Government dodges MPs queries on Mabira give-away
Yasiin MugerwaThe government yesterday side-stepped public anger towards President Museveni’s renewed proposal to give away part of Mabira Central Forest Reserve to an investor to grow sugarcane.
Responding to queries from opposition MPs, Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi refused to give straight answers, and only told a stormy Parliament that the government was drafting a policy on degazetting the “degraded” part of the forest to be used for other purposes.
Standing on a matter of national significance, Shadow Minister for Environment Ken Lukyamuzi (CP, Lubaga South) and opposition leader Nandala Mafabi asked Mr Mbabazi to confirm to the House whether the President was serious about allocating part of the forest to Sugar Corporation of Uganda Limited (Scoul) to grow sugarcane.
“The government is in the process of reconsidering Mabira Forest, targeting the degraded part occupied by encroachers,” Mr Mbabazi said. “This part (of the forest) has not regenerated and it can be considered for another use. We are in the process of considering a policy on Mabira and we shall notify Parliament.” But a government-organised trip instigated by State House to show journalists the supposedly degraded parts of Mabira came to an embarrassing end on Monday after the guides failed to find evidence of degradation in the lush tropical forest.
National Forestry Authority officials brought along on the same trip also quietly confided in journalists, telling them that the forest has regenerated and is on the way to full recovery.
MPs angry
Mr Mbabazi’s response infuriated lawmakers, who accused him of dodging the Mabira give-away question. “The Minister should stop dodging the question. What we want to know is whether the President said he was going to give away the forest or not,” Mr Mafabi said. “If it’s true, then don’t you think the best thing to do would be to plant trees in that degraded part of the forest? This is a water catchment area and cannot be given to investors just like that. There must be a process to follow.”
Mr Mbabazi said: “The question of Mabira Forest, the policy of government on Mabira- the government knows very well the procedure to follow. I request my colleagues to be patient. We are still in the process of going through the policy on this issue and when we are ready, we shall come to Parliament.”
Article 237(2) of the 1995 Constitution states that the government or a local government as determined by Parliament by law shall hold in trust for the people and protect natural lakes, rivers, wetlands, forest reserves, game reserves, national parks and any land to be reserved for ecological and touristic purposes for the common good of all citizens.
This means that if government is to degazette Mabira forest, there must be a resolution of Parliament to the effect. But as Mr Mbabazi scrambled to calm tempers which greeted the reconvening of Parliament from the budget break, another minister was in the Parliament’s Natural Resources Committee also struggling to explain what was going on with Mabira Forest.
The lawmakers on the committee chaired by former minister Michael Werikhe roundly rejected the government proposal and asked Ms Betty Bigombe, the junior water minister, who represented Ms Maria Mutagamba, not to waste time bringing a motion for the degazetting of Mabira to Parliament.
Minister told off
“Don’t even waste your time on Mabira issue because we are not going to accept it,” Ms Ann Nankabirwa (NRM, Kyankwanzi Woman) said. “When it comes to Amuru land they consult, when it comes to Mabira Forest of Buganda Kingdom they want to use force but we are not going to accept. We can’t destroy the forest because of sugar.”
Other committee members also vowed to fight the Mabira proposal. While opposition to the planed give-away is hinged on the feared loss of hundreds of endangered species, increased erosion, the damage of livelihoods of local people and negative impacts on water balance and regional climate, supporters hoped for the creation of jobs.
In 2007, the Kabaka of Buganda opposed the deforestation plan and offered alternative land. The Anglican church of Mukono has also offered land. But President Museveni has defended the deforestation plans, saying he will “not be deterred by people who don’t see where the future of Africa lies”.
