_____________________

The parish priest of Rwemisanga Catholic Parish in Kyangwali sub-county, Kikuube District, finds himself in challenging circumstances. National Forest Authority (NFA) officials have detained him over allegations of encroaching on Bugoma Forest Reserve and illegally cutting timber.

Speaking in the phone interview with New Vision, Alex Obonyo, the NFA Kisindi Sector manager, said the suspect whom he identified as Fr. Roggers Matovu Alituha, was arrested from his timber yard at Rwemisanga Parish in Kyangwali Sub County by the NFA team on Sunday, January 28.

He noted that after informants tipped the NFA team, after they sighted the suspect with his agents carrying timber from Bugoma Forest Reserve, the team swung into action to arrest the suspect.

According to Obonyo, before the arrest, the informers led the NFA operation team where the Alituha had allegedly kept the timber.

Theses are some of the timber that were discovered from the Fr. Rodgers' Timber yard.

He noted that during the operation they impounded over 400 pieces of timber of different tree species such as Mahogany and Muvule trees among others which are commonly found in Bugoma Forest Reserve.

Obonyo said that because of pressure from politicians in the area, after the arrest, the NFA team transferred the suspect to the Authority’s head offices in Kampala for further management.

He noted that he is currently detained in Kampala waiting to be arraigned before courts of law, adding that he will be charged with illegal cutting of timers in Bugoma Forest Reserve which is contrary to sections 14 and 32 of the National Forest and Tree Planting Act of 2003.

This is not the first person accused of encroaching on Bugoma Forest Reserve and carrying out illegal activities such as charcoal burning and cultivation.

Last year, Evas Munguryeke, the Kikuube District councillor for workers and others, were accused of aiding the cutting of trees, cultivating, rumbling of timber and charcoal burning in Bugoma, acts that have depleted the forest reserve.

During that operation, they impounded a lorry full of timber that was allegedly cut by Munguryeke and his group and three people were arrested for cultivating maize and beans in the forest, before they confessed that they had been hired by Munguryeke.