Land Grabbers Get Titles in Bugoma Forest Reserve, Threaten Neighbours

The Kikuube District Security Committee (DSC) is investigating circumstances under which some individuals have fraudulently acquired land titles in Bugoma central forest reserve. 

The individuals whose details are yet to be disclosed reportedly acquired titles that they are using to conduct illegal activities such as cultivation, charcoal burning and illegal logging inside the forest reserve.

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Illegal logging and charcoal production remain major threats to Uganda’s forests with environmentalists warning that continued deforestation could even worsen climate change, increase land degradation and disrupt local livelihoods. 

Godwine Angalia, the Kikuube Resident District Commission (RDC) told Uganda Radio Network -URN in an interview that several tycoons have reportedly acquired titles in the forest reserve under unclear circumstances. He says the tycoons are using the titles acquired fraudulently to threaten residents settled adjacent to the forest reserve with evictions.

Angalia says his office is liaising with the ministry of lands, Housing and Urban development to ascertain circumstances under which the tycoons have acquired the titles in the forest reserve adding that after thorough investigations, the titles will be cancelled immediately and the culprits would be dealt with accordingly. 

Vincent Alpher Opio, the Kikuube LCV Vice Chairperson who doubles as the LCV Councilor for Kabwoya Sub County that is situated adjacent to the forest reserve says many residents in his area are being threatened with evictions by some of the grabbers who acquired titles in the forest reserve. 

He has appealed to the ministry of lands, housing and urban development to investigate the matter and have the titles cancelled. 

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Nestory Tumwesigye, the LCV Councilor for Kyangwali Sub County that is also situated adjacent to the forest reserve wonders how the tycoons can acquire the titles in the forest reserve without the consent of government.   

Judith Nabakooba, the minister of lands, housing and urban development says, government is currently investigating all the illegal activities taking place in the forest reserve adding that soon stern action would be taken. 

She adds that  installation of concrete pillars on the boundary of the forest land has resumed. 

Nabakooba has called upon Kikuube district leaders to liaise with her ministry to ensure that all those conducting illegal activities in the forest reserve are arrested and charged accordingly. 

Stuart Maniraguha, the Executive Director (ED) of the National Forestry Authority (NFA) says they have already secured pillars that they have started installing across the forest boundary.

Bugoma forest reserve is currently facing massive depletion despite being highly guarded by the National Forestry Authority (NFA).

The Central Forest Reserve, covering 410 square kilometres of a protected area, and a stretch of forest measuring 40 kilometres, is a tropical forest in Kikuube district, gazetted in 1932 and taken over by the NFA in 2003.   

It is endowed with a high Biodiversity with 24 species of mammals, 465 species of trees, 359 species of birds, 289 species of butterflies and 130 species of moths.    The mammals include monkeys, chimpanzees, buffalo, Uganda Kobs and elephants. 

A 2012 Chimpanzee census discovered that 10 per cent of Uganda’s Chimpanzee population was in Bugoma forest.

The forest is also a migratory route for wild animals connecting to game parks and a catchment area for rivers that drain into Lake Albert and the river Nguse, where the government plans to build a hydro power dam. 

Situated near the Kingfisher oil field, the Forest is expected to play a crucial role in absorbing greenhouse gas emissions during oil drilling and also act as a rain modifier to boost agriculture. 

In 2016, the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom leased 22 square miles of the said forest land to Hoima Sugar Limited. 

The sugar factory leased close to 22 square miles of the contested Bugoma Central Forest reserve land from the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom for sugarcane growing for 99 years.

However, the National Environment Management Authority -NEMA found 13 of the 22 square miles unfit for a sugar plantation and recommended their preservation since it’s a wetland and forest reserve. 

As a result, NEMA allowed Hoima Sugar factory to cultivate sugarcane on the remaining 9.24 square miles covering the grassland, establish an urban center on 1.26 square miles, an eco-tourism centre on 1.97 square miles, and restore 3.13 square miles of the forest reserve. 

They also recommended the preservation of another 0.156 hectares for the cultural site and 6.17 square miles as a natural forest. 

However, several conservationists have opposed the move, saying the giveaway is not only a threat to the ecosystem and endangered species, but it is likely to hurt tourism activities, which are a source of revenue for the local communities and the country. 

Bunyoro Kitara explained that land leased to Hoima Sugar is not part of Bugoma forest but the Kingdom’s ancestral land that is adjacent to the reserve.      

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