Who’s behind Mabira Forest’s destruction?

The National Forest Authority (NFA), Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), Uganda Police Force, boarding schools, hotels and saunas in and around Kampala have been cited in the massive destruction of Mabira Forest.

A report seen by New Vision revealed that the mentioned entities and businesses deal in timber, wood and charcoal from trees harvested from Mabira Forest.

Also, timber traders in the districts of Mukono, Jinja, Kampala, Wakiso, Buikwe and Kayunga, have been implicated in the massive plunder of the forest after it emerged that they were sponsoring the cutting down of indigenous trees for timber.

Over the weekend, New Vision established that several players who were tasked with protecting the forest had instead turned it into a cash cow and were instead reaping millions of shillings for themselves.

A series of mobile money transactions seen by New Vision revealed how security personnel stationed in Mabira were receiving money from different individuals in exchange for timber and charcoal burning.

Security personnel implicated

Investigations revealed that some NFA and UPDF officials tasked with patrolling the forest had put in place a premium amount for all those operating within the forest reserve.

New Vision established that these personnel charge sh50,000 per power saw machine per day. A security source noted that between 50-70 saw machines are taken into the forest daily to fell trees for timber, wood and charcoal.

The cost of a truckful of firewood depends on the type of truck one uses and it ranges from sh300,000 to sh2m, New Vision has learnt.

Sources also noted that the deployment of the UPDF officers to protect the forest has instead worsened the situation since they have joined the illicit business of plundering the forest.

“The biggest challenge was including the UPDF to come and protect the forest. Most of these officers overshadow the NFA officers and have started looking at the forest as a means of survival,” a local leader told New Vision.

Emma Musoke, who runs a charcoal business at Najjembe in Buikwe district, noted that many charcoal dealers have survived by corrupt means.

“There are cases where those deployed to patrol the forest intercept charcoal burners. Instead of stopping them, they take over charcoal kilns and instead ask the burners to cut more trees to make fresh kilns. The officers have actually facilitated the illegal charcoal trade in this area. Charcoal burners pay between sh300,000 and sh400,000 weekly as protection fees in order to continue operating,” Musoke said.

Trucks that had come to collect logs that were transported from Mabira Forest using bodabodas.

He noted that charcoal burners enter the forest with the knowledge of security.

“You just do not enter. These officers have middlemen who link them to the charcoal burners.”

A confidential Internal Security Organisation (ISO) report seen by New Vision cited a one Yasin Tumusiime as one of the powerful timber dealers in Lugazi-Kinyoro area.

According to the report dated February 24, Tumusiime is the alleged “financier who buys power saws and hands them to his workers to invade the forest.” The report says Tumusiime owns over 20 power saws, but he is well connected to security personnel.

New Vision has learnt that ISO team has written a report in which they called for a through operation by a neutral UPDF team to rid the forest of encroachers. A copy of the report seen by New Vision, reads: “...the current team on the ground has been compromised.”

The report indicates that most of those who damaged the forest were not residents of area, and that they had gone as far as putting up makeshift shelters in the forest.

The investigations come in the wake of security operatives intercepting Uganda Prisons Service warders and prisoners cutting down trees in the forest for timber and firewood.

The security operatives were outnumbered by the warders, who drove away a truck full of logs.

NFA comments

Aldon Walukamba, the NFA communications and public relations manager, said they were yet to receive complaints over their staff.

He, however, noted that “despite our ongoing efforts to protect Mabira and other Central Forest Reserves, we face challenges due to limited resources”. He added: “But we remain committed to safeguarding these forests, and we urge communities to join us in curbing illegal activities.

Together, we can protect Uganda’s forests and ensure their sustainability for future generations.”

It has also emerged that locals in the affected areas were not involved in the afforestation programmes recently initiated by NFA, which has failed the efforts.

Most affected areas

New Vision has learnt that the most damaged section of Mabira Forest is the Buwoola parish bit near Mabira Police Station. Buwoola parish is made up of three villages: Sanga, Nkaaga and Bakata. There is also the Lwankima sector, which comprises of Nsakya, Kinoni and Buvunya villages.

Security officers walk past one of the charcoal kilns during their patrol in Mabira forest.

“These ones have specialised in supplying charcoal to the districts of Jinja, Mukono, Buikwe, Wakiso and Kayunga. There are also individuals who come on motorcycles and taxis every morning with power saw and they are so smartly dressed that one might think they are going to their respective offices to work. Most of these logs are supplied to local factories around the forest, which make plywood and furniture,” the source stated.

According to the source, a section of the timber dealers in Lugazi who own power saws are also facilitating the cutting down of the forest in the areas of Ssese, Nagoje and Wasswa villages.

“These are rich and powerful individuals and they are well connected,” the source stated. Our investigations also revealed that areas like Kinoni and Nkooko were largely being used for cultivation after the trees were cut down.

A local resident, who has a garden in the forest, but preferred anonymity, said they had been given permission to plough the land that stretches over 100 acres.

“We are many here and we pay money weekly for the NFA and UPDF officials to allow us operate. In our area, we are supposed to collect sh5m per week. We are about 210 farmers here and we specialise in planting vegetables which mature fast,” the farmer stated.

UPDF speaks out

On Monday, March 10, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) director Defence Public Information, Maj. Gen. Felix Kulayigye, said the involvement of the army in Mabira deforestation had not yet been brought to their attention.

“We cannot pass judgement without knowing the other side of the story. Definitely that is a matter to be investigated so that the culprits can be brought to book. They were out there to protect the forest and if they are again involved in destroying it, that is not only a failure, but collusion to commit a crime,” Kulayigye stated.

Operation targeting lorries

Last year, the Internal Security Organisation together with the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU), started an operation targeting lorries that were ferrying timber and wood from the forest.

However, the operation was failed by some corrupt security elements who started tipping the lorry owners of the impending operations.

“Our own officers started giving away our deployment routes and this frustrated our efforts,” the source stated.

In April last year, SHACU, together with the Ssezibwa Regional Police, launched an operation against illegal logging in Mabira. This was on the directive of President Yoweri Museveni.

After SHACU’s interventions, three suspects, including the sector manager, former forest supervisor and a businessman, were arrested and charged over the destruction of Mabira Forest.