One of the victims identified as Ronald Munyasonza, 50, was shot dead while his son, Bosco Twikunda, 23, was shot and critically injured in the leg when the NFA enforcement team comprising of the Uganda peoples Defense forces (UPDF) and the police reportedly opened fire at them while at their home in Rwenkobe village, Kaseeta parish in Kabwoya sub-county, Kikuube district on Sunday afternoon at around 12:30 p.m.
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.
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.
In November last year, the government through the Ministry of Housing, Lands, and Urban Development embarked on the long-awaited reopening of the Bugoma forest reserve boundaries. However, a few weeks after the start of the boundary reopening, Kikuube district officials halted the exercise citing irregularities.
Lungton Tukasingula, one of the people utilizing the land accuses NFA and security officials of harassment, torture, indiscriminate arrests, and destruction of their crops. He says several acres of his maize plantation have been slashed by NFA officials yet he is cultivating on kingdom land.
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.
Vincent Alpha Opio, the Kikuube LC 5 Vice Chairperson told Uganda Radio Network in an interview that they halted the exercise due to the failure by the NFA and ministry of lands to engage local leaders, area residents, and a private surveyor on behalf of the local community during the demarcation exercise.
The over 600 pieces of timber are suspected to have been harvested in Nyairongo area in Kikuube district where the land boundaries between the National Forestry Authority, Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom and the community are in contest.
The suspects are Isa Kabalye, Fredrick Mashate all residents of Kampala, Robin Ongu, Jimmy Awio, and Felix Amuku, all residents of Olilim Sub County in Otuke district.
They were arrested during the joint operation conducted by the are leaders in conjunction with local residents against those cutting shear Nut trees for charcoal burning.
The restoration exercise dubbed "Environment, energy, forestry protection and conservation" is aimed at restoring 100 of the 150 hectares of the degraded forest land due to illegal activities by refugees from Kyangwali refugee settlement.
