30 arrested, as NFA continues to battle Kibaale forest encroachers
Some of the settlements in Ruzaire forest in Kibaale. NFA has began a crack down on encroachers in the district. Photo by Francis Mugerwa
Over 30 people have so far been arrested in an operation to crack down on illegal encroachment and settlement in the national forest reserves in Kibaale district that started on Monday, 13th June.
The operation which started last week in Kangombe Central Forest Reserve was mounted by National Forestry Authority(NFA) with the help of Police.
“The operations are of great importance due to the high forest depletion being registered in Kibaale in the guise of agriculture which is illegal and unwarranted,” Patrick Kaketo, the acting NFA Budongo range manager said. The range oversees all forest reserves in Bunyoro sub region.
Kaketo told Daily Monitor that the arrested encroachers held at Kibaale Police Station. They were reportedly arrested in Kangombe Central Forest Reserve which shares a border with Kibaale and Kyenjojo districts.
“We have been carrying out sensitization meetings to the encroachers since last year requesting them not to continue farming activities in the reserves but they have turned a deaf ear,” said Kaketo.
He confirms that the operations by NFA to curb illegal activities in the Central Forest Reserves in Kibaale will continue.He urged all the encroachers to voluntarily vacate the forests if they are to survive arrest.
“NFA is ready to continue with the operations until all the illegal activities in the forests are over because we cannot watch as the forest cover is being lost,” said Kaketo.
However, Deo Ndabiyareza one of the encroachers claimed that some encroachers bought land in the reserves.
“They very well know it that some of us came into the forest and the old settlers sold land to us. We cannot accept to leave this land because we have already planted crops,” he said.
During the operation in Kangombe forest reserve, about 1,500 pieces of timber were impounded and loaded on lorry trucks and were transported to NFA Kampala Head offices.
The District Police Commander Kibaale Ojokuna John Elatu said that a total of 15 illegal settlers in the reserve have already been prosecuted in court.
