By Sadique Bamwita
ENTEBBE
The former Vice president of Uganda as well as the Senior presidential adviser on environmental matters, Prof. Gilbert Balibaseka Bukenya, on Monday March 25,2024 , ordered the Ministry of Lands ,Housing and Urban development in conjunction with the National Forestry Authority (NFA), to revoke six land titles that were created on the 200 acres of Land housing contentious Kitubulu Central forest reserve by unscrupulous government officials.
The six land titles to be revoked belong to Megah industries Uganda Ltd on plots 11, 13-17, 23-25, along Kibira road, Deborah Mbabazi plot 18 along Katonga road, David Hood Mpigi plot 7 and 8 Mirza road and Mulkin Enterprises Ltd plot 6 Miria close.
Prof. Bukenya, who toured the encroached areas of Kitubulu forest reserve has directed the Lands ministry to conduct an expeditious search on the land titles and thereafter delete them from being land titles on Kitubulu Central Forest reserve.
In his debrief after touring the encroached areas of Kitubulu Central Forest reserve, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, tasked the National Forestry Authority legal officer to avail him with true information regarding the illegal land titles which he says will be presented to the President of Uganda so as to withdraw them.
“I want to know who issued the illegal land titles at Wakiso district, and who endorsed it in the Lands ministry so that we say why are you destroying our country and you better go to do farming in a forest. I have noticed the desire to withhold information particularly from field workers. We discovered three plots inside the forest well demarcated and marked,” he said.
He said more land titles have been issued on Kitubulu Central forest reserve and wondered aloud about who are responsible for issuing land titles to encroachers.
“I see the government suing itself because encroachers sue NFA using land titles issued by the Ministry of lands. This anomaly must stop. I will recommend strongly to the president of Uganda to sue those issuing illegal land titles for corruption. This is absolute corruption which must be dealt with,” the former VP said.
He also promised to take action against those who mine sand in the swamp on the side of Kitubulu Central forest reserve saying there is need to rehabilitate the degraded swamp area.
Prof. Bukenya has also directed National Forestry Authority to lease part of the forest reserve to local investors to plant natural trees like maisopsis eminii(musizi) other than planting eucalyptus trees which release a lot of carbon into the atmosphere hence resulting into climate change adversity.
“The National Forestry Authority should decrease issuing licences to planters of eucalyptus trees because they release a lot of carbon in the air which greatly affect climate change. We need to plant more indigenous trees because they are climate friendly,” he said.
The acting Director Environment affairs at the Ministry of Water and Environment, Stephen David Mugabi, admitted that his office is overwhelmed with issues of illegal encroachers on government forest reserves and that several restoration orders have been issued to the encroachers to restore the affected areas to the original state but unfortunately the abusers remain defiant.
“It’s true there are challenging issues regarding the forest reserve. As ministry of water and environment we are trying to make a follow up to find out why the abusers of restoration order don’t comply with it. There is a clear Law not to degazzete any government forest but this has been violated repeatedly.
“We have a program called running out of trees with a target to plant 40m trees annually. The National Forestry Authority is a big contributor to this program, ” Mr. Mugabi revealed.
The Executive Director National Forestry Authority (NFA), Mr. Tom Okello, revealed that issues of encroaching on government forest reserves are more rampant in the districts of Wakiso, Mpigi, Jinja and Mbarara and appealed to locals to report perpetrators attempting to encroach on government forest land.
The Entebbe Municipality Legislator, Michael Kakembo Mbwatekamwa, said the battle to protect and conserve Kitubulu Central forest reserve started 20 years ago saying most of the encroachers are big people in government admitting that it’s hard to fight them. He however, asked National Forestry Authority to involve locals in their attempt to fight forest encroachers.
The Entebbe Division Police (DPC) commander, SSP- Kenneth Muheirwe, informed Prof. Bukenya that recently police arrested sand miners who were mining sand on one of the sides of Kitubulu Central Forest reserve and the suspects were arraigned in court.
The Assistant Commissioner for Forestry at the Ministry of water and environment, Bob Kazungu, concurred with Prof. Gilbert Bukenya on the issue of planting indigenous trees saying they greatly help to address the adverse effects of climate change.
The Entebbe municipal Council Town Clerk , Emmanuel Gakyaro Mugisha, welcomed Prof. Bukenya’s intervention to save Kitubulu Central Forest reserve from encroachers arguing that this would help to alleviate issues related to climate concerns in the area.
Hajji Hussein Kavuma, the Director of Hijja and Umra in Entebbe Municipality who also own land at the disputed Kitubulu Central forest reserve said it’s good Prof. Bukenya has visited the ground and he is hopeful that action will be taken against illegal land occupants.
