Tension as encroachers invade Bugoma forest
Mr John Twinomugisha, (right), the Assistant Commissioner of police in charge of forestry department, chats with a Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom official at the section of the forest that was encroached on recently. Photo BY EPHRAIM KASOZI
HOIMA/KAMPALA.
The unchecked destruction of forest reserves in Bunyoro areas has now claimed hectares of Bugoma Forest in Hoima District.
National Forest Authority (NFA) officials alleged that there is an investor intending to establish a sugarcane plantation on 8,000 hectares of the forest reserve in Nsozi.
They said another group claiming to be veterans under Turipona Group had started clearing the forest in the areas of Nyairongo.
Mr John Twinomugisha, the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of forestry department, said they halted the activities by the alleged encroachers pending a boundary opening exercise.
“An investor, Hoima Sugar Works limited purporting to have bought the land from Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, had started clearing the forest for sugarcane growing. We got information that another person bought the trees,” Mr Twinomugisha said, adding that police officers have been deployed to guard the two places and the seized grader.
NFA supervisor in charge of Kyangwali beat, Mr Robert Busiku, warned that the encroachment, if allowed to continue, would threaten wildlife conservation.
But in separate interviews yesterday, both Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom leadership and Hoima Sugar Works Limited denied engaging in the forest destruction scam.
“The land in dispute belongs to the Kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara and it borders the forest reserve. The dispute is between NFA and the kingdom, not us (Hoima Sugar works),” said Mr Raja Singh, the managing director of Hoima Sugar works.
Bunyoro-Kitara premier, Mr Norman Lukumu, confirmed the impasse between the kingdom and NFA but insisted that they have not leased or sold out any land because they are mindful of the environment.
