President orders NFA to return forest land to Mayuge residents

President Yoweri Museveni has ordered the National Forestry Authority to hand over 48 villages in Malongo and Kityerera sub-counties in Mayuge district to the residents for agriculture and other commercial activities.

Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda delivered the president's message during a meeting at Mayuge district council hall.

Rugunda said the exercise to carve out the 48 villages was made after negotiations with the locals during the presidential campaigns in October 2010 and is expected to be complete soon.

President Yoweri Museveni has also ordered NFA to hand over 500 hectares of land in Bukaleeba Forest Reserve Bukatuube sub-county, to over 30,000 families who had earlier been evicted. The families have been residing at Ndokelo trading centre.

The President, during a campaign tour of Busoga region recently, was shocked to discover that the families had been evicted by NFA way back in 1998.

He directed the Prime Minister to visit the area and seek a solution to the problem.

Rugunda cautioned local leaders against interfering with the President's directive.

"Anyone who tries to block the President's directive risks being arrested and charged," he said.

Rugunda also toured the Busoga forestry reserve before meeting locals at Nakalanga landing site, Bukaleeba subcounty.

He blamed some technical personnel in the lands ministry for delaying the demarcation exercise.

"These people had been asked earlier to carry out this exercise, but had been reluctant," he said.

Rugunda denied allegations that the order could be political to enable the NRM earn votes in next month's elections.

"This issue could have been done a long time ago, but people have been slow in whatever they do," he said.

He, however, urged the people of Mayuge to vote President Museveni to ensure he fulfills all the pledges he had earlier made.

When contacted, Remmy Naguti, the range officer at the National Forestry Authority, said they are awaiting the demarcation exercise process to be completed so as to officially hand over the land to the families.

She said, however, there is need to sensitise the locals about the need to preserve the forests and avoid depletion when they resettle in the Busoga and South Busoga forest reserves.

"We need to educate these people about the need to avoid cutting down the trees for either burning charcoal or other purposes," she said.

According to the latest report from Food and Agriculture Organisation, Uganda is losing 200,000 hectares of forest land annually to encroachers, farming activities, charcoal burning and timber logging.