By Mukembo Wilfred
Conservationists have demanded for the release of the boundary opening report on Bugoma Central Forest Reserve in Midwestern Uganda.
They argued that the release of the report would help to solve the impasse of holding illegal titles and illegal occupants on the country’s tropical forest reserve in Kikuube and Hoima districts.
In August 2022, the government through the lands ministry concluded the process of the boundary opening of Bugoma Central forest reserve as a measure to solve the long standing dispute that is currently pending before the court of appeal.
However, environmental activists argue that despite conclusion of the survey exercise more than a year ago, the report has never been made public and or disseminated yet the destruction of the reserve is continuing unabated to the detriment of the environment.
Companies, among them Hoima Sugar Limited and MZ Agencies as well as individuals are claiming to own portions of the forest reserve.
Kiboga District Woman Member of Parliament and a conservationist, Ms Christine Kaaya said that there are illegal occupants on the forest and land as well as others holding illegal titles and the only remedy is to have a survey and boundary opening report to solve the impasse.
“The survey exercise was completed but some people are bribing, others are influencing the report. We also understand that there is a lot of harmonization by the different surveyors and stakeholders,” said Ms Kaaya demanding for the final report to solve the protracted dispute.
According to the legislator who is also the shadow minister for environment, the protection of Bugoma Central Forest Reserve would help to absorb the emission from the oil area.
She lamented: “The discriminatory nature of enforcing the laws is another problem because most of the people involved in the Bugoma forest dispute are big shots and the presidential directives do not affect them. We are saying let them release the survey report and the harmonization can be done later.”
When contacted, Mr Dennis Obbo, the spokesperson in the Ministry of lands said that the exercise was completed for the cabinet to guide on the next steps.
“The survey was done in response to a cabinet directive and we followed the guidance and process. We submitted the report to cabinet and a cabinet memo,” he said in a telephone interview.
Without commenting on what happens next, Mr Obbo insisted to the Ministry of lands officials what the cabinet directed them to do.
Cabinet issued a directive in 2019 to the Ministry of Water and Environment to open the boundaries of Bugoma Central Forest Reserve after it was trapped in controversy over land dispute.
Officials at the National Forest Authority (NFA) said that the move seeks to solve the protracted dispute that is pending before the Court of Appeal.
In August 2022, the government through the lands ministry concluded the process of reopening the boundary of Bugoma Central forest reserve in Hoima and Kikuube districts.
The Bugoma forest boundary opening started in November 2021 to determine boundaries and align the boundary.
The boundary opening came amid an ongoing and pending legal battle in which the NFA is challenging the issuance of the land title to Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom and subsequent releasing of the disputed forest land to Hoima Sugar Limited.
NFA sued Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, Omukama Solomon Gafabusa, Hoima Sugar Limited and the Commissioner for Land registration challenging the destruction of the forest reserve.
The case now awaits hearing and determination before the Court of Appeal.
