Now Nabbanja gets into Bugoma forest saga

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has intervened in the long-running battle to save the Budongo forest reserve that has been a thorn in the neck of communities for such a long time.

Nabbanja chaired an inter-ministerial meeting with development partners at her office in Kampala on Friday to discuss the state of forest conservation and restoration of the embattled forest.

The meeting discussed the different mechanisms to preserve Bugoma with its biodiversity.

That followed a directive by President Yoweri Museveni for the Prime Minister to coordinate and resolve all issues concerning that and other forests and wetlands in the country. It was a broad assignment that Nabbanja immediately took on with zeal.

The Bunyoro Kitara kingdom and Hoima Sugar Limited have been claiming part of the Bugoma Central Forest reserve, while the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and some civil society agitators advocated against destruction of the natural forest.

The Ministry of Water and Environment in conjunction with the Ministry of Lands and National Forestry Authority, is currently carrying out comprehensive boundary reopening of the forest reserve to determine extent of encroachment on the forest based on a Cabinet directive.

In the latest meeting, Nabbanja said government was keen to protect forests.

“Government has committed to reducing our green gas emissions by at least 22 percent by the year 2030, while we also embark on increasing the forest cover to at least 21 percent by the same year,” she told the meeting.

The Minister of State for Lands Dr Sam Mayanja told the meeting that titling a forest reserve or wetland is unconstitutional and such all existing titles for the forest are null and void.

Nabbanja subsequently directed that the titles so far parceled out in Bugoma central forest reserve, be cancelled after consultations with the Attorney General.

The meeting resolved to wait for the report from the team that was assigned to carry out boundary reopening, before deciding what to do next in the line of saving the forest reserve.

Located in Masindi District, Budongo forest reserve was initially seated on 319 square miles with more than 360 bird species, 290 butter fly species, 130 moths and at least 465 different tree species, conservatory records show.

With about 24 different mammals and nine primates, the forest is composed of mainly of moist, medium altitude with patches of savanna and woodland, in a gentle rolling landscape down into the East African Rift Valley.

Initially it was home to at least four water streams, Waisoke, Sonso, Kamirambwa and Siba, which all drain the forest into the neighboring Lake Albert.