CONSERVATION
Last week, media reports revealed that the Kikuube Resident District Commissioner (RDC) is living in fear after allegedly receiving threats for protecting Bugoma Central Forest Reserve from encroachers. These encroachers are destroying the forest through illegal activities such as timber logging, charcoal burning, maize cultivation, and sugarcane growing.
In an interview, the RDC noted that he has faced intimidation from high-profile government officials, tycoons, and political leaders ever since launching operations against forest encroachers.
These threats now risk delaying or halting the installation of boundary pillars, a project that began in early March 2026 to demarcate the 158.8 square miles of Bugoma Forest Reserve.
The pressure on the RDC and environmental stakeholders highlights how corruption is undermining conservation efforts.
Uganda’s forests, wetlands, and lakes are public assets meant to serve the nation, not private interests. Yet corruption has allowed individuals and companies to exploit these ecosystems for short-term gain. Bugoma Forest, for instance, plays a vital role in sustaining rainfall for agriculture, providing habitat for diverse wildlife, supporting tourism, and serving as a source of rivers. No illegal activity—whether farming or logging—can replace these ecological services.
As Uganda marks World Water Week, it is imperative that authorities not only protect biodiversity but also confront corruption head-on. Public sensitization about the destructive impact of corruption on conservation is urgently needed. Without decisive action, Uganda risks losing critical ecosystems that underpin livelihoods, environmental stability, and the national economy.
Bugoma Forest is under siege, not just from encroachers but from the corrosive influence of corruption. Conservation works must remain free from political interference and personal greed. Protecting Uganda’s biodiversity is not optional it is a national duty.
By Kato Paul
Research Associate and Environmental Activist
katop.adyeeri@gmail.com
