Environmentalists protest move to degazette three forest reserves 

Environmentalists have protested a move by a group of legislators, who want Parliament to degazette three forest reserves located in Kayunga District.

Last week, Mr Charles Tebandeke, the Bbaale County MP (NUP) moved a motion in Parliament seeking a resolution of Parliament to degazette Wamale, Bajjo, and Kiula central forest reserves for human settlement and establishment of industrial parks.

The motion was seconded by Mr Patrick Nsanja, the MP Ntenjeru South Constituency and Mr Zijan David Livingstone (Butembe County).

The three forest reserves are located in Bbaale and Galilaaya sub-counties, in the semi-arid cattle corridor.
Both Wamale and Kiula forests are planted with sugarcane while Bajjo was sold off to Kiira Motors Corporation.

However, Mr Frank Muramuzi, the executive director of the National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE), on Wednesday described the move as “very bad” saying as environmentalists, they will not allow the forests to be degazetted on “flimsy grounds”.

“If they are going to degazette those three forest reserves because people are displaced by floods so when all forests are finished, where will they settle others that would be displaced in future?” he asked.

The renowned environmentalist said as NAPE, they are going to study the matter further so that they decide on how to engage the MPs who are pushing for the degazettement of the forests.

In the motion, the legislators argue that Kayunga is densely populated with 368,062 people occupying 158,800 hectares, which cannot ably sustain the ever-growing population in the area.

“Unless the land belonging to Wamale, Kiula and Bajjo central forest reserves is degazette to allow human settlement, the 70,000 households currently occupying that land will continue having no security of tenure on the land, and the continued land wrangles and land evictions in the district are likely to continue unabated,” the motion reads in part.

A few months ago, National Forestry Authority (NFA), the Ssabanyala Baker Kimeze, and herders in Kayunga put up a spirited fight to save Bajjo Forest Reserve after Mr Morgan Isingoma who claim to have a title in the forest reserve sold part of the forest to Kiira Motors Corporation for construction of an automobile plant.

Mr Saleh Bulinsoni, the Kayunga District speaker, said although the past district council had passed a resolution supporting degazettement of “part” of Bajjo Forest Reserve, he said, he was shocked that the MP wants two other forests degazetted.

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