According to Jalon Lakony Opiyo, every time elephants invade the area, each member of the village which has around 2000 households contributes 1000 shillings for the rangers to rescue them and their properties.
According Patrick Okello Oryema, Nwoya district LCV chairperson, they have tasked the local leaders to document and carry out assessment of the level of destruction to be submitted to the Office of the Prime Minister.
The Nwoya District Road Committee Chairperson, Simon Oyet, says whenever he calls for meetings some members don’t turn up. He says the District Works and Technical Services Secretary, Patrick Okello Oryema and District Engineer, Peter Okumu Anywar don’t show up for the meetings, which makes it difficult for them to proceed.
Nakakande Khadija, the Communication Officer of National Agricultural Advisory Services –NAADS told URN in an interview that the Nwoya Fruit Processing Factory project is a presidential pledge to the people of Nwoya and that it shall benefit over 5,000 fruit out-growers in the district who are growing mangoes, oranges and guava.
Michael Lakony, the Amuru district chairperson also said that over 200 casual workers are stuck in Attiak Sugar Plantation belonging to Horyal Sugar factories and are struggling amidst shortages of enough food, health services, clean water and other necessities among others.
Nwoya District Chairperson Patrick Okello Oryema explains that the roads are expected to connect remote agriculture productive areas in Alero, Lungulu, Anaka and Purongo Sub-Counties to neighbouring markets in Amuru, Gulu and the entire Acholi sub region.
The deadly insects were randomly sighted in Got Lunyang and Aol ki Lyec villages in Lutuk Parish, Kochgoma Sub County; Obira village in Anaka Sub County, Purongo Sub-County and Nwoya District headquarters on Wednesday and Thursday.
John Inyani Isimimaro, a commercial farmer in Kiryandongo district disclosed that government policies are not being translated to benefit local farmers.
Felix Onencan, a farmer in Agung village says he has suffered unimaginable loss after the elephants destroyed his crops and shuttered his investment. He told URN that he procured a bank loan and hired 300 acres of land on which he planted soybean which has all been ruined.
Richard Okello, a farmer from Lii sub-county explains that he earns over at least 1.5 million shillings from oranges during cold season but the strange flies have cut off his income stream.
Patrick Okello Oryema the LCV chairperson Nwoya district says the two elephants have destroyed close to 15 acres of food crops including maize, bananas sesame among other crops in the affected area.
Alfred Kilama, the Nwoya District Agriculture Officer confirmed the presence of the disease which he says started in 2017. He said the disease is not prevalent only in Nwoya but has been confirmed in neighbouring Amuru, Gulu and Omoro districts.
Nwoya District LC V chairperson, Patrick Okello Oryema, says they have directed Police to investigate some of the investors in the district for noncompliance with immigration laws.
President Yoweri Museveni says the absence of electricity in many of the countryside commercial farms is frustrating investors by driving up cost of agribusiness in the country.
Bakit Babu Olanya, the Supervisor Murchison Falls National Park, says he has dispatched a team of game rangers and Uganda Wildlife Authority-UWA official to drive the elephants back to the park.
For six years, Olwoch had failed to utilize the land in question. Products from his farmland had also been rejected by the community under the belief that they could be toxic. In 2014 Olwoch planted 1 acre of Cassava which all went to waste when residents rejected it saying it was contaminated with harmful waste.
