By Johannah Nantongo
Former Vice President Gilbert Bukenya has urged the Ministry of Water and Environment to remove individuals who have built structures in the wetland area of Kyewaga Forest Reserve.
Kyewaga Forest Reserve is located in Katabi Town Council, within Entebbe Municipality. The National Forest Authority (NFA) allocated about 20 hectares of the reserve to Bukenya to support efforts to restore the forest through tree planting.
Speaking on Wednesday during a tree-planting exercise at the reserve, Bukenya called on government authorities to take action against people who have constructed buildings in the swampy area of the forest.
He said the structures should be removed to allow restoration activities, including the establishment of fish ponds and the planting of trees to help the area regain its natural ecosystem.
Bukenya explained that although he was granted permission by NFA to restore the degraded forest land, some individuals later approached him claiming ownership of plots within the reserve, even though the land belongs to government.
He criticised officials for allowing sections of public forest land to be allocated to private individuals for planting eucalyptus trees, arguing that such practices damage the environment and sometimes lead to the illegal acquisition of land titles.
Bukenya said the restoration project is focusing on creating an agroforestry system where communities can grow crops that do not harm the trees while also helping maintain the planted seedlings.
According to him, the forest will include several medicinal and indigenous tree species such as Prunus africana, among others, aimed at improving biodiversity and restoring the natural environment.
He also called on government to introduce stricter regulations preventing individuals from planting eucalyptus trees on government land, suggesting that such trees should instead be grown on privately owned land for commercial purposes.
Bukenya commended the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, particularly the Air Force and the Special Forces Command, for supporting the first phase of the project last year in which about 12,000 trees were planted.
He also appreciated Earnest Benjamin Kivumbi, president of Heal the Planet, for providing tree seedlings for the latest planting exercise.
Kivumbi said his organisation had so far donated about 500 herbal trees for the project and plans to contribute many more, with a long-term target of supplying up to 100,000 trees.
However, Bukenya expressed disappointment that officials from the National Forest Authority did not attend the tree-planting event despite being invited.
When contacted, NFA spokesperson Aldon Walukamba said the authority had not received a formal invitation but acknowledged Bukenya’s efforts, noting that the restoration initiative contributes to environmental conservation in the country.