Uganda jails 2 poachers over killing of bushbuck

A bushbuck at Arusha National Park in Tanzania. Uganda has jailed two poachers for 12 years over the killing of a bushbuck. PHOTO/COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • The accused pleaded guilty to the counts as charged of illegal entry and killing of a protected wildlife species.

Two poachers in western Uganda were jailed for 12 years over the killing of a bushbuck, a state-run conservation agency said on Saturday.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) said in a statement that two Burundian refugees residing in the Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement in the western district of Kamwenge were sentenced to 12 years for killing a bushbuck, and four years for illegal entry into a protected area.

The sentences will run concurrently.

"The accused pleaded guilty to the counts as charged of illegal entry and killing of a protected wildlife species," said the statement.