Buikwe Residents Plead with UWA as Hippos Ravage Crops and Kill Livestock

Residents of Kigaya Village in Najja Sub-county, Buikwe District, are urgently appealing to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) for help. A group of four hippos has taken up residence in a nearby papyrus swamp, leaving a trail of destruction that includes flattened food crops, trampled fields, and dead livestock.

Local farmer Musa Kyalimpa and his wife are among the worst affected. The couple recently lost two calves in a nocturnal hippo attack, bringing Kyalimpa’s total cattle losses to three. The family had invested in cattle rearing using funds borrowed through the Parish Development Model (PDM). Now, they are left facing heavy financial debts and struggling to figure out how to repay the loans.

Beyond livestock, the rampaging animals have decimated vital food crops such as maize and potatoes. Local youth chairperson Gonzaga Kitandwe warned that the widespread garden destruction threatens to trigger severe food shortages in the farming community. The hippos have also disrupted local economic activities, reportedly chasing residents away from the Kigaya landing site and forcing fishers to abandon their traditional water-based livelihoods.

Local leaders are stepping up pressure on wildlife authorities. Buikwe South Member of Parliament Jimmy Kanaabi emphasized that the district lacks the specialized expertise needed to safely capture and relocate the wild animals. Kanaabi urged UWA to step in immediately to safeguard human lives and prevent further economic hardship.

In response to the growing crisis, UWA spokesperson Bashir Hangi stated that the agency will dispatch a team to evaluate the situation on the ground. Wildlife experts are expected to follow up by tracking and managing the animals, bringing a glimmer of hope to distressed villagers awaiting urgent relief.

For more details on this developing story, read the original report on Nile Post.