▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ 22 SATURDAYVISION January 2, 2021 feature NARROW ESCAPE FOR REPORTERS IN BUGOMA FOREST By Gerald Tenywa and Ismael Kasooha BUGOMA’S The sun beamed down and sweat rolled off our guide as we hiked RICHNESS into Bugoma forest in Kikuube district. The day was still young as Gazetted as a forest we penetrated into the heart of the reserve in 1932 to protect wilderness. As songs of melodious the catchment of Lake birds resounded in the forest, our Albert, Bugoma is a guide told us that Bugoma was tropical rainforest, which speaking to us. 600 chimpanzees call Our hope was that the hike would home. Bugoma also has lead us to the part of the forest where the Uganda mangabey, a Hoima Sugar Limited is cutting down species of monkeys found part of the pricy forest to establish a only in Uganda. It also sugarcane plantation. houses endangered bird For the last three months, species — the Nahan’s Hoima Sugar Limited has been Francolin and the African demolishing part of Bugoma for Grey parrots. expansion of sugarcane growing. The walk was not for the faint- hearted. We braved streams and fallen trees that were blocking included eight ambassadors from our tiny path into Bugoma. After different countries in the EU. more than an hour, our guide told The heads of mission included EU us that we were close to the “red head of delegation Attilio Pacifici, line.” Not far away is where the French Ambassador to Uganda territory belonging to Hoima Sugar Jules-Armand Aniambossou, Limited begins and there are soldiers Veestraeten Rudi (Belgium), deployed to avoid intrusion. There Residents say Bugoma Matthias Schauer (Germany), was an open space left by illegal Forest is a rainmaker, which Massimiliano Mazzanti (Italy), loggers. This is what we needed to supports agriculture Per Lindgäde (Sweden), Nicolaj launch our drone. It is through the Hejberg Petersen (Denmark) and Dr drone that we expected to see Hoima Roswitha Kremser (Austria). Sugar’s mischief from above. On “It does not make good sense to two aerial expeditions, the drone grow sugarcane in Bugoma,” Pacifici landed twice with only images of the BIRTH OF BUGOMA CONTROVERSY said, adding that climate change beautiful forest. is real and Bugoma helps out as a There were feelings of emptiness carbon sink for waste gases. written on our faces. But Hoima Sugar Limited leased 5,799 hectares of Solomon Gafabusa Iguru. Early in December, William communities’ complaints about what land from Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom on August “What I know is that the land does not belong Ogaro, a commissioner in the lands they were about to lose in Bugoma, 4, 2016. Omukama Solomon Gafabusa Iguru to Bunyoro kingdom. It is not part of the ministry, put on hold the resurvey which is a source of water, firewood, obtained the title for the land on August 1, restituted properties,” Jackson Wabyona, a of the boundaries of Bugoma on and mushrooms made us resilient in 2016. civil society activist, said. grounds that his security is not the journey to the truth. Even though Bugoma does not appear on “Where did the king get this land from? Was guaranteed. He said the resurvey Our next stop over was Nyairongo the list of properties returned to the King of it public land? Who knew that this land was of the boundaries has been put off in Kabwoya sub-county in Kikuube Bunyoro, the Uganda Land Commission, which available, under forestry, swiftly processed a until after the Presidential elections where residents had called a oversees government land, processed a land land title and then leased it to Hoima Sugar slated for January 14, 2021. meeting. They were decently title in favour of the King of Bunyoro-Kitara, Limited four days later?” Wabyona said. dressed, but they had lost their calm. NEMA CLEARED HOIMA SUGAR Desire Murenzi, the chairperson Details from the National of the village, who inquired about Environment Management Authority why Hoima Sugar Limited was Bugoma is a source of mushrooms. that 21 UPDF guarding Hoima Sugar (NEMA) show that it cleared Hoima demolishing Bugoma was arrested “We have been earning money had made an attempt to pursue our Sugar Limited to cultivate sugarcane by soldiers and released half a day from selling mushrooms which helps team. on a grassland covering 9.24 square later in November. He says the us to keep our children in school,” “You were very lucky because they miles in Kyangwali, Kikuube district soldiers allegedly mistook him for an she said. were waiting to catch you,” David of western Uganda. illegal logger and intercepted him. In the distance, the team from Bainematsiko, who is the chairperson NEMA also allowed the sugar firm He complains that he was following Vision Group could see two clean- of Kololo village in Kyangwali, said. to establish an urban centre on 1.26 hundreds of illegal loggers and shaven hills in Bugoma forest that The villagers who “If you had delayed by 10 minutes square miles and an eco-tourism charcoal burners — who had earlier have lost trees, due to the activities of you would have landed in the hands centre on 1.97 square miles of land entered into the forest. Hoima Sugar. The company has also ‹‹ of the soldiers.” and restore on 3.13 square miles of led Vision Group Murenzi says security should pick established an access murram road As the charcoal burners convert the Bugoma. interest in the charcoal burners and across the valley separating two hills indicated that the big trees into charcoal, bulldozers The top government watchdog on illegal loggers because they have in Bugoma. from Hoima Sugar are advancing environment also ordered Hoima come from distant districts, such The team from Vision Group used soldiers were nearby. to convert the landscape into an Sugar to preserve 0.156 hectares for as Masindi, Mayuge, Iganga and hand-held cameras and a drone to expansive sugarcane plantation. the cultural site and conserve 6.17 Buikwe. take photographs and videos of part This was contrary to the briefing of square miles as a natural forest. “What are the soldiers after?” he of the destruction with the speed environment state minister Beatrice This totals to 21.54 hectares of land wondered. and precision of surgical doctors. we were land grabbers. One of the Anywar, who told the European (approximately 22 square miles) or “How come the soldiers have The villagers who led Vision Group journalists from the area “bought” Union delegation that visited the area 5,779 hectares. abandoned the residents that are to Rutoma-Kibale had indicated that our freedom. He explained to them that all activities, including Hoima Calling Hoima Sugar an backing the protection of Bugoma the soldiers guarding Hoima Sugar that we are helping the people in the Sugar had been stopped pending re- environment-friendly company, and they are instead backing the Limited were only a distance away. fight to keep the forest. The villagers survey of the boundaries of Bugoma. Hoima Sugar Limited public destroyers of nature.” So, we had to work quickly to avoid quickly changed from adversaries to “Cabinet has stopped all activities relations officer Sheila Nduhukire Kabwoya sub-county speaker being arrested. allies. of Hoima Sugar and the Government said: “The 22 square miles that we at Kaseeta in Kikuube, Rovisa As the drone landed, a mob with In a short time, our four-wheel is going to resurvey the boundaries got from Bunyoro Kingdom is not Namatovu, said Bugoma is a sticks intercepted the team from Mitsubishi Pajero roared as it of Bugoma,” Anywar said. forest land. We are a green company rainmaker, which in turn supports Vision Group. We later learnt that conquered the hills of Kabwoya. By Anywar was speaking on November and there is simply no way we agriculture. She also pointed out that they were villagers who thought 6:00pm, we hit Hoima city unaware 2 to the EU delegation, which would want to cut down a forest.”.