Five Poachers Go Missing in Queen Elizabeth National Park
John Thawite and Bernard Masereka
20 June 2010



Kampala — FIVE people, including a woman, are suspected to have been killed by wild animals while poaching in the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kasese district.

Sajoni Kibaya, Nelson Bwambale, Mulewa Kathungu, Kibaya Muhekwa, the woman, and another man only identified as Nyamusunzura, all residents of Kitabu village in Muhokya sub-county, are said to have recently gone missing in the park.

However, the Uganda Wildlife Authority chief, Moses Mapesa, dismissed the allegations, saying he crossed-checked the reports but found no trace of dead poachers in the park.

During a recent district council meeting, Muhokya sub-county councillor John Kimadi, had appealed to the district security organs to help the relatives of the missing people to search the park and give the dead decent burials.

Kimadi told the council, which was chaired by the district speaker, John Baguma, that retrieving the bodies would help other people understand the dangers of poaching.

In a separate interview, he added that over 150 children had been orphaned as a result of their fathers being killed in the park.

The district Police commander, Paul Mumbogwe, said the local authorities and the Police had mounted a search for the bodies but in vain.

Mumbogwe added that the bodies might have been eaten up by wild animals.

Nah, they just went elsewhere to poach where the pickings were better. But on second thought, maybe they were part of the 5 tons of bush meat that showed up in France