The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has summoned the State Minister for Environment Beatrice Anywar to present to parliament an action report on actions taken to save Kiwula Central Forest Reserve in Kayunga district.
Kadaga’s summon to the State Minister to present a report on Thursday follows an earlier directive by the House for the Ministry to order the removal of private and government tractors from forest reserve.
Earlier, Kayunga Woman MP Idah Nantaba reported that tractors were being used to destroy the forest reserve. Nantaba said that 1,000 out of the total 5,000 hectares of the forest land is contested in court.
She expressed concern that the court orders have been ignored with more than 40 tractors already on the ground clearing the forest. Nantaba then asked parliament to send its Natural Resources Committee to the area to ascertain facts about the forest and ensure that it is not ruined.
According to a letter before the Speaker’s office by the Registrar of the High Court in Mukono, the land under contention before the Court is 2,146 hectares. This is under the case between businessmen Badru Ssemuga and National Forestry Authority (NFA).
NFA ran to court to ask for the cancellation of a title deed in the hands of Ssemuga. The businessman is claiming ownership for 1,152 acres of the forest reserve for which he presented a title deed. A section of residents also own gardens on the disputed forest land measuring 2,000 acres.
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