OPINION
Editor, A group of environmental human rights defenders, Bugoma Host Communities, women and the youth from Kikuube and Hoima districts are likely not to vote for the National Resistance Movement( NRM) in 2026 if Bugoma forest is not protected from the destructions by Hoima Sugar Limited (HSL), individuals and rich men who are also carrying out sugarcane growing charcoal burning, farming and timber logging in the forest.
The forest is almost getting finished by encroachers carrying out illegal activities in the forest while the government looks on without any actions being taken. It is noted that the President of Uganda and the other government agencies moved some steps to restore and protect Bugoma forest from the encroachers, unfortunately, none of them has worked out may be because of fear, corruption and negligence, for instance, in November 2021, the ministry of lands started Bugoma boundary re-opening exercise and concluded it in August 2022, as the first step of ensuring that the forest is conserved from the encroachers.
Shockingly, up to now the final report for Bugoma boundary opening remains a concealed document from the public hence leading to the continuous destruction of the forest by the encroachers.
Additionally, in September 2022, National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) also took the second step of ordering Hoima Sugar Limited to restore degraded parts of Bugoma Forest Reserve, following findings that the company had breached its ESIA certificate and caused deforestation and damage to an eco-tourism site as it’s always an old song, NEMA has never put in place the restoration plan for Bugoma forest. Bugoma is pleading, and no one is committed to saving this beautiful mother nature.
As if that’s not enough, while in Kikuube district to launch oil drilling activities by CNOOC at Kingfisher oil project in January 2023, President Museveni committed to restore Bugoma forest and other critical biodiversity’s like wetlands from the encroachers, no wonder, this has remained a nightmare.
Today, no action has been taken by the government regarding the presidential pledge to protect Bugoma forest and other critical biodiversity’s in the region. These delays have significantly contributed to massive destruction of the forest resulting into human – animal conflicts, change of weather partners, among other climate change effects in the region.
The above negative impacts of the destruction of the Bugoma forest reserve have instigated to resort to a slogan “No Bugoma forest, No vote for National Resistance Movement (NRM)” because the hosting communities are the most vulnerable when it comes to negative impacts of climate change.
There is an urgent call to action to the government of Uganda to ensure that Bugoma forest is protected from all illegal activities, particularly the human activities to ensure climate justice and restore Bugoma and other forests in the country. Lest, there will be No Vote for NRM come 2026.
By Kato Paul,
The writer is a Research Associate and Environmental Activist at AFIEGO.
Email: Katop.adyeeri@gmail.com
