Farmers in Kyondo Village, Nyamwamba Division in Kasese Municipality are living in constant fear over the threat of destruction that looms as wild animals, mainly elephants and buffalo, stray from nearby Queen Elizabeth National Park into their gardens.
Their anxiety follows the installation of an electric fence by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to keep the animals at bay. However, what was meant to be a solution has instead deepened their fears because the project has left dangerous gaps that have turned farmlands into easy targets.
Residents say these openings have become entry points for wildlife, often resulting in devastating losses.
Entire gardens of maize, beans, rice, and tomatoes are wiped out overnight, erasing months of hard work in a single raid.Immaculate Biira, one of the affected farmers, explains that the partially installed fence may be worsening the situation.
Animals, she says, are now concentrating their movements in unfenced areas, invading in even larger numbers. She adds that beyond the loss of crops, the community is living in fear for their safety.
Lawrence Mbusa, another resident, shares a similar frustration, recounting how crops that had already flowered, as well as maize and beans that were nearly ready for harvest, were destroyed in a recent invasion.
The repeated losses, he says, are draining hope from many families and discouraging investment in farming, the community’s primary source of livelihood.
Deo Mutsumbura, a prominent farmer in the area, says the community feels abandoned despite the fencing project that raised their expectations.
With construction now stalled under unclear circumstances, residents are left exposed and uncertain about the future. Emmanuel Katuramu, the LCI Chairperson of Kyondo Village, warns that the situation is rapidly escalating.
He describes the village as being on the brink of disaster if urgent action is not taken to complete the fence and restore a sense of security. In response, UWA Communications Manager Bashir Hangi acknowledges the delays but explains that the electric fencing project is being implemented in phases due to budget constraints.
He assures residents that work will resume and be completed once additional funding becomes available.
For now, however, farmers in Kyondo remain trapped between survival and uncertainty, guarding their fields by day and fearing for them by night, as they wait for a promise of protection yet to be fulfilled. URN