Residents protest boundary reopening of Rwesabya forest
Local leaders inspect Rwesabya forest reserve in Kyegegwa District last week. PHOTO | ALEX ASHABA
What you need to know:
- More than 50 families from five villages want the exercise halted because most of their properties, including houses, land and gardens have been annexed to the forest reserve. Officials from the forest authority started reopening the boundaries and erected poles two weeks ago.
Residents near Rwesabya forest reserve in Kabweza sub-county, Kyegegwa District, have protested the ongoing boundary reopening of the natural resource by National Forestry Authority (NFA).
More than 50 families from five villages want the exercise halted because most of their properties, including houses, land and gardens have been annexed to the forest reserve. Officials from the forest authority started reopening the boundaries and erected poles two weeks ago.
“I came to this place in 1988, I have never seen NFA officials telling me that I encroached on their land, but I was surprised to find NFA poles in my land, I don’t have anywhere to go because this is where I buried my parents,” Ms Gorreti Tukezibwa, a resident, said.
She added that they were not consulted about the exercise. Mr Anthony Asiimwe, another resident, said in the previous years, boundaries were reopened and marked to prevent residents from encroaching on the land.
“We all know where the boundaries of the forest reserve are, we are wondering how they jumped them and came to our land where we have stayed for all these years,” he said.
The district chairperson, Mr John Kisoke, said they together with NFA officials have to survey the land again to ascertain the actual boundaries.
“We told all the affected residents to be registered so that we can have a meeting with NFA officials to see that this issue is solved. However, it will be done after we have surveyed the land afresh because we don’t want our people to lose it,” he said.
The Kyaka Central MP, Mr Tom Bright, said they have written to NFA officials to resolve the issue. The NFA sector manager, Mr Milton Agaba, said they are not interested in grabbing peoples’ land, adding that they decided to carry out the exercise so that people know the forest boundaries.
The Resident District Commissioner, Ms Monica Karungi, said President Museveni issued a directive stopping the eviction of people from the land. She instead called for dialogue between affected residents and NFA officials so that people are not evicted. Rwesabya forest reserve was gazetted in 1961 with 662 hectares.
