Tension as fight for Bajjo Forest Reserve escalates

Security and local leaders in Galilaaya Sub County, Kayunga District are on high alert to stop any more bloodshed following the escalation of tensions in the fight for Bajjo Central Forest Reserve.

At the centre of the fight for Bajjo Forest, which measures about 3,373 hectares, is the Ssabanyala, Baker Kimeze, National Forestry Authority (NFA), a group of cattle keepers in the area and a section of tenants who claim to have acquired pieces of land in the forest reserve, but later sold them off to Kiira Motors Corporation.

Early this year, businessman Morgan Isingoma who claims to own a land title of the forest reserve sold off 2 square miles of the forest land to Kiira Motors Corporation at an unspecified amount of money.

The sale, described by NFA as illegal, caused an uproar, prompting NFA to start fresh re-opening of the forest boundaries, which Mr Isingoma protested and dragged NFA to court. 

Court later stopped NFA from opening the forest boundaries, pending a hearing of the case. All the parties involved in the fight have the backing of armed police or soldiers. Although NFA says it wants to retain its forest that was allegedly sold off early this year to Kiira Motors Corporation for an automobile company, the Ssabanyala claims he is opposed to the sale of the natural resource, which he says is environmentally important to the area. 

On the other hand, the cattle keepers want to continue using the forest reserve for grazing their cattle while the tenants in the forest, who were paid between Shs300m and 400m for their pieces of land, still want possession of the land.

The forest reserve is located in the cattle corridor of Bbaale County.
The fight for the forest reserve, last month resulted in the injury of the Ssabanyala’s UPDF guard, who was hit on the head with a blunt object during a scuffle between police and his soldiers. The armed Ssabanyala was briefly roughed up by Field Force Unit police officers.

“The Resident District Commissioner (RDC) wanted to kill me, but this will not deter me from fighting the giveaway of the forest reserve,” the Ssabanyala said.

Kayunga RDC, Mr Elijah Madoi, who had last week called a meeting of all stakeholders involved in the fight for the forest, cancelled it midway after realising that tempers were flaring among warring parties.

“I want to stop this meeting right now for the good and security of all of us,” Mr Madoi said as he unceremoniously called off the meeting.

At the meeting, over 50 cattle keepers attended while wielding big sticks while NFA and the Bunyala chiefdom premier, Mr Martin Ssenkatuuka, who represented the Ssabanyala had armed soldiers.

The RDC noted that as the head of security in the district, he was concerned about the escalating tensions and asked NFA to be at the forefront to stop the fighting.

“We have fought this war and we are now stressed. NFA should not leave us at the front, it’s their duty to stop this war,” Mr Madoi said on Saturday.

Ms Vyone Kyomuhendo, the Kayunga District acting police commander, also echoed the RDC’s call insisting that it is only NFA that has the answer to defuse the mounting tensions over the forest.

“We are, however, in touch with NFA to handle the situation and I think they should be in the lead to handle the situation,” she said.

Ms Kyomuhendo said soldiers attached to NFA are currently guarding the forest to ensure no people encroach on it. The Ssabanyala, who has vowed to take the matter to President Museveni said he was ready to die protecting the forest reserve.

“Even if I am killed, my successor would take on the fight for this forest,” Maj Kimeze told the media recently.

However, a section of leaders in the district accuses the Ssabanyala of harbouring selfish interests in his fight against what he says is the illegal sale of the forest. But the Ssabanyala denies having any selfish interests.

Mr Joel Kayiira, the acting Kayunga District chairperson, and other leaders allege that the Ssabanyala wants to offer the forest land to his subjects for farming and cattle grazing.

But Mr Moses Muhumuza, the NFA legal manager, said they will soon convene another meeting with locals and other stakeholders in the district during which they will sensitize them on what the law says about forest reserves and wetlands.

“We shall also inform them about the presidential directive to protect forests and wetlands and after which we shall evict all of them from the forest,” he said.

Mr Michael Ojja, the Lwankima sector manager, where Bajjo Forest is located, said the forest reserve is a watershed for major water bodies like rivers Nile, Ssezibwa and Lake Kyoga.

Although the fight was ignited by the sale of the forest land to Kiira Motors Corporation, officials from the company have since refused to comment on the subject.

Mr Ojja said Mr Isingoma simply applied to plant trees in Bajjo Forest Reserve and was allowed.

“I am surprised that Isingoma turned around and sold off the forest land. He wants to grab it,” he said.

He said Mr Isingoma obtained a title deed in the forest reserve land through dubious means.

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