Resolve issue of man vs wild animals

Residents of Kikarara Parish in Bwambara Sub-county want government to reverse the plan to push them out of their land which is gazetted as part of Queen Elizabeth National Park in Rukungiri District.
This has affected a rural population of about 8,000 people who live in the villages of Ishasha Sector of the national park. The residents claim they have been living here since 1940s. Queen Elizabeth National Park was established in 1952, more than 12 years after the current inhabitants had long settled in the area.
Recently, President Museveni promised to dialogue on the possible ways to compensate the residents so that they can relocate. This has left residents in fear of being dispossessed of their land after all these years.
The locals have faced several injustices including animals feeding on their crops, their domestic animals and at times their people also being killed by the animals. When they tell government, they are reminded that they live inside the national park.
True, national parks are important because they conserve our natural heritage, and also are a source of revenue for the country which cannot be discounted. In fact, tourism is a top foreign exchange earner and Uganda last year raked in $1.4b (Shs5 trillion) from the sector, according to government statistics.
This means that people who live on the fringes of the park need to co-exist with the animals without the risk of endangering or curtailing the livelihood of the other.
Government needs to intervene in a timely manner so that both the people and the animals are secure. One entity should not be unfairly sacrificed in favour of the other without providing solutions.
Habitation land for people is becoming a highly contestable treasure in the country today that any attempt to move or evict people is accompanied by high emotions; no wonder the people around Ishasha sector in Rukungiri have vowed not to leave.
Therefore, let’s preserve both the natural heritage and human life (people) found around gazetted areas. The agony persons living around the parks face is immense yet government simply tells those who are affected that they are living in a place for animals, the park.
Let government quickly resettle the people around the parks to win on both ends, preserve the park and animals and, protect the people around the park.