UWA Rangers Shoot 3 People In Mt Elgon National Park

Three people are receiving medical treatment from gunshot wounds after being shot by Uganda Wildlife Authority-UWA rangers for allegedly trespassing and grazing animals inside Mt. Elgon National Park. Walter Kibet, 15, of Katerit Village, Cheboi, who lived in Amanang Sub-County, Fred Toskin, 52, and Nicholas Ruto, 33, both of Kokorwo Village in Chepkwasta Sub-County in Bukwo District, are the gunshot victims.

The victims were allegedly discovered in the national park on Tuesday evening as UWA rangers were on normal patrol from the Bukwo side, according to Jackson Cherop, the LC 3 Chairperson of Amanang Sub County, who spoke with Uganda Radio Network. Cherop claims that the suspects are thought to have become aggressive while the Rangers attempted to seize their animals, which is what prompted them to start firing.

According to Cherop, “The young boy was shot in the leg, one of the adults was struck by the bullet from behind, and the other sustained injuries to both legs.” He claimed that while one victim was taken immediately to Kapchorwa Hospital for a referral, the other two casualties were taken immediately to Bukwo Hospital.

Cherop urged UWA to uphold the law, noting that they ought to have detained the suspects instead. In order to avoid conflicts with the rangers, which in the past have resulted in fatalities, he also issued a warning to the populace against feeding grazing animals inside the National Park. The incident was corroborated by Bashir Hangi, the UWA Public Relations Officer, who claimed that the suspects were hurt by stray bullets fired by the rangers as they fled to avoid being stoned to death by a mob.

He claims that the locals near the national park have turned hostile against the rangers, causing them to defend themselves by engaging in combat. Hangi has urged the populace to uphold the law, claiming that the National Park is off-limits without permission from UWA.

Some locals, however, disagree with UWA’s claim that the gunshot victims became raucous when their animals were seized.

One of the locals, Martin Chemoywo, disputes allegations that the victims of the shooting were grazing animals inside the park and accuses the rangers of acting improperly. Following border disputes that led to numerous deaths and evictions, the community living next to the national park has been at odds with UWA for more than ten years.