Behind Bugoma forest giveaway

ENVIRONMENT

In 2016, Bunyoro-Kitara kingdom gazetted a 22-square-mile piece of land in Kyangwali sub-county, Kikuube district. It was leased to Hoima Sugar Limited at sh3.9b for sugarcane growing, for 99 years.

Ecologists objected to the give-away, sying the land is part of Bugoma Central Forest Reserve, which was gazetted in 1932.

The National Forestry Authority (NFA) dragged the Omukama, Solomon Gafabusa Iguru, in whose name the land title is, to court. They want the court to pronounce that the land is part of Bugoma forest and that it was wrongfully titled.

Environmentalists say the land is also home to chimpanzees, indigenous trees, elephants, insects, endangered bird species, the Nahan's Francolin and American Grey parrots.

It is also a migratory route for wild animals, connecting to national and game parks and a catchment area for rivers that drain into Lake Albert, among other ecological functions. Being situated near the Kingfi sher Oil Field, it is expected to play a leading role in absorbing the greenhouse gas emissions during oil drilling.

It is also a rain modifi er, which boosts agriculture. The Government stopped the upgrade of the 15.5km Kaseeta-Rweera oil road after an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) report for Kingfi sher Oil Filed indicated that its construction would affect fl ora and fauna in the forest.

They had proposed the upgrade of the road that cuts through the forest, from murram to bitumen standards. It was on the list of the 10 roads that the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) identifi ed for upgrading to facilitate oil production.

Speaking in June last year, while presenting fi ndings of the ESIA in Kikuube, oil fi rm CNOOC, which operates the oil field, said it would not build the Kaseeta-Rwera road and would bypass all key environmental sensitive areas while building its facilities. Speaking at the same function, National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) deputy executive director Christine Akello described it as a good move and stressed the need to strike a balance between meeting the needs of the oil sector and tourism.

Before  the outbreak of COVID-19, tourism was Uganda's top foreign exchange earner. "That road will stay in murram state and will not be upgraded. We need a good biodiversity management plan to protect the environment," she said.

NEMA BACKTRACKS

However, questions are being asked why NEMA backtracked on its commitment to conserving the forest and, on August 14, approved the ESIA report by the sugar fi rm to utilise the land for sugarcane cultivation. Others wonder why NEMA could issue an approval certifi cate to the sugar firm before court pronounces itself on the matter.

In a decision, the environmental watchdog reduced the acreage for sugarcane growing from the initial 22 square miles to only nine square miles, compromising its earlier stand, since the land also covers the Kaseeta-Rwera road part.

NEMA also allowed the sugar millers to establish an urban centre on 1.26 square miles, an eco-tourism centre on 1.97 square miles and restore 3.13 square miles of Bugoma forest.

They ordered Hoima Sugar Limited to preserve 0.156 hectares for the cultural sites and conserve 6.17 square miles as a natural forest.

PREMIER SPEAKS OUT
 Reacting on NEMA's approval of the Hoima Sugar Limited's ESIA report, kingdom prime minister Andrew Byakutaga said the report was passed despite his earlier letter of June 22, telling NEMA to halt the approval. He said the letter, which was meant to allow the kingdom to have an exhaustive input was not replied to by NEMA.

He added that during their engagement, Sam Cheptoris, the environment minister, said they had earmarked money to demarcate the boundaries of Bugoma forest to avoid further encroachment on the forest. Byakutaga said all these should have been put into consideration.

In a letter dated August 21, he clarifi cation as to why they ignored his communication and how a certificate number: 13709 was issued before the boundary exercise was carried out. "I am also concerned that you did not consider our input in the report of any importance," the letter reads.

GOVT NEGOTIATIONS

The kingdom cabinet, led by their prime minister, Andrew Byakutaga, in June, met Sam Cheptoris, the environment minister, over the Bugoma forest giveaway saga. They told Cheptoris that they wanted to give the lease to the Government at a fee and use that money to refund the sugar firm.

Later, Byakutaga, who inherited the transaction when he assumed office two years ago, has been accused of applying delaying tactics and lacking the commitment to implement the kingdom stand. "Kingdom cabinet has seen tension between those for and against the transaction," the source added

MORE FOREST LAND SOLD OFF

A source said what is stopping the two parties from reaching an agreement could be because the sugar firm and some wellconnected people want to harvest timber from the contested land. The sugar firm is allegedly a subsidiary of Nile Plywood in Jinja, which makes hardboard and cardboards from timber.

However, understanding who owns the sugar company, needs one to lift the veil of incorporation. "As cabinet, we resolved on the matter, but the prime minister is implementing it. The minutes are available as evidence. Even officials from the Hoima Sugar Firm were informed that we would refund their money," the source said.

New Vision has learnt that after several failed attempts to resolve the matter, a section of cabinet ministers have petitioned the kingdom royal commission and, among other accountability issues, they mentioned the Bugoma forest transaction as one of the issues that need urgent attention.

The petition also mentions the 2,000 hectares that Byakutaga gave a nod to give the land to Mustapha Zaidi, a renowned timber dealer in Hoima.

The land in Muhangaizima block is also under contention as NFA says it is part of Bugoma forest. Zaidi also wants to clear the land for sugarcane growing. NFA contested the two land titles that Zaidi acquired separately on the said land.

UNTRACEABLE TRANSACTION

According to sources in the kingdom cabinet, the other conundrum of negotiations is that the current cabinet was appointed after the Omukama dissolved the previous one, which was allegedly linked to scandals, including the illegal sale of kingdom shares in the Masindibased Kinyara Sugar Factory. Sources say Hoima Sugar Limited has to prove they paid the money since the money from the transaction is also not traceable.

Prime minister Andrew Byakutaga, while meeting the civil society, under the Save Bugoma Forest campaign, recently, said the kingdom had started working out modalities, including negotiating with the sugar firm, on how to refund their money and maintain land use. "But it is complex since it is still legally binding," Byakutaga said. However, CSO activists seemed dejected about the delay.
to close the matter.