Court orders 2,000 households off Nebbi forest reserve

By Our Reporter

Arua High Court has ordered over 2,000 encroachers off Omier central forest reserve in Nebbi district.

The High Court Registrar, Jesse Byaruhanga, made the ruling on Monday.

The encroachers had asked for an interim court order restraining National Forestry Authority (NFA) from evicting them. They have been living in the land since 2010.

Byaruhanga ruled that the tenants were illegally occupying a forest reserve. "You say you have lived here for several decades, but you don't have anything to prove your point," he ruled.

The case arising out of Civil Suit No. 0003 OF 2015 was filed by Jimmy Oboku, Elia Oweka and Leonard Tekakwo and others.

NFA was represented by the legal manager, Ruth Kisakye and her assistant Joseph Kwesiga.

Byaruhanga ruled that it is illegal and unlawful for any person to occupy, graze, cultivate, cut, or do any other activity in a forest reserve.

“I therefore order you to leave the Central Forest Reserve forthwith," ruled Byaruhanga.

Omier Central Forest Reserve was first gazetted in 1948 and declared a central forest reserve in 1998.