According to the residents and leaders, for one to acquire an acre of land in the forest reserve for cultivation, he or she should pay shillings 300,000.
This money is paid to agents deployed by NFA officials within the communities and after transacting the business, the agents’ hand over the money to top NFA management in the district and the region. The officials do not issue out receipts for the money paid to them fearing to be tracked and arrested.
Nkurunziza reportedly recorded an audio clip, which was circulated on social media, urging people in his village to invade Bugoma forest reserve. The audio clip went viral last week, leading to mobilization among area residents to engage in illegal activities within the forest.
In February this year, the Lands Ministry resumed the boundary opening exercise. The exercise hit another stalemate when residents protested the criteria used by the government to reopen the forest boundaries. However, in August this year, the Ministry and NFA revised the boundary opening exercise.
Amlan Tumusiime, the Kikuube Resident District commissioner-RDC says following the complaints raised by the farmers, they have been compelled to institute a committee to investigate the officers for alleged extortion.
It is alleged that the evictees who have since pitched camp at the offices of the Kikuube LC5 Chairperson entered the forest land after Hoima Sugar leased it from Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom and started conducting the various activities.
Wilson Ogalo, the commissioner of surveys and mapping in the ministry of lands, housing, and urban development says the boundary reopening will take two weeks and calls on area leaders, and residents to cooperate with the team on the ground.
Uganda Wildlife Authority-UWA rangers in conjunction with the Police picked up Baguma from his hideout in Kakindo village in Kakumiro district on January 10, 2022, after killing two Chimpanzees.
The body was found by residents of Rwenkobe village, Kaseeta Parish in Kabwoya sub-county who are neighboring the forest reserve as they went to collect firewood on Monday afternoon.
The women want the President to spare time when he campaigns in the region in two weeks, to explain why he has remained silent regarding the giveaway of the forest
Kyagulanyi who was addressing his campaign rally at Kagadi Model Primary school in Kagadi town this afternoon says Bunyoro has abundant resources citing the lake Albert, National park, Fertile soils and the natural forest that he says if well utilized can cause tremendous developments in the region but for the last 35 years the NRM government under the leadership of President Museveni has abandoned the region.
Rt. Rev. Archmandrite Constantine Mbonabingi, the UJCC Executive Secretary, says the giveaway of Bugoma forest doesn’t only affect the people of Bunyoro but the entire country as Uganda moves towards oil and gas production.
The move by the Kingdom has attracted negative sentiments from the public who say that the destruction of the forest which is a habitat for over 600 chimpanzees and migratory corridor for large mammals like elephants is dangerous to the country’s environment. The forest is a prime conservation and tourism destination.
Bugoma forest, which is habitat to over 600 chimpanzees and a migratory corridor for large mammals like elephants, has been under attack by criminal 'individual' loggers and sugar cane planters after the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) cleared Hoima Sugar Limited to plant cane on part of the forestland.
The European Union has pledged to provide Parliament with an updated satellite image showing how the forest covers in the country is depleted day by day.
The National Environment Management Authority -NEMA found 13 square miles, out of the 22 square miles, were unfit for sugar plantation; They were in a wetland and forest reserve, which should be conserved.
According to the residents, the heavy deployment is scaring them since they are now being denied access to the forest reserve. They say no one is currently allowed to step even at the entrance of the forest reserve since Wednesday this week
The duo was arrested on Tuesday evening few minutes after they arrived in Hoima town ahead of the peaceful demonstration against the sale and destruction of Bugoma forest reserve situation in Kyangwali and Kabwoya sub counties in Kikuube district.
