The Committee on Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities has been tasked to investigate the long-running boundary dispute between communities surrounding Mt Elgon National Park and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).

The directive follows renewed allegations of human rights abuses, arbitrary arrests and uncertainty over the park's legally recognised boundaries.

Hon. Muhamood Masaba (Bungokho Central County) raised the concern during the plenary sitting on Wednesday, 05 August 2026 in a sitting chaired by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa.

According to Masaba, residents of Busaano, Wanale and Budware sub-counties in Mbale District continue to suffer during boundary enforcement exercises.

"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 dispute had previously been escalated to President Yoweri Museveni, who tasked 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," he asked.

The dispute centres on communities living adjacent to Mt Elgon National Park, where recurring disagreements over park boundaries have fuelled tensions for decades, resulting in frequent clashes between conservation authorities and local residents over access to land, grazing areas and cultivation.

Additionally, Tayebwa, clarified that the dispute primarily 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.

The Minister of State for Tourism, Hon. Susan Nakawuki, said it was criminal to assault residents during boundary-opening 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.

Manjiya County MP, Hon.  John Baptist Nambeshe, challenged the minister's characterisation of events emphasising that communities living along the slopes of Mt Elgon have battled UWA for generations.

"We have testimonies of 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?" he asked.

Tayebwa acknowledged Parliament's role in exposing alleged misconduct by public officials.

"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 pointed to a presidential directive aimed at reducing conflict between conservation authorities and surrounding communities.

"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 co-exist with wildlife and minimise human-wildlife conflict," she revealed

Tayebwa said the committee’s comprehensive report to the House will guide future government action.