PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has urged NRM MPs to support his proposal to allocate part of Mabira forest to the Mehta Group to expand its sugar plantation.
By Mary Karugaba
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has urged NRM MPs to support his proposal to allocate part of Mabira forest to the Mehta Group to expand its sugar plantation.
The President has also asked the party MPs to back his proposal to amend the Constitution in order to deny bail to some categories of suspects, including rioters.
Museveni made the appeal during a meeting with the NRM Caucus at State House Entebbe on Monday evening. The President reportedly told the members that there was need to allocate the degraded part of Mabira forest to the Lugazi-based Sugar Corporation of Uganda Ltd (SCOUL) owned by the Mehta Group to increase sugar production in the country.
“You need to support this idea. We have to enable Mehta to increase sugar production,†the President reportedly argued.
Some MPs who spoke on condition of anonymity said many members opposed giving away part of the forest reserve.
After a heated debate, sources said Museveni told the MPs that the discussions