By Bazio Doreen

Leaders and key stakeholders in Adjumani District have renewed the fight against bush burning and stray animals by advocating for the review of the ordinance 8 on environment and ordinance 6 on production as well as the District Contingency Plan (2022-2025).

The District Contingency Plan was developed to create and establish an efficient institutional mechanism for integrating disaster preparedness and management into socio-economic development in the district. Part III (19) of the Ordinance on environment that was enacted in 2015 states that a person shall not burn or set fire or cause to burn any bush or established woodlot, while part III (23 i) states that the District Veterinary Officer or police shall seize any animal of which there is reason to believe the owner has refused to take and keep charge of and shall take such an animal to the pound.

The call was made during a training on Disaster Risk Reduction convened by the Food for the Hungry Association (FHA) at the district headquarters on 14th May 2025, which was attended by the Resident District Commissioner, all District Councilors, Refugee Welfare Officers (RWCs), Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Settlement Commandants, Community Development Officers, Sub County Chiefs and Chairpersons, and Extension workers/staff.

While making his opening remarks, Hon. Ben Anyama, the District Chairperson, said that while the district has made an effort to put in place a Contingency Plan, the District Disaster Management Committee has been resource-constrained to effectively implement it, and many of the laws on bush burning and stray animals aren’t being enforced as expected due to the same challenge.

“Disaster happens every day, but the government hasn’t taken it as a serious issue… The District Contingency Plan is not a law; we can’t use it to implement… Disaster should have an annual budget because it is a cross-cutting issue,” Hon. Anyama said.

The training also resolved that all Sub County leaders should submit monthly reports to the District Veterinary Officer on the management of stray animals; tasked Veterinary Officers to ensure that all animals in their areas of mandate are branded; and called for the setting up of village committees to monitor bush burning in their communities.

Bush burning is a common practice in Adjumani district, especially during the dry season. Some people do bush burning to prepare land for farming, while others use it to improve grazing for their animals or hunting, while others do it as a tradition. In the process, property, which includes food crops in gardens, houses, and animals, gets destroyed, and in worse scenarios, human beings even get burnt.

On the other hand, the district continues to grapple with the management of stray animals because there are many stakeholders involved, including leaders at all levels, the courts of law, the Uganda Police Force, and the OPM.

Hon. Korina Ewakodra, the Secretary for Production, said, “there is a need to scale up multi-sectoral sensitization at all levels. The LCs are the ones inviting balaalos to their communities. This needs to be addressed.”

Meanwhile, Hon. John Sabuni, the Secretary for Health, noted that while the invasion of balaalos has contributed to frustrating the fight against stray animals, as a refugee-hosting district, the leaders have to do more to ensure that refugees only keep animals that they can manage.

“99% of the stray animals are owned by refugees. Refugees are grazing animals in gardens of the host communities, and OPM is supporting them 100%; that is our challenge. When you arrest culprits, OPM defends them. It is almost causing chaos,” Hon. Sabuni explained.

However, Mr. Kuai Ajak Deng, Chairperson of the Refugee Welfare Councilor II in Ayilo I Settlement, observed that OPM has made milestones to gradually change the mindset of refugees to effectively manage their animals while maintaining peaceful co-existence with their host communities.

“When we came here, we were very hostile because of the situation we were in at the time. But now we have reformed. We are now pleading for peaceful coexistence because we need it. We have agreed as RWCs that only animals allowed by us can be moved,” Mr. Ajak narrated.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Emmanuel Okware, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner, appreciated this effort, noting that community problems need community solutions because bush burning and stray animals have persisted despite sensitization on the radio. 

According to data by the Global Forest Watch, there have been 249 Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRs) fire alerts reported so far in 2025 in Adjumani. The most fires of 391 were recorded in 2016. From 2001 to 2023, Adjumani lost 9 Hectares of tree cover from fires. On the other hand, in November 2024, 4 refugees were arrested in connection to disputes over grazing and allegations of armed robbery and theft. FHA is implementing the Ayiri Children, Youth, and Community for Change (CYCC) project in Maaji I, Maaji II (Ayiri Parish, Ukusijoni Sub-County), and Mungula (Itirikwa Sub-County) refugee settlements with a goal of creating a safe and enabling environment where children and youth thrive.