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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kitgum district council sectoral committee on production has drafted an ordinance to regulate the production, transportation and marketing of charcoal.
The draft is in line with the resolution of the Joint Acholi Sub-Region Leader’s Forum-JASLF, which drafted the Acholi Sustainable Charcoal Production and Marketing Bill 2019. JASLF brings together leaders from the eight districts in Acholi to tackle the growing challenges of destructive charcoal trade in the region.
Kitgum LCV chairperson, Jackson Omona says the bill is unique since it seeks to address forest degradation in the eight districts of Acholi by offering more sustainable charcoal production methods.
He notes that the bill will provide for efficient management of charcoal business through the use of land not being used currently by the community to grow fast-growing trees for the production of charcoal in a more professional way.
Omona says the bill will help to fix gaps in resolutions made individually by the respective eight district councils in Acholi by harmonizing the same interests in the fight against illegal logging and charcoal trade.
He says the bill will ease enforcement and implementation of the protection of the environment once it is discussed and passed.
Simon Loum, the Kitgum district council speaker says the bill is expected to be returned for the second reading after it has been scrutinized and popularized by the sectoral committee for production and the district technical committee.
Martin Anywar says the draft bill intends to give back the proceeds of charcoal production to the local populace engaged in the production.
He says the locals who own trees in the region benefit from only five percent of the whole charcoal value chain with the majority proceeds taken to the central region and other parts of the country.
Anywar says illegal commercial charcoal trade in Kitgum district dominated by few foreign businessmen has seen a decline in revenue from the forest resources in the district.
Kitgum district executive committee is among the eight districts in Acholi to table the draft the ordinance.
Kitgum district passed a By-law in 2016 banning commercial trade in charcoal but the trade has been on the rise. Charcoal production hotspots in the district have been identified in the sub-counties of Orom, Lagoro, Mucwini, Labongo Akwang, and Kitgum Matidi.
The boom in charcoal trade within Acholi sub-region has exerted pressure on the available forest covers and near extinction of endangered tree species such as shear nut trees.
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