RDC tasks LCs to guard forests
Some of the charcoal burners arrested from a forest in Butambala District last week. Photo by Sadat Mbogo
Butambala- Butambala Resident District Commissioner, Mr Yahya Kakooza, has directed local leaders to protect forest reserves in the area after the withdrawal of National Forestry Authority officials.
“Village secretaries for environment will help us conserve our forest reserves as we await a joint meeting with NFA officials to discuss the criteria to follow to keep encroachers off public forest reserves,” Mr Kakooza said in an interview on Wednesday.
The RDC observed that although NFA has tried to execute its mandate, many forest reserves in Butambala have been encroached upon by private developers and local farmers. The most affected forest reserves are found in areas of Kitimba, Gwatiro, Makulungo, Kyerima and Nawandagi areas.
Mr Michael Okot, the NFA branch manager in charge of Mpigi, Butambala and Gomba districts, welcomed the RDC’s directive.
He said his team had temporarily withdrawn from the district but will return after a stakeholders’ meeting involving NFA officials, residents and politicians in the district is convened.
