The National Resistance Movement presidential candidate President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has faulted the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) for evicting pastoralists from the Pian-Upe Wildlife Reserve in Nakapiripirit district without consulting the affected communities.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Nakapiripirit today, Museveni described the evictions as premature and insensitive to the livelihoods of the people who depend on grazing for survival.
Museveni directed UWA to temporarily allow pastoralists to graze their animals in designated parts of the Pian-Upe Conservation Area while the government engages them on modern farming practices and the economic benefits of tourism and wildlife conservation.
The directive followed a plea from the NRM Chairperson for Nakapiripirit district, Daniel Ochap Matovu, who reported that UWA had blocked locals from accessing grazing land within the reserve. Matovu asked the President to intervene and allow limited use of the area while addressing wider community concerns.
Museveni assured residents that his government would strike a balance between conservation and community livelihoods. He pledged to train local leaders and elders in modern agricultural methods and sensitize them on the importance of protecting wildlife while improving their incomes.
Museveni also talked of the prevailing peace in Karamoja. “Peace in Karamoja was not easy to achieve. Some once believed guns were the solution, but I assured our people that the government would defend them, and we have fulfilled that promise. Today, the region enjoys peace and stability under the NRM,” he said.
He said Nakapiripirit now has roads, electricity, phones, and clean water in some villages. “We have built several valley tanks, with bigger schemes like Namalu Irrigation underway. The district has 27 primary and 7 secondary schools, one HCIV, three HCIIIs, and a functional X-ray at Tokora HCIV. These developments in roads, water, electricity, education, and health reflect what the NRM has done and will continue to do for Uganda,” he said.
