KIKUUBE, June 11, 2026 — The National Environment Management Authority [NEMA] has launched the restoration of a depleted natural forest in Kyangwali Subcounty, Kikuube district.
The degraded area, which is currently occupied by maize, beans and other crops, covers 12.77 square miles. Part of the land is said to have been released by Hoima Sugar Ltd.
The forest was encroached upon by local communities, government officials and security personnel from both within and outside the Bunyoro Sub-region. The encroachers engaged in illegal activities such as charcoal burning and logging.
The forest forms part of 22 square miles of Kyangwali ancestral land that was leased by the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom to Hoima Sugar Ltd for sugarcane cultivation for 99 years.
Following the acquisition of the land in 2015, the National Forestry Authority [NFA] sued Hoima Sugar in the High Court in Masindi, alleging that the land formed part of the Bugoma Forest Reserve. However, on April 25, 2019, the court ruled that Hoima Sugar was the rightful occupant of the 22 square miles of land.
Following the ruling, NEMA issued Hoima Sugar with an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment [ESIA] certificate, allowing the company to use only 9.24 square miles for sugarcane cultivation and directing that the remaining land be preserved.
Speaking during the recent launch of an initiative dubbed the Kyangwali Mixed Land Use Project in Nsozi Village, NEMA Executive Director Barirega Akankwasah said that NEMA also directed that 1.2 square miles be allocated for the establishment of an urban centre, 1.9 square miles for an eco-tourism centre, 0.156 square miles for a cultural centre, and 6.17 square miles for forest and nature conservation.
He added that subsequent monitoring and evaluation by NEMA revealed that the land designated for eco-tourism, cultural sites, nature walks and forest trails had been severely degraded.
According to Akankwasah, when NEMA raised the matter with Hoima Sugar, the company denied responsibility and instead blamed the local community for the destruction of the forest.
He explained that the extensive degradation prompted NEMA to suspend the 2020 restoration plan. In 2022, the authority issued another environmental restoration order to Hoima Sugar, requiring the company, as the holder of the land title, to restore all degraded areas.
Akankwasah noted that under the revised restoration plan, the company was required to obtain approval for a restoration plan. However, the approval process was repeatedly delayed because it required input from multiple stakeholders.
He added that in December 2025, NEMA approved Hoima Sugar’s restoration plan, excluding the proposed urban centre, which the authority feared could contribute to further environmental degradation.
He said that NEMA identified the Jane Goodall Institute as an independent third party to work alongside Hoima Sugar in implementing the restoration programme.
“So, between 2020 and now, we have been conducting extensive evaluations of the ecosystem restoration plan, which required consultations with the Kingdom, Kikuube District Local Government, the Ministry of Water and Environment, and the Uganda Wildlife Authority [UWA], among others. Under this restoration order, we agreed to accredit an independent institution to act as a third party and oversee the restoration exercise,” he said.
Akankwasah commended Hoima Sugar for supporting the project, expressing optimism that the initiative would restore the area to its original forest cover.
“It is a shame to see maize plantations here. We only want to see forest and not maize in this landscape. The people of Kikuube need to understand that they cannot survive without a forest,” he said.
Rajasekaran Ramaddu, Hoima Sugar’s Director of Agriculture, said the company was ready to work with NEMA to ensure that the degraded area is restored.
He noted that of the 12.77 square miles earmarked for restoration, trees have already been planted on three square miles, with a focus on indigenous species.
Acting Kikuube District Chairperson Vincent Opio welcomed the initiative, saying it would strengthen environmental protection and conservation efforts.
He noted that land degradation poses a serious threat not only to the environment but also to food security, and urged local communities to emulate the example being set by the restoration project.
Kikuube Resident District Commissioner Godwin Agalia called on UWA and the Ministry of Water and Environment to develop a programme for restoring the degraded sections of the Bugoma Forest Reserve.
He said he was encouraged by Hoima Sugar’s initiative, describing the restoration of the degraded forest as long overdue and one of the district’s key aspirations.
Agalia commended all stakeholders supporting the initiative, noting that it contributes significantly to the district’s environmental conservation efforts.
Fred Kiiza, Chief Warden of the Murchison Falls Conservation Area, called for greater collaboration among stakeholders to protect the Bugoma Forest Reserve.
He noted that land occupied by Hoima Sugar is included in Bugoma Forest land records that were handed over to UWA by the government. However, he said the matter is being handled at a higher level of government to ensure harmonisation.
Kiiza further revealed that UWA has deployed personnel across the area and that several people have already been arrested since the authority assumed management of the forest.
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