Africa-Press – Uganda. Residents of Kabira Sub County in Kyotera District have put up a spirited fight to oppose a move by National Forestry Authority (NFA) to cut down the Kigona River Central Forest Reserve and replace it with eucalyptus trees.
The Monitor has learnt that NFA has already entered a partnership with a businessman, Mr John Ssenkungu Kaboggoza to plant eucalyptus trees on a section of the Central Forest Reserve.
Kigona River Central Forest Reserve covers six villages of Nakatoogo, Zzirizi, Kyamayembe, Nkalwe, Sserinnya and Lwoga and is home to immense biodiversity, insects and medicinal plants and a source of firewood for the surrounding communities.
According to a letter dated January 31, 2023, signed by the NFA Executive Director Mr Tom Okello, Mr Kaboggoza was granted 50 hectares of the forest reserve to carry out commercial tree planting.
“You have been relocated from block SB/KYA/043 to block SB/KIG/001 of 50 hectares in Kigona River Central Forest Reserve under the Sango Bay Range area to establish a commercial forest plantation,” the letter reads in part.
Mr Richard Kalanzi, the Kabira sub-county chairperson told this reporter that the land given to Mr Kaboggoza is in addition to 12 acres which were already granted to him a few years ago.
“The 12 acres which were given to him [Kaboggoza] earlier are already covered with eucalyptus trees plus another six acres were given to another resident. I strongly condemn this plan because it’s disastrous to our given the vast value of the ecosystem,” he said on Tuesday.
“Many streams where residents draw water have their sources in Kigona River Forest Reserve. It is evident that when they cut down the natural trees and plant eucalyptus, all those water sources are going to dry up due to eucalyptus trees’ high consumption of groundwater,” he added.
Mr John Bosco Ssansa, a councillor representing Kabira Sub County at the district condemned NFA for such a move when the entire world is strategizing on how to protect sensitive ecosystems in a bid to curb adverse effects of climate change.
However, Mr Kaboggoza said he followed the right procedure to acquire the forestry land from NFA.
“I responded to an advert which the Authority placed in the newspapers calling for private investors. My project is intended to help our people in terms of generating employment opportunities but unfortunately everyone is fighting me including local leaders,” he said.
Ms Esther Nekesa, the NFA manager in charge of the Sango-bay range said Mr Kaboggoza together with some other residents legally acquired the forestry land through the Collaborative Forest Management (CFM) strategy being popularized by NFA.
“It is not true that natural trees are cut down, private tree planters are given portions where there are no trees and plant eucalyptus for commercial purposes. On the other hand, the community is earning from the forest by getting wood fuel, herbs and some graze from there,” she said.
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