12 NEW VISION, Thursday, September 1, 2016 REGIONAL NEWS RESIDENTS Bugoma giveaway threatens SAY chimpanzees, rain and man GRAPHIC BY Brian SSEkamaTTE HOIMA By Gerald Tenywa Aisha Katusiime, resident of Ishaka- When two elephants fight, the grass Kijungu suffers. The saying becomes real when The kingdom must be it is literally played out within Uganda’s penalised for the action beautiful greenery at Bugoma forest and the land title it reserve in Hoima. The proverbial grass, acquired counselled. Bugoma forest and animals such as chimpanzees, are suffering. But this is likely to have a ripple effect on the livelihood of the people who depend on agriculture and the economy. As National Forestry Authority (NFA) traces the boundaries of Bugoma forest reserve, Bunyoro kingdom officials say part of the land comprising the 41,1440-hectare Bugoma is not under the reserve. NFA is mandated by law to manage central forest reserves. Irene Ahaisibwe, Last month, the prime minister of female youth counsellor Bunyoro, Norman Lukumu, presided They should instead over a ceremony organised to display replenish the depleted the land title to the local residents at side with new Nsozi village in Kyangwali sub-county. indigenous tree species “We have been misquoted as as a future investment. fighting NFA, which is not true. We have a freehold land title, with clear demarcation. But Michael Mugisa, the executive director of NFA, said they did not give away any part of the reserve to the kingdom. “We are not going to allow anybody to take over any part of Bugoma central reserve,” he said. Mugisa said According to the National Adaptation NFA had previously stopped Hoima Plan of Action, there were three droughts Sugar Limited from demolishing the in the last decade, yet the previous seven forest. decades had three droughts. Isma Mugabi, This, according to the report, is likely resident of Hoima town Bunyoro king gets land title to become more intense and frequent. NFA should recognise Bunyoro kingdom has been claiming In addition to climate change, resource that Bunyoro kingdom that the Bugoma land is a cultural depletion and loss of soil fertility leading has been around for asset which houses graves and caves, to food crises that are threatening many years while NFA although they handed it to Hoima Sugar economies. has just been formed. Limited. Such disasters, according to a source who did not want to be named, are not only likely to hit the poor, but also make BETWEEN THE LINES: leaders irrelevant. n Bugoma is a habitat to about “What would you do if a mob of 600 chimps and the Nahan’s hungry people stormed your farm and Francolin, an endangered bird ate your goats and cows?” asked the species, as well as a migratory source. corridor for large mammals. He said politicians should invest more in poverty reduction efforts and good governance to ensure that institutions “It means that Bunyoro kingdom was and policies work for the benefit of the Sheila Katusiime, hiding behind culture yet their interest local people. businesswoman in was the land,” said Gilbert Kadilo, NFA’s He said Bunyoro kingdom loyalists Hoima town public relations manager. Part of the 4km trail of indigenous trees in Bugoma forest that was have invaded Bugoma and such groups The sugarcane He added: “Bunyoro kingdom is a cleared in Hoima district. Photo by Robert Atuhairwe are likely to become bigger and deadly plantation will provide custodian of culture for not only Banyoro, in taking over resources under the employment and also but all Ugandans. But the people Hoima Sugar Limited started cutting endangered bird species, according stewardship of the Government. increase tax returns, claiming to be loyalists cutting down down the trees at Nsozi. Their initial to Costantino Tessarin, the director of which the forest was not trees and threatening violence suggests attempts to destroy the forest had been Destination Jungle Tours and Safaris. Vision 2025 threatened bringing. that they are no longer stewards.” thwarted by NFA and the Environment In addition, Bugoma lies at the heart Although the country’s framework for Bunyoro king, Iguru Gafabusa, Police in June. of the migratory corridors for large development, Vision 2025, talks about a obtained a freehold land title covering mammals such as chimps within green and prosperous Uganda, the loss 22 square miles on August 1 and then Rain-fed agriculture to suffer Bunyoro region, according to David of forest cover is continuing unabated leased the land to Hoima Sugar Limited Uganda is losing 200,000 hectares of Duli, the director of World Wildlife Fund at a rate of 2% annually. The country at on August 4. Part of this land extends forest cover countrywide, according to for Nature in Uganda. this rate will not have forests by 2050, into Bugoma and covers 8,000 hectares. Paul Buyerah Musamali, the director of It connects the migratory corridor according to Buyerah. corporate affairs at NFA. between Budongo to the north, which is Vision 2025, which is a strategic NFA petitions lands ministry The forest cover is currently estimated part of Murchison Falls National Park. framework paper aims at enhancing the Kadilo said they were engaging the at 11%, down from 24% in 1990. About Bugoma is also connected to Kabwoya, competitiveness of the economy and Ministry of Lands to ensure that the 100 years ago, the forest cover was 45%. the western arm of the rift valley, as well poverty reduction. It also highlights that titles are cancelled. He also said they This, according to Musamali, was as a chain of forests such as Kagombe effective management of environmental Gabriel Dema, had petitioned court in Hoima to block undermining rain-fed agriculture. He to the south. resources is a critical part of the councillor central ward the destruction of Bugoma. said the destruction of Bugoma poses a development process. If the kingdom wants As the kingdom and NFA are still danger to Bunyoro because it plays a big Risk of drought The vision helps to promote the development to provide figuring a way out of the impasse, a role in the processes of making rain. Beneath this richness in wildlife and conservation and sustainable use of employment to its group of vigilantes calling themselves the Bugoma debate is an emerging natural resources and biodiversity, subjects, it should look loyalists of Bunyoro, stormed Bugoma Role of Bugoma forest environmental crisis. This is being driven sustain land and soil productivity elsewhere, not our and dug a boundary. Bugoma is a habitat to about 600 by climate change and environmental and enhance the aesthetic values and forest. Two days ago, workers belonging to chimps and the Nahan’s Francolin, an destruction. attractiveness of the country..