Francis Okello Olwa, the Lira District Communication Officer blames the delayed approval of their requisition on the Ministry of Finance and Local Government, saying the process has now taken more than two weeks.
Oryema says although they have in the past been told to plant crops such as chili, dig trenches and set up beehives near their crop gardens these haven’t helped. He says that when he visited Kenya in 2015, he saw the use electric fence and drones to chase roaming elephants also fail.
The suspects were picked up in an operation led by Xavier Sekanabo, the Commander of the Environmental Police Protection Unit on Saturday evening. The officers braved the rain and stormed the camp in Apaa Junction in Adjumani leading to the arrest of the suspects.
Geoffrey Oceng Osborn, the Amuru Resident District Commissioner, says two weeks ago, armed South Sudanese shot dead a UPDF officer only identified as Lance Corporal Oketch in a gun fire exchange after they illegally entered Uganda.
Xavier Sekanabo told URN that the dealers who are from as far as Central, Western and Eastern Uganda didn’t any documents authorisation to trade or transport forest species. He disclosed that the suspects are detained in Gulu and Amuru Central Police Stations
