House committee to investigate long-running Mt Elgon boundary dispute
Mt Elgon National Park, located in eastern Uganda along the border with Kenya, covers approximately 110,971 hectares on the Ugandan side
KAMPALA, August 6, 2026 – Parliament has directed its Committee on Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities to investigate the long-running boundary dispute between communities surrounding Mt Elgon National Park and the Uganda Wildlife Authority [UWA], following renewed allegations of human rights abuses, arbitrary arrests and uncertainty over the park’s legally recognised boundaries.
The directive followed concerns raised by Bungokho Central County Member of Parliament [MP] Muhamood Masaba during Wednesday’s plenary sitting, chaired by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa.
Masaba said residents of Busaano, Wanale and Budware sub-counties in Mbale district continue to suffer during boundary enforcement operations.
“Our people are suffering at the hands of officials who confiscate livestock, assault residents and arbitrarily detain innocent people,” he said.
He reminded the House that the matter had previously been referred to President Yoweri Museveni, who directed the Office of the Prime Minister [OPM] to find a lasting solution.
“Since then, we have never received a report. I request the Office of the Prime Minister to formally update Parliament on the progress made,” Masaba said.
The dispute involves communities living adjacent to Mt Elgon National Park, where disagreements over the park’s boundaries have persisted for decades. The uncertainty has fuelled repeated confrontations between conservation authorities and local residents over access to land, grazing areas and cultivation.
Deputy Speaker Tayebwa clarified that the dispute principally concerns the Uganda Wildlife Authority rather than the National Forestry Authority [NFA].
“I remember when I served as Government Chief Whip and visited Bungokho and Wanale. The issues raised at the time concerned UWA and not NFA,” Tayebwa said before inviting the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities to respond.
Responding to the concerns raised, Minister of State for Tourism Susan Nakawuki condemned any acts of violence committed during boundary demarcation exercises.
“If anyone was assaulted, that constitutes a criminal offence which should immediately be reported to the Police so that the perpetrator is held accountable,” she said.
However, Manjiya County MP John Baptist Nambeshe who doubles as Commissioner of Parliament, challenged the minister’s response, arguing that it failed to reflect the long history of conflict between local communities and UWA.
“We have testimonies from more than 20 people who have cumulatively lost their lives in confrontations involving armed UWA rangers. We also have cases where rogue officers allegedly extort money from residents to allow cultivation inside the park. Is the Minister in order to present such an incomplete picture of what communities have endured?” Nambeshe, also the Acting President of the biggest opposition part in Uganda [National Unity Platform], asked.
Tayebwa said Parliament has a responsibility to expose alleged misconduct by public officials and ensure that complaints are investigated.
“If there are rogue elements acting outside the law, Parliament is precisely the forum where such issues should be raised so that the responsible ministry can investigate and provide redress,” he said.
Nakawuki subsequently pledged that the ministry would investigate all allegations.
“Those remain allegations at this stage, but I will engage UWA to investigate them thoroughly. If any officers are found culpable, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken,” she said.
She also revealed that President Museveni had directed the ministry to strengthen community engagement in an effort to reduce conflicts around the protected area.
“The President directed the ministry to identify community leaders from the Mt Elgon area and facilitate capacity-building training in Switzerland on how communities can peacefully coexist with wildlife and minimise human-wildlife conflict,” she said.
Tayebwa said the committee’s findings would guide Parliament and government on the next course of action.
Mt Elgon National Park, located in eastern Uganda along the border with Kenya, covers approximately 110,971 hectares on the Ugandan side. The park extends across eight districts: Bukwo, Kween, Bulambuli, Kapchorwa, Bududa, Mbale, Sironko and Manafwa. Bukwo accounts for about 26 percent of the park’s area, Kween 17 percent and Bulambuli about 13 percent.
The park is surrounded by one of the most densely populated rural areas in Uganda, with an average population density of around 1,000 people per square kilometre, significantly higher than the national average.
Communities living on the fertile volcanic slopes of Mt Elgon depend heavily on agriculture, growing Arabica coffee, maize, bananas, beans, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, soybeans and a variety of vegetables and among other crops. In parts of Bududa district, some residents also harvest fresh bamboo shoots from the park for food, a practice that has occasionally contributed to disputes over access to protected resources.
https://thecooperator.news/parliament-halts-evictions-in-mt-elgon-national-park/
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