Restoring environment: Kooki Chiefdom intensifies tree-planting campaign in Rakai district

RAKAI – Kooki Chiefdom has launched a tree planting campaign to restore the degraded landscapes in Rakai district.

Apollo Sansa Kabumbuli II who is Kooki Chiefdom’s cultural leader launched the campaign during the recent celebrations to mark his 19th coronation anniversary.

He said: ”It is our collective responsibility as cultural leaders to mobilize the subjects to plant trees in their farmland for protection of the environment and ensure food security in communities.”

According to a report compiled by the district environment department, Rakai is one of the hilly areas in the central cattle corridor of Buganda whose forest cover was reported to have been reduced to 15, 486 hectares by 2020 from 129,019 hectares in 2001.

Speaking of the need to protect the landscape, Kabumbuli II said: “I have found out that many people in Rakai district are suffering from hunger, malnutrition among children and harsh climatic conditions and we need much attention regarding protection of landscapes.”

According to the chiefdom’s Kooki Prime Minister, Idi Kiwanuka, the tree-planting campaign is designed to reduce the effects of harsh weather conditions and also improve food security in rural communities that live below the poverty line.

He added: “We are mobilising households to adopt climate smart agricultural practices to reduce land degradation and soil infertility. We are trying to change the mindset of people not to cut down trees for timber, and firewood but they should restore the degraded landscapes by planting trees.”

He said tree species being planted include albizia coriaria, grevillea rubosta, mvule, musizi Musambya, and mahogany as well as fruit trees that can mitigate climate change in the affected communities in Rakai district.

“Trees are very important in protecting the land from soil erosion and provide better quality diets and long-term sustainability of food production,” he added.

The Rakai district environment officer, Richard Kalungi said the district is experiencing unreliable rainfall patterns as well biodiversity losses following rampant cutting of trees.

Kalungi attributed the destruction of the environment to the increasing population in the district, with people cutting trees for settlement, crop cultivation, and charcoal burning.

Kalungi said cultural leaders are so much believed and hoped the involvement of Kooki Chiefdom leaders in the tree-planting campaign will save the local landscapes from degradation.

He said Rakai district leadership is encouraging people to cultivate fruit trees and indigenous trees in their crop farms, saying trees provide manure and other crop nutrients, which are beneficial to humans as well.

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