The National Forestry Authority (NFA) has accused the Ministry of Lands of issuing land titles in central forest reserves, exacerbating encroachment and degradation. Mr Aldon Walukamba, the NFA’s communications and public relations manager, said the ministry has allowed titling of forest land and delayed cancelling fraudulent titles. ‘There is no response on the 435 illegal land titles countrywide, which we submitted to the Ministry of Lands for cancellation, despite several written follow-ups. Only three titles in Mabira Forest were cancelled, and even then, this was after a court ruling made in our favour.
Therefore, the Ministry of Lands continues to issue land titles without consulting the NFA and also delays their cancellation, which has contributed to the continued destruction of forests across Uganda,’ Mr Walukamba told the Daily Monitor on Monday. He added that they have listed some illegal land titles carved within Kitubulu Forest Reserve in Entebbe for cancellation, but no action has been taken yet. The contested land titles include Plots 7 and 8 in the names of David Hood Mpigi, Plot 18 in the name of Deborah Mbabazi, Plot 6 in the name of Mulkin Enterprises Ltd, Megha Industries (U) Ltd with Plots 13-17, New Nordic (U) Ltd with Plots 19-21, and Triple Sound Investment Ltd with Plots 369 and 371.
‘We have applied to the Ministry of Lands to cancel eight land titles that were fraudulently made within Kitubulu Forest Reserve, but up to now, they have not responded,’ Mr Walukamba said, adding, ‘However, Plots 23-25 and Plot 11 that earlier belonged to Megha Industries were cancelled, and the proprietor has instead applied for a licence from NFA.’ Defending her docket, the Minister of Lands, Ms Judith Nabakooba, said most freehold titles usually originate from districts and that her ministry is at the receiving end.
‘So, it is a chain. But because the ministry prints titles, most people believe it’s the Ministry of Lands that issues such titles. This is a mistake made from the district up to the ministry level because the area land committee picks up the information and takes it to the district land board. We, therefore, expect the districts to be the gatekeepers because they are the custodians of such public land. But if they endorse and give a no-objection, that means they are facilitating the entire titling of such forest reserves,’ the minister explained.
However, Ms Nabakooba allayed NFA’s fears, saying all illegal land titles in forest reserves will soon be cancelled. ‘We have cancelled quite a number of titles, although at times we are blocked by court orders because some people take the government to court, which stagnates the process. But now, in such circumstances of court orders, I have instructed my officers to first caveat the land in question so that no further developments and transfers are made,’ she said.
Prof Gilbert Bukenya, the presidential adviser on environment, called for the sacking and imprisonment of public servants who participate in giving away forested land.
The former vice president added that the government faces hundreds of court cases by individuals whose titles are cancelled. ‘The government cannot be losing money, time and resources when the officers who committed such anomalies are left to roam freely,’ Prof Bukenya said. Following the controversial giveaway of part of Kitubulu Central Forest Reserve to multiple developers, the Entebbe Municipality leadership led by Mayor Fabrice Rulinda, Katabi Town Council Mayor Ronald Kalema, among other leaders, last week embarked on a campaign to plant trees in the degraded part of the forest.
‘On top of this tree-planting campaign, we have written a letter to the President addressing ourselves on this matter. I have also filed a case in relevant courts of law if Kitubulu Forest is tampered with in the name of development. This is not a matter of politics, nor of personal ambition. It is a matter of truth, of reason, and of love for one’s country. Kitubulu is not just soil and trees. It is the living barrier that has stood between Lake Victoria and the lives of thousands of Ugandans who live, work, and raise their children along its shores,’ Mr Rulinda said.
‘I am not against investors. Uganda welcomes investors, and Entebbe thrives because of them. But investment must never be detrimental to the environment, to reason, or to national interest. What is being proposed for Kitubulu, a hotel project under the Tian Tang Group, is not urgent, nor is it necessary. Entebbe is not short of hotels. What we lack is balance and respect for the natural systems that protect us,’ Mr Rulinda added. The tree-planting campaign follows reports that part of the central forest reserve was given away to the Tian Tang Group of Companies, which was allegedly granted a licence by the NFA to operate on 60 hectares (148.2 acres) out of 80 hectares (197.6 acres) of the forested Kitubulu land.
This comes barely two months after some of the operation licences were reportedly revoked by NFA. Kitubulu Central Forest Reserve measures approximately 197 acres. However, local authorities say a total of 120 acres have since been parcelled out to developers, leaving only 77 acres of the forested area. The forest has over the years lost part of its land to developers who have since erected recreation parks.
Forest cover
Uganda’s forest cover has declined drastically over the past three decades, shrinking from 24 percent in 1990 to the current 12.7 percent, according to the National Forestry Authority (NFA). NFA’s 2020-2025 strategic plan aims to raise forest cover in Central Forest Reserves from 43 percent in 2021 to 59 percent by 2025.