By Spy Uganda
A tragic incident occurred on the night of January 19, 2025, in Kanyangeya Ward, Nyamwamba Division of Kasese Municipality, when a 47-year-old man, Bembale Elias, lost his life after being attacked by a Solitaire Elephant. The attack took place while the victim was asleep in his home.
According to Elias’s wife, the incident occurred around 2:00 a.m. She was alerted to the situation when her husband was attacked, and she immediately raised an alarm. The noise alerted local residents, and police at the Kasese Central Police Station were notified. Law enforcement officers quickly responded and transported Elias to Mt. St. Mary’s Hospital for medical care, but sadly, he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
This latest incident is part of an ongoing problem with elephants causing harm to local residents in the region. In a similar tragedy, on January 10, 2025, a herd of elephants attacked and killed 34-year-old Kiiza Emmanuel, who had been guarding a rice garden in Hima Division, Busongora North Constituency. This follows a series of similar attacks in the area, including the deaths of Tadeo Tumwesigye, a 27-year-old resident of Karusandara Sub-county in 2022, and Mugisha Yoram, a 33-year-old man from Hima Division, who was killed in another elephant attack in 2023.
Nelson Tumushime, the PRO for Rwenzori East Region, confirmed the incident and the ongoing investigations into the elephant attacks. “We are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding this tragic event. We have been working with local authorities to ensure that such incidents are minimized in the future,” Tumushime said.
Local authorities continue to address the issue of human-wildlife conflict in the region, which has seen a rise in dangerous interactions between elephants and residents in recent years. As investigations proceed, authorities are calling for increased vigilance and measures to protect both the local population and wildlife.
