Repeated bushfires are threatening efforts to restore forest cover and combat environmental degradation in Uganda’s cattle corridor district of Nakasongola, where farmers and conservationists say years of tree planting initiatives are being undone by unchecked burning practices.
Mary Namulemo, a businesswoman and farmer in Migeera Town Council, says she has twice lost an indigenous tree plantation established on her six-acre property in Nabiswera Sub-county to bushfires since 2023.
The fires, which local residents often associate with mobile livestock grazers and farm workers, have dealt a significant blow to her plans to establish an eco-farm and future eco-tourism centre.
“This is a big setback in our campaign to harness nature,” Namulemo said on Wednesday.
She added: “I have twice fallen victim to bushfires at my six-acre tree plantation in Nabiswera. My aim was to plant indigenous trees while engaging in environmentally friendly income-generating activities and eventually establish an eco-tourism centre.”
The challenge is not unique to her farm.
In the sub-counties of Katuugo, Kalungi and Wabinyonyi, district officials say bushfires frequently destroy plantation forests and natural vegetation during dry seasons, frustrating efforts to regenerate lost tree cover.
Charles Andama, Nakasongola District’s natural resources officer, said authorities have conducted repeated sensitisation campaigns in areas most affected by bushfires, but the problem persists.
“We have conducted a series of sensitisation meetings targeting communities where bushfires are common, but the vice continues, leading to destruction of vegetation and plantation forests,” he said, adding: “While we have limited control over private landowners clearing land for development, we continue to encourage tree planting and environmental conservation.”
Environmentalists argue that weak enforcement of conservation regulations on private land has contributed to widespread destruction of indigenous vegetation.
George Ssembiro, a conservationist and tree plantation owner in Wabinyonyi Sub-county, said private landowners often clear large areas of vegetation with little regard for environmental consequences.
“When all vegetation is cleared for farm development, the law should be able to take effect even if the land is privately owned,” Ssembiro said.
“According to him, “this remains a major challenge in many parts of Nakasongola, where indigenous trees have been cut down for charcoal production under the guise of land clearing.”
Since 2021, Nakasongola District has implemented a tree-planting initiative under its Go Green Campaign, requiring every household to plant at least five trees.
The programme, supported by the National Forestry Authority (NFA), aims to restore degraded landscapes and reverse years of forest loss.
However, conservationists say enforcement remains weak, with few mechanisms to ensure compliance among households and private landowners.
Ibrahim Ssentalo, a farmer in Katuugo Sub-county, believes limited public awareness about climate change has slowed conservation efforts.
District officials say the NFA supplies a significant proportion of the seedlings distributed to residents and supports awareness campaigns discouraging bush burning.
“We lose a large number of trees through bushfires, particularly in Katuugo, Wabinyonyi and Kalungi,” Andama said, noting that: “We have intensified sensitisation campaigns targeting livestock keepers and farm owners to protect existing forest cover and support tree planting efforts.”
According to Global Forest Watch data, Nakasongola lost about 44,900 hectares of tree cover between 2002 and 2024, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and reducing the area’s ability to absorb atmospheric carbon.
Environmental experts warn that deforestation, charcoal production, unsustainable livestock farming and recurrent bushfires are accelerating land degradation and worsening climate-related challenges across the district.
Uganda is estimated to have nearly 97% of its land area affected by some form of human-induced degradation, according to environmental assessments.
Conservationists say reversing the trend will require stronger law enforcement, greater community awareness and sustained investment in restoring indigenous forests.
Without those interventions, they warn, districts such as Nakasongola risk losing even more of their natural vegetation, undermining efforts to build resilience against climate change while threatening livelihoods that depend on healthy ecosystems.