President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has expressed concern over the degradation of Bugoma forest that he personally experienced as he flew above it heading to Kingfisher oil fields to launch Uganda’s first oil production rig.
In his speech at the launch, the president directed the Kikuube Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Mr Amlan Tumusiime, to explain who the encroachers are and vowed to take a tough action against all encroachers.
In his response, Mr Tumusiime faulted the National Forestry Authority (NFA) claiming that they are the ones aiding illegal charcoal burning in the forest.
“Mr President, it is the NFA aiding charcoal burners to cut the forest,” he said.
To shed more light on the value of forests, the President described those initiating economic developments at the expense of forests as ‘satanic’ and enemies of Uganda.
Mr Museveni said forests are far much greater than the oil that people gathered for at Kingfisher because oil itself is a product of plants.
He vowed to take a tough action after an aerial mapping to save Bugoma Central Forest Reserve of which he has memories dated back to his times of rebellion by crossing major rivers like Nguse.
“You cannot say the oil or maize is more important than the forests or rivers, no. The maize and all other crops and our livelihood come from the water and the forest. Life is coming from the water and the water is coming from the forests and rivers. If you pretend that you don’t care about forests and rivers you become an enemy of Uganda,” he enlightened.
President Museveni said that degradation of forests will undermine opportunities to tap into the oil industry through agricultural production and farming.
Bugoma forest located in Kikuube district is Uganda’s second largest forest reserve after Budongo in Masindi district both in an environmentally sensitive Albertine landscape.
Mr Bashir Twesigye, the Executive Director (ED) for Civic Response on Environment and Development (CRED), called upon the government and citizens to jealously protect forests and wetlands so they can help to sequence the increasing carbon emission as the oil industry takes off.
The ED who is also the Chairperson for the Civil Society Coalition on Oil and Gas (CSCO) was speaking to Kazi-njema online radio in Hoima city.