Over 700 illegal titles created in Greater Masaka forest reserves

Mumbhokisa said NFA, in partnership with Commercial Banks, Non-Governmental Organisations and communities, embarked on a mass tree-planting campaign in the affected NFA open spaces in Greater Masaka, an intervention that has improved the forest cover.

The Lands Minister, Judith Nabakooba, told New Vision that her ministry has embarked on the cancellation process of the said illegal titles created in the protected NFA forest reserves. She cited reserves such as Jubia, Mujuzi, Kansonke, Kijanibalora, Kyamazi, Malamagambo, and Ntusi in the Greater Masaka region as the most affected, saying the ministry has set up a team to carry out a survey and cadastral plotting, and to establish the status of the land parcels.

Minister Judith Nabakoba, the Minister of Lands, has embarked on the cancellation program of the illegal titles found in Greater Masaka Central forest reserves. (Credit: Dismus Buregyeya)

Nabakooba noted that the reported illegal titles in Greater Masaka were created before 2016. “After a quick scan of the affected titles, we found out that they were made before 2016. We are handling that matter basing on coordinates provided by the ministry of water and environment,” she said.

The minister said those with illegal titles will be summoned for a public hearing before the cancellation process. She added that the Ministry of Lands register will be cleared to get rid of the illegal land titles found in the affected Central government reserves.

According to Nabakooba, the ministry of lands has already handled cancellation programmes in Mukono and Mpigi districts. The Sector Manager for Greater Masaka, Esther Nekesa, regretted that the district and City council land boards have connived with the public to allocate titles in forest reserves to individuals, citing Kumbu North and South in Masaka City, where plots have been created.

Some of the pine forests planted by a local businessman, Joseph Kimera, on NFA land in Bukakata subcounty in Masaka district. (Credit: Dismus Buregyeya)

Nekesa said over 200 people, including politicians from the opposition political parties in Masaka City, raided Kumbu forest reserve located in Kimanya-Kabonera division and started destroying the forest. She said NFA staff were forced to call for police intervention to save the forest. “Our NFA staff fled after the 200 people led by politicians turned hostile with pangas. It’s the police in Masaka, which
came to our rescue,” she said.

Nekesa revealed that NFA was hoodwinked by the politicians, including the area MPs in Masaka City, who claimed they had come to launch a community cleaning exercise in the area but later started cutting down the forest. She said NFA is still grappling with court cases filed by land grabbers in Masaka High Court for over 10 years.

Groups of tree planters in Masaka district, led by Joseph Kimera from Bukakata sub-county, appreciated the Government for empowering the communities and individuals to participate in tree planting campaigns, which he said has enabled them to protect the environment.

The Masaka deputy Resident District Commissioner, Robert Kambugu, warned coffee farmers who have grown plantations in gazetted forests and wetlands, saying they are going to face serious environmental implications from the international markets.

Former Bukakata sub-county chairperson Mehta Mutagubya attributed the rampant destruction of forests to indiscipline among locals, who he said had stubbornly refused to save the forests. “Look for alternative sources of livelihood; earning a living through forest degradation is going to be risky; the fishermen should vacate the forests,” he said.

The Bank of Baroda Managing Director, Shashi Dhar, said they have partnered with NFA with an aim of mitigating climate change through protecting forests to save biodiversity, adding that sustainable tree planting is aimed at safeguarding the future.

The Bank of Baroda board chairperson, Charles Langoyo, said locals should emulate the tree-planting farm model specific for charcoal business, which is being developed in northern Uganda. “Under this charcoal farming business, we grow trees for commercial charcoal-burning purposes. It's being practised in the north,” he said.

The National Resistance Movement chairperson for Makonzi parish in Bukakata sub-county, Peter Kayemba, said they tabled a plan for the displaced families of fishermen to be allocated land where to settle as a strategy to stop them from encroaching on forest reserves. He said Central Forest reserves are not healthy for human settlement.  

William Wasswa, the Bukakata sub-county National Unity Platform chairperson, urged government to make gas stoves affordable for locals as a solution to stopping forest degradation. He added that fishermen should be supported with fishing gear and alternative sources of income.