The Head of the State House Anti-Corruption Unit Lt. Col. Edith Nakalema has said that the residents of Goma Division and Nsumba village of Kisoga Town Council, Ntenjeru Sub County and Nantabulirwa in Seeta should be enabled to access land for planting forests in line with the requirements of the National Forests Authority (NFA). 

She made the comments yesterday when the Anti- Corruption Unit visited the two areas and met the stakeholders over the issue of illegal demarcation and occupation of the National Forestry Authority land.

In Seeta, the land measures about 500 hectares and covers two parishes of Nantabulirwa and Seeta. There has been massive cutting of the forest and Uganda Police has arrested individuals who were involved and also impounded the earth moving equipment that was being used. 

It has been established that on the 29th September 2020 about 1,000 people were ferried to the land by one Lauben Turyamureba after paying Ush 120,000 per plot measuring 50 by 70 feet. On the 30th September 2020, another group of about 1,500 people was ferried from Kasokoso, Bukasa of Bweyogerere, Soroti, Ngora, Mbale, Mityana and Luwero.

“Plant trees while following the National Forestry Authority guidelines. The President received complaints over the destruction of forests and assigned me to come and establish the facts on the ground and get solutions,” she said. 

The DPC of Mukono, Abubaker Musiho disputed allegations that the Kabaka donated the Goma land to various people. 

The Commissioner of surveys and mapping, Wilson Ogalo disclosed that the land in Goma belongs to the National Forestry Authority.

In Nsumba village, in Kisoga Town Council, Ntenjeru Sub County, the President received a complaint from the people of Nsumba Village regarding the destruction of Kisankobe forest reserve and wetland in Mukono District. It was reported that after cutting the trees the reserve had been parceled out into plots that were allocated to certain individuals with the involvement of some National Forestry Authority staff in the area.

Lt Col Nakalema said the local leaders should be involved in re opening of the forests boundaries. Her remarks followed complaints by some residents that they were discriminated at the time of NFA allocating permits for tree planting. They stated that people from other parts of Uganda were allocated the land without due consideration of the indigenous population.

The Executive Director of the National Forestry Authority Michael Odongo said that the area of greater Mukono has got 19 big forests that are under their management.

The Commissioner of surveys and mapping Wilson Ogalo informed the meeting that survey pillars were destroyed adding that efforts were underway to re-establish them. He assured them that the boundaries of the forest reserve would be re- established with effect from next week.  

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