Residents protest Buganda kingdom's repossession of Funve forest

A dispute is brewing between Buganda Kingdom and residents of Funve Island in Kalangala District following the kingdom’s repossession of a portion of Funve Forest in Mazinga Sub-County.

Islanders have claimed part of the forest, measuring one square mile, where they established rice gardens and cut down trees for charcoal production.

According to Mr Augustine Kasirye, the Kabaka’s chief in Ssese Islands, the land will be redeveloped as part of the kingdom’s five-year work plan.

"Our plan is to create a model village, replant the trees that were destroyed by encroachers, and initiate projects that will support kingdom activities from the village to the Sazza [county] level," he said during an interview on October 23.

"We will also collaborate with the Buganda Land Board to lease parts of the bare forest land to developers," he added.

Mr Kasirye stated that residents currently using the forest land for agriculture will be allocated plots in the planned 49-acre model village.

"We aim to settle them in an organized model village that will include schools, places of worship, and other essential amenities. We urge residents to support our efforts to restore indigenous and medicinal trees in the forest," he said.

However, some residents oppose the kingdom's plans, expressing concerns that it will strip them of their land rights, where they grow crops to support their families.

Ms Rose Namugenyi, a resident of Funve, stated she is unwilling to relinquish her land to the kingdom.

"We are suspicious of their plans to restore the forest. We believe that Buganda Kingdom officials want to lease the land to wealthy individuals while displacing the poor. Funve Forest is our livelihood, and we cannot let it go," she said.

Ms Namugenyi urged Buganda Kingdom to regularise their tenancy based on current land measurements.

Mr Bruno Kakooza, another resident, called on President Museveni to intervene, insisting that Buganda Kingdom cannot fairly resolve their issues since they are interested parties.

"Given what we've observed, the Kabaka's chiefs and local leaders in Kalangala cannot deliver justice in this matter. We are sitting tenants with substantial bibanja (untitled plots), yet they want to give us small plots in the model village," he said.
Mr Kambanyoka Situka, a farmer with land in Funve Forest, claimed he rightfully acquired his property and insists that any relocation should be accompanied by compensation.

"I bought my kibanja in 2020 from a resident named Musoga, where I started growing rice and built a house. After a few years, I was told I am not a bona fide occupant. Is that fair after I've spent my money?" he asked.

Mr Kenneth Massette, the Kalangala District police commander, noted that many residents settled in the area knowing it was forestry land.
"Those who claim to have bought the land, as well as those who encroached on the forest, should organize themselves to meet the landlord to regularize their occupancy instead of protesting and threatening not to vacate," he said.

"There is a possibility that the landlord can resettle them elsewhere, as he owns a significant amount of land in the district," he added.
Land acquisition in Kalangala has become highly competitive in the last decade, particularly since a large portion of Bugala Main Island was allocated for oil palm cultivation.

Most of the land in Kalangala District is owned by the government, though significant portions have been leased to individuals for palm oil cultivation. The district also owns land, as does Buganda Kingdom.

In 2023, Buganda Kingdom partnered with the Rotary Club of Kampala Ssese Islands to restore 20 acres of medicinal plants and trees within Funve Forest. However, some residents uprooted the trees, claiming they were planted on their bibanja.