The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Museveni has directed Lieutenant Colonel Edith Nakalema, the Head of the State House Anti-Corruption Unit to investigate the encroachment on Namanve and Zirimiti central reserves in Mukono district.
Last week, more than 300 people armed with pangas, sticks and metals pitched camp on the land and partitioned it into small plots. The forest, gazetted in 1932 measures more than 2,000 hectares and according to environmentalists, more than 20 acres of it have been surrounded off.
The occupied land used to contain a natural forest before it was destroyed by grabbers. Later, the National Forestry Authority- NFA reclaimed the biggest section of it before leaving it to conservationists to grow eucalyptus trees. However, this did not stop various individuals from attempting to set up permanent structures claiming to have its land titles.
While touring Namanve Forest reserve on Tuesday, Nakalema says that they want to establish the ownership status of the land in question and the extent of damage caused by the encroachers.
The Mukono Division Police Commander Abubakar Musiho says that they are still carrying out investigations and compiling a list of people and companies claiming ownership of the contested land.
The NFA Namanve sector manager Michael Ojja says many people claiming the land took advantage of possessing certificates to engage in Eco-tourism activities to process land titles. He claims that many of the encroachers are being backed by some district security officials.
The NFA Executive Director Tom Obongo Okello blames the Uganda Land Commission for issuing titles on the public land. He notes that the contested section of the forest reserve was reserved to absorb pollution from the industrial park.
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