Kabarole district leaders are up in arms with government demanding an explanation to the purported killing of innocent people by rangers in Semuliki National park.
On 27th February 2017 residents were shocked when they found 45year old Richard Bagonza and 30year old Alex Lucky killed and their bodies dumped in the park.
The relatives of the deceased claimed the duo was killed by the game rangers after a disagreement over Shs100,000 which the deceased were charged to be granted permission to graze their cattle in the park during the long dry spell.
This reports incensed the district leaders of Kabarole. Richard Rwabuhinga, the district chairperson strongly condemned the murders, noting; “As leaders we’ve continued to observe with concern the killing of innocent people in cold blood. These acts of bloodshed are barbaric, archaic and primeval”.
“We ask the government to make a statement about the extrajudicial killings that we fervidly reject because we don’t believe the NRM government attaches a lot of importance to National Parks at the expense of human life. This is unacceptable,” He said.
Richard Tatina, councilor Kijura town council said government should come out to give an explanation because the park has become a security threat with people in Kijura threatening to storm the park and kill the animals.
But Wilfred Chemutai the Game Warden Semuliki NP refuted allegations of UWA game rangers killing the two men since they were found slaughtered using pangas. He suspects they were killed by neighbors with whom they were embroiled in wrangles.
Musa Tibakirana, the District Police Commander Kabarole said investigators found five bullet cartridges in the duo’s makeshift structures in Rwebisengo, Semuliki NP.
In September 2014, Kabarole District leaders had resolved to mobilize residents living near Kibaale and Semuliki NPs to kill all stray wild animals in retaliation for what they termed as killing of innocent citizens suspected to be poachers.
A 15-year-old boy was shot dead at Mubali in Hakibaale Sub-county when he had gone to the park to search for goats that had strayed leaving the leaders wondering how someone armed with a gun failed to arrest an unarmed boy.
Ronald Bitokye, 22, and Asimwe Yofesi, 23, all residents of Nyabweya B in Kasenda Sub-county were shot dead in Kibale National Park in October 2013 when they had gone to fetch firewood.
Semuliki National Park sprawls across the floor of the Semliki Valley on the remote, western side of the Rwenzori. The park is dominated by the easternmost extension of the great Ituri Forest of the Congo Basin.