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.
Villagers settled near the
Bugoma forest reserve are up in arms against the alleged hire of parts of it
for food cultivation and charcoal burning.
The residents from Kabwoya
and Kyangwali sub-counties in Kikuube district allege that National Forestry officials
collude with individuals to wreak havoc on Bugoma.
The leaders in the area have indicated to Uganda Radio Network that NFA
officials through agents require one to pay up to three hundred thousand
shillings to rent an acre of land for crop cultivation.
They further allege that individuals who may
have paid bribes openly engage in illicit charcoal burning and transportation.
While the residents and civil
society groups have been waging a legal battle against sugarcane in Bugoma,
they say their efforts to guard it for conservation purposes are being thwarted
by money-hungry individuals at NFA.
When URN visited the area, freshly
harvested logs were on the grounds, while smoke billowed from charcoal kilns in
the vicinity.
Desire Nkurunziza, the Nyairongo LCI Chairperson told URN that there are individuals
who are in the community to collect money from those wishing to cultivate on
the forest land. He claimed that those who engage in illicit charcoal tend to
be guarded with guns. However, Uganda Radio Network-URN could not
independently verify this claim.
Luganda byte
//Cue in: “Bayina agent babwe…
Cue out:… Petition once again.”//
He says efforts by area leaders and residents to report such incidents tend to
be ignored.
//Cue in: “NFA tuyina clear…
Cue out:…gafumenti mu maso.”//
Some of those
concerns were last year raised to the President when he was in Kikuube to
launch the drilling of oil at Kingfisher. President Museveni tasked the RDC,
Amulam Tumusiime to investigate the matter.
Deo Asaba Isoke, a resident of Kaseeta village in Kaseeta parish, Kabwoya sub-county
told URN that those behind the forest destruction are doing it with impunity.
Isoke wonders how people could penetrate the forest and start harvesting timber
with power saws without the consent of NFA.
//Cue in: “Currently what is…
Cue out:…who are benefiting.”//
Ramula Asasira, a resident of Nyairongo village said while women are being blocked
from accessing the forest for firewood, the farmers and charcoal dealers access
it after paying bribes.
Runyankole byte.
//Cue in: “Itwenka abakyara twine…
Cue out:… Kika sasa munonga.”//
Paul Mugisa, the Chairperson Collaborative Forest Management Committee of
Kaseeta village told URN that in 2008, NFA signed a Memorandum of understanding
with the neighboring communities to collectively patrol and protect the forest
reserve from destruction.
However, he said the relationship did not last for long because NFA abandoned
them after the residents complained about the continuous destruction of the
forest reserve.
//Cue in: “In the past…
Cue out:…are burning charcoal.”//
Hassan Mugenyi, a resident of Nyairongo said the destruction of the forest has
led to an increase in human-wildlife conflicts.
Luganda byte
//Cue in: “Ekibire we tuwogerera…
Cue out:…rwana na gafumenti.”//
Hellen Kabanyoro of Kaseeta parish says they are too much concerned that if the
forest is destroyed, they will be greatly affected since it provides them with
firewood, medicine among others stating that several women have been harassed
and raped in the process of collecting firewood while in the forest reserve.
Luganda byte.
//Cue in: “Ebitwafirwa binji era…
Cue out:…ali kujala ye.”//
Alex Obonyo, the National Forestry Authority-NFA Kisindi Sector Manager denied
the allegation by the leaders and residents.
Obonyo explained that part of the land that is being hired out to residents for
cultivation belongs to Hoima Sugar Limited after Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom leased
it to the sugar company. He adds that part of the forest land where NFA is in charge
was secure, safe, and free from any illegal activities.
//Cue in: “What is happening…
Cue out:…are very okay.”//
Bugoma Central Forest Reserve, covering 410 square kilometers of a protected
area, and a stretch of forest measuring 40 kilometers, is a tropical forest in
Kikuube district, gazetted in 1932 and taken over by the National Forestry Authority
in 2003.
It is endowed with a high Biodiversity with 24 species of mammals, 465 species
of trees, 359 species of birds, 289 species of butterflies and 130 species of
moths. The mammals include monkeys, chimpanzees, buffaloes, Uganda Kobs
and at times elephants.
A 2012 Chimpanzee census discovered that 10 per cent of Uganda’s Chimpanzee
population was in Bugoma forest.
The forest is also a migratory route for wild animals connecting to game parks
and a catchment area for rivers that drain into Lake Albert and river Nguse
where government plans to build a hydro power dam.
In 2016, Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom reportedly leased 22 square miles said to be
part of the forest land to Hoima Sugar Limited.
The sugar factory leased close to 22 square miles of the contested Bugoma
Central Forest reserve land from the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom for sugarcane
growing for 99 years.
However, the National Environment Management Authority -NEMA found 13 of the 22
square miles, unfit for a sugar plantation and recommended their preservation
since it’s a wetland and forest reserve.
As a result, NEMA allowed Hoima Sugar factory to cultivate sugarcane on the
remaining 9.24 square miles covering the grassland, establish an urban center
on 1.26 square miles, an eco-tourism center on 1.97 square miles, and restore
3.13 square miles of the forest.
They also recommended the preservation of another 0.156 hectares for the
cultural site and 6.17 square miles as a natural forest.
However, several conservationists have opposed the move, saying the giveaway is
not only a threat to the ecosystem and endangered species but it is likely to
hurt tourism activities, which are a source of revenue for the local
communities and the country.
Bunyoro Kitara has since explained that the land that was leased to Hoima Sugar
is not part of Bugoma forest but the Kingdom’s Ancestral land adjacent to the
forest reserve.
