UWA to find practical solutions to the problem saying the issue is getting out of hand.
Richard Muhabwe the chief warden Kidepo valley national game park confirmed receipt of the information saying they are in the process of ensuring that the body is buried.
He however, pointed out that UWA is committed to ensuring that human wild life conflicts in the Karamoja region are minimized through initiatives like erecting an electric fence around the park, constructing more dams and desilt the existing ones.
This is not the first time such incidents have happened in North Karamoja. On the 3rd of May this year, an elephant killed William Ngiro a P4 pupil of Toroi P/S in Loyoro sub county Kaabong district injuring his father, Zacharia Kikol.
On the 12th of this month a stray elephant killed a 23-year-old Denis Ongok from Kawang central cell in Alerek town council Abim district, injuring Godfrey Okello from Lie cell, university ward Alerek town council.
In January this year a 68-year-old Amuya Longoli from Tyen Apok village Alerek sub county was hospitalized with serious injuries after being attacked by a stray buffalo.
