Stray elephant kills woman in Kaabong

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Stray elephant kills woman in Kaabong
An elephant

A wave of fear and frustration has gripped Kaabong District after a 23-year-old woman, Betty Lokol, was fatally attacked by a stray elephant in Lokiyekes Village on October 8, 2024.

Lokol, a peasant farmer, was on her way to harvest sim-sim when she encountered the aggressive elephant, just 200 meters from Lolelia South Health Centre II.

An eyewitness, Alice Nakwang, recounted the victim’s final moments: “She attempted to flee, but the elephant pursued and fatally attacked her."

The tragedy has reignited urgent calls for stronger measures to protect local communities from the dangers posed by wildlife. Although police responded to the scene, they arrived too late to save Lokol.

"Onlookers raised alarms, prompting the response of ASTU officers stationed at Nakatapan detachment," said Mike Longole, Karamoja Police Spokesperson.

This incident comes just a month after President Yoweri Museveni directed the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to expedite plans to fence off Kidepo Valley National Park in an effort to prevent wildlife from straying into human settlements.

The President also stressed the need for compensation for those affected by wildlife attacks.

Despite earlier efforts—including a July 2024 operation where the Uganda People’s Defence Air Force used aircraft to drive elephants back into the park—the animals have continued to roam into local communities, causing devastation.

For years, elephants and other wildlife have posed a threat to residents in Karenga, Kaabong, Kotido, Abim, and the Acholi Sub-region, destroying crops and endangering lives.

As the community mourns yet another life lost to the escalating human-wildlife conflict, local leaders and victims’ families are urging the government to take decisive action.

 

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