Elephants trample woman to death in Buliisa

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A quiet evening in Buliisa district turned tragic on February 9, 2025, when a 51-year-old woman was fatally trampled by a herd of elephants.

The deceased, Kutegeka Kyabadiri Nyajangi, a resident of Kigoya village in Buliisa sub-county, had gone to collect firewood with her 4-year-old granddaughter when the attack occurred around 5:00 pm.

According to her daughter, Janet Tigulikya, Nyajangi had gone to the bush as usual but did not return home at the expected time. Concerned about her absence, family members launched a search, and at around 8:00 pm, they found the child critically injured. She was immediately rushed to Buliisa General Hospital for treatment.

The search for Nyajangi continued until midnight when her lifeless body was discovered in the nearby bushes, showing clear signs of having been trampled by the elephants. Her body was later taken to Buliisa General Hospital Mortuary for a postmortem examination.

Wilson Kagoro, the warden in charge of community conservation at Murchison Falls National Park, confirmed the incident. He said they collaborated with the Police to document the scene before transporting the body to the hospital.

Kagoro extended condolences to the bereaved family and revealed that they contributed sh2.5 million to assist with burial arrangements.

He also explained that compensation requires following due process, where the family must present documents such as the postmortem report, death certificate, burial expenses, and family resolutions.

Kagoro highlighted ongoing efforts to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts, including training community volunteers (scouts) to respond quickly when elephants stray into villages. These scouts have been equipped with strong torches, vuvuzelas, and other deterrents.

Additionally, he noted that a 10-kilometre fence has already been constructed from the River Nile towards Pandiga, with plans to extend it by 20 kilometres. He also mentioned that partners are willing to support further fencing up to Butiaba escarpment to reduce human-wildlife conflicts in Buliisa and neighbouring districts.