KIKUUBE – Kikuube district leaders, including members of the district executive committee have been accused of aiding the depletion of Bugoma Forest Reserve through the cutting of trees for timber and charcoal burning.
The involvement of leaders in the destruction of the forest reserve came to the limelight last week after the National Forestry Authority [NFA] patrol team impounded a lorry registration number UBD 532Y carrying over 500 pieces of timber said to be belonging to Evas Munguryeke, a councilor in Kikuube district.
While addressing the media days ago , Alex Obonyo, the manager for Kisindi sector of the NFA, said suspects arrested in the forest confessed they had been hired by one Tambu who works for Munguryeke.
Obonyo added that Munguryeke herself came to his office pleading for the release of the illegal timber but her demand was not granted.
“The people whose names have been mentioned, like council Muguryeke, personally came to my office seeking to have her timber released,” he said, adding that the timber confiscated by NFA will be taken to Nakawa, Kampala for auctioning.
However, some of the owners of the impounded charcoal and timber claimed they harvested the trees from the land Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom leased to Hoima Sugar Limited to grow sugarcane.
But Obonyo said all timber impounded originated from Bugoma Forest Reserve. He noted that encroachers have depleted 8,000 of the 41, 144 hectares of Bugoma Forest Reserve
Arisingura Twesige , and Gerald Byaruhanga, some of the eight suspects who were arrested on Friday by NFA team inside the forest said they were hired by Tambu on behalf of manager of Munguryeke to cultivate and burn charcoal in the forest.
Boaz Basingirenda, the manager Budongo Rage System which covers the entire Bunyoro Sub-region, urged political leaders in Kikuube district to protect the forest instead of participating in its destruction.
When called for a comment, Peter Banura, the Kikuube district LCV chairperson said he had summoned the councilors implicated in the destruction of Budongo Forest Reserve to defend themselves against the allegations.
“As leaders, we are the ones who are supposed to be fighting to protect Bugoma Forest because it is important to the community. We are going to establish the truth. It is unfortunate that leaders have been implicated in the destruction of the forest,” he said.
However, when contacted on Saturday to comment on allegations against her, councilor Evas Munguryeke could not pick our reporter’s repeated calls.
https://thecooperator.news/bunyoro-kingdom-officials-nfa-clash-over-budongo-forest/
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