The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) personnel have arrested four poachers in the Southern Sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park following the death of a gorilla known as Rafiki, the Silverback of the famous Nkuringo group in the southern sector of the park.

The arrest follows investigations into the Silverback’s death by our personnel after a post-mortem report revealed that the Silverback sustained an injury by a sharp device/object that penetrated its left upper part of the abdomen up to the internal organs.

The team arrested Byamukama Felix a resident of Murole village, Nteko Parish, Nyabwishenya Sub County, Kisoro District who was found in possession of bush pig meat and several hunting devices including a spear, rope snares, wires snares and a dog hunting bell that were recovered from his home on June 4th, 2020.

Byamukama confessed to killing the gorilla in self-defense. He says that he had gone hunting in the park with Bampabenda Evarist where they came into contact with the group. When the silverback charged at them, he speared it.

He revealed that he shared some of the bush pig meat with Museveni Valence and Mubangizi Yonasi, whom he said were fellow poachers. The UWA team working with the Chairman LCI Chairman of Murole village Mr. Ngabirano Pascal, arrested Bampabenda Evarist, Museveni Valence and Mubangisi Yonasi on June 7th, 2020.

The four suspects are currently at Kisoro Police station awaiting trial in the courts of law.
On June 1st, 2020, Rafiki, the silver back of Nkuringo gorilla group was reported missing in the group and on June 2nd, 2020, our team mounted a search for the missing silver back. The body of Rafiki was found in Hakato area inside Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Four poachers have been arrested for killing of a rare silverback gorilla in Nkuringo in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

According to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) report, the silverback gorilla known as Rafiki was killed by a poacher with a spear. Rafiki has been popular with tourists for decades who go on gorilla safaris in Uganda. Rafiki is believed to have lived 25 years of age as a leader of Nkuringo gorilla family.

The Ugandan Wildlife Authority reported that Rafiki the silverback gorilla got missing on June 1 and the next day the rangers found Rafiki’s body. The ugly news from the forest shocked the tourism industry for losing the famous beringei beringei the leader of 17 habituated gorillas in the Nkuringo Family.

Despite the fact that tourism has been affected by coronavirus, it has been confirmed by the organization that poaching has increased in recent months where national parks have been on suspension.

According to the post-mortem report that was made by the Gorilla Doctors and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) showed that a sharp device or object had penetrated his abdomen and pierced his internal organs.

The authority imprisoned the poachers and one of them Byamukama Felix confessed of killing the gorilla in self-defense. He claimed the gorilla had charged at him while he and a colleague were hunting.

Felix not only defended himself but also pointed out his colleagues whom he had in the Bwindi Forest that is Bampabenda Evarist. Mr. Felix lives in Murole village in western part of Uganda and was found with several hunting devices, including a spear, rope snares, wire snares and a hunting bell for a dog collar with bush pig meats.

The authority reported that Mr. Felix mentioned Museveni Valence and Mubangizi Yonasi whom they were sharing bush pig with and were arrested on June7.

The Spokesperson of UWA reported that these four men were imprisoned for being found in possession of wildlife specimens, illegal entry into a protected area and killing an endangered species, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The last time a mountain gorilla died at the hands of humans was in 2011.

Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Kasirye Gwanga is dead. According to family sources, Gwanga has breathed his last at Nakasero Hospital this morning. The nonsense soldier was admitted a few weeks ago with a life threatening ailment.

Last month, Kasirye Gwanga was been admitted to the UPDF Senior Officers Diagnostic Centre based in Mbuya. Later he was transferred to Nakasero Hospital where he has breathed his last.

The major general last had a public appearance in Mityana in March where he and his soldiers enforced the president directives against Covid-19.

WHO WAS MAJ GEN KASIRYE GGWANGA?
Gwanga was born in 1952,in Mubende District, to a father who was a hunter and farmer. Kasirye Ggwanga learned both skills and is still good at both. He attended Katakala Primary School, then he studied at Kibuli Secondary School for his O-Level education. After finishing Senior 4, he joined the Uganda Army in 1972.

Following boot camp and initial training, kasirye Gwanga was posted to Arua in the West Nile sub-region, as a map reader, serving in that capacity until 1977. In 1978, he was promoted to the position of artillery officer.

In 1978, the Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) invaded Uganda. In 1979 they captured Kampala and deposed Idi Amin. Kasirye Ggwanga surrendered and was taken to Tanga, Tanzania, as a prisoner of war number 17341.

In June 1980, president Godfrey Binaisa negotiated the return of the political prisoners to Uganda. They were first housed at Maluku Prison in Mbale District. Later, they were moved to Kirinya Prison, Jinja District. On 7 October 1981, Kasirye Ggwanga was in the first batch to be released.

Three months after Kasirye Ggwanga’s release, the Uganda Freedom Army (UFA) rebels led by Andrew Kayiira attacked the army barracks at Mengo Lubiri in Kampala. The government in power at the time, led by Milton Obote of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) mistakenly thought that the recently released prisoners (former Idi Amin soldiers) were involved in the attack. Kasirye Ggwanga was placed on the “wanted list”. He went underground. His elder brother, Lieutenant James Kasirye, a military pilot then based at Nakasongola Military Air Base was arrested and tortured, then killed when he refused to identify where his brother Kasirye Gwanga was hiding.

To avenge the killing of his brother, Kasirye Ggwanga joined the UFA rebels, then about 650 in number. This group operated in the Mawokota and Mubende areas in Buganda. In 1985, he left UFA and joined Yoweri Museveni’s National Resistance Army, which captured Kampala, Kasirye Ggwanga commanded a 120mm artillery unit.

Between 1986 and 2005, he served in several roles including as the LC5 chairman for Mubende District and as the director of stores in the UPDF. On 31 January 2005, he was retired from the UPDF at the rank of brigadier. However, after three months on the outside he came back to the military and asked to be re-instated. The UPDF commander-in-chief allowed him to rejoin on a renewable contract of five years.