Crocodile Attack in Serere: Body of 48-Year-Old Woman Recovered, Leaders Urge Gov’t to Trap Animals in Lake Kyoga

The body of a 48-year-old woman, Kokoi Beatrice, has been recovered in Serere district after she was attacked and killed by a crocodile on Wednesday.

The recovery of the mutilated body, has triggered outrage and renewed calls from local leaders, community members, and police for the Ugandan government and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to urgently address the rising threat of crocodile attacks on Lake Kyoga.

Kokoi, a mother of 15, was attacked on the evening of Wednesday, June 4, while fishing at the tributaries of Lake Kyoga in Araapo village in Labor Sub-county.

Her remains were only retrieved on Sunday after a days-long search involving family members, community volunteers, police, and UWA officials.

The tragic death has cast a dark cloud over the village and sparked an outpouring of grief, anger, and frustration.

Speaking to reporters at the scene, Richard Oseku, the clan chairperson of the Ikarubwok Itudai Clan and brother-in-law to the deceased, recounted the moment he learned of the tragedy.

“I received a message that the wife of my brother, Engemu Solomon, had gotten an accident,” Oseku said.

“When I arrived, I was told a crocodile had taken her. We were confused and helpless. It took us until Sunday morning to find the body.”

The discovery of her body brought little comfort to the family, who now face the burden of caring for 15 children left behind, many of them still in school.

The Sub-county Chairperson of Labor, Aaron Onai Haruna, described the incident as not just a family tragedy, but a community crisis.

“This is a sudden, shocking death,” Haruna said. “This woman had 15 children, some still in lower primary school. From Wednesday evening until Sunday, the community had no rest. And this is not the first time we’ve reported about dangerous wild animals here.”

According to Onai, crocodiles, snakes, pythons, and even elephants have been regularly threatening the lives and livelihoods of residents in the flood-prone Labor Sub-county, which is encircled by Lake Kyoga’s expanding waters.

“I have sent many reports to Serere District Local Government and UWA,” he added. “We need urgent help. Our people are not safe.”

Jane Frank Auma, the District Councillor representing Labor Sub-county in Serere District Council, held back tears as she addressed mourners during Beatrice’s burial.

“Labor has consistently reported snake bites, crocodile attacks, this is not new. What is new is that we are being wiped out slowly,” Auma said.

“I call on the Ministry of Wildlife to step in. We know they can’t eliminate all the animals, but at least reduce the numbers or relocate them.”

She emphasized the burden now left on the children, questioning how they would survive without their mother.

“Without the government’s intervention, their education is gone. Their future is bleak.”

The Officer in Charge of Labor Police Post, Iluko Paul, said the search for Beatrice’s body was intense and frustrating.

“We got the news at around 9 p.m. on Wednesday while we were watching NTV News and taking soda,” Iluko said. “We immediately mobilized boats and volunteers, but the search was in vain.”

UWA joined the effort on Friday, using drones to scan the lake, but results were fruitless until the body was found near a papyrus swamp by locals on Sunday morning.

“This is the first deadly crocodile attack in this area,” he said. “But now, the crocodile has become a man-eater. It must be trapped before it kills again.”

State Minister for Fisheries and Serere Woman MP Hellen Adoa visited the grieving family and pledged to pursue government compensation for the deceased’s children.

“I’ve heard many stories about crocodile attacks from other districts. I didn’t expect this to happen here in Serere,” Adoa said.

“Kokoi was a strong woman, holding the family together. Now her 15 children are left with nothing.”

She attributed the rise in attacks to flooding that has forced crocodiles to encroach on human settlements in search of food.

“The ministry of wildlife must act. I will follow up on compensation. These children need help beyond just words,” Adoa emphasized. “I will also initiate community sensitization on the dangers around the lake.”

She further promised to write to the Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities to demand crocodile management interventions in Serere, such as fencing danger zones and setting traps.

But, former Serere District LCV Chairperson Joseph Opit Okojo delivered one of the most fiery and controversial remarks during the burial.

“To the people of Araapo and beyond, if a crocodile threatens your family, kill it. Your life is more important than the life of a wild animal,” he declared.

Okojo criticized UWA and law enforcement officers who, he claimed, have failed to protect human life from these threats.

“Any officer from UWA or Police who arrests someone for killing a crocodile in self-defense is useless,” he said. “Our people are dying. Let us defend ourselves if the government cannot.”

In interviews with residents of Araapo and the neighboring communities, many expressed fear of using the lake even for basic survival needs such as fishing, washing clothes, or collecting water.

“I don’t know how we shall survive,” said Mary Akol, a mother of four. “We cannot fetch water from the lake now. Every time we hear splashes in the water, we think it’s another crocodile.”

Some families are resorting to digging shallow wells inland, though the water is often unsafe for drinking.

Local fishermen have also been hit hard, with several boats remaining docked out of fear of being attacked.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has repeatedly acknowledged that the increasing frequency of wildlife-human conflict is a serious concern, especially around water bodies like Lake Kyoga, Lake Albert, and parts of the Nile.

Experts point to habitat loss, overfishing, and climate change, particularly flooding, as key factors pushing crocodiles and other wildlife closer to human settlements.

However, many local leaders including Isaac Ejalu feel that not enough has been done to protect residents or implement community education programs on how to coexist with these animals safely.

As Beatrice Kokoi was laid to rest amid tears and wails, her death became yet another painful reminder of the fragility of life in Serere’s water-bound communities.