Kisoro, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Seventy-seven poachers in Kisori district have publicly denounced their activities. The reformed poachers have been operating in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Nkuringo sector in Kisoro district.
On Wednesday evening, the group handed over their poaching tools including spears and arrows to Uganda Wildlife Authority-UWA officials at Nkuringo community conservation in Nkuringo town council. Speaking at the handover, John Biteete Rwabatwaare and James Nbebera explained that they have been poaching in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for over 10 years.
They however, say that they recently realized that poaching is useless because they have nothing to show for their activities spanning over a decade apart from getting meat for their own consumption. They also revealed that they have realised that poaching is very risky, adding that they no longer see any reason for exposing their lives to the danger of being shot by game rangers or being locked up in prison once they are arrested.
The duo faulted UWA officials for failure to compensate them whenever game animal strays into their crop gardens. They say that since they are now reformed, UWA should also declare publically that no wild animal shall stray in their gardens.
Richard Muhabwe, the acting chief warden in charge Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park, says the decision by the poachers to denounce their trade is a big achievement towards the protection of wildlife. Muhabwe says that that the poachers decided to come forward following their community sensitization program showing them the dangers of poaching.
Lieutenant Lavynah Mbambu Marule, the Assistant Warden of Bwindi Community Conservation says that government is yet to put in a place a policy for compensating people affected by stray animals.
In 2019, President, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni assented to the Wildlife Act 2019. The act provides for the compensation of persons who suffer bodily injury or are killed or lose property resulting from stray game animals. However, the compensation is subject to verification by the wildlife compensation verification committee.
Kajubwami Atanaziyo, Nkuringo town council LC III Chairperson, says that the decision of the poachers to surrender should serve as an eye-opener to the remaining poachers to publically reform and hand over their tools. He asked the reformed poachers to spread the same message to other defying poachers to also reform.
Several poachers have been shot dead in Nkuringo sector. In October 2019, Richard Kakuru, a resident of Nteko village in Nteko parish in Nyabwishenya Sub County in Kisoro district was shot dead by game rangers while poaching in Nkuringo sector. Two other poachers took off when rangers attached to Nkuringo ranger post in Nteko in Nyabwishenya Sub-county opened fire to intercept them.
In July 2020, Felix Byamukama, a resident of Murole village in Nyabwishenya Sub County in Kisoro District was sentenced to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty of spearing to death Rafiki, a silverback Mountain Gorilla while poaching in Nkuringo sector.
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