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Six NFA staff arrested over illegal logging in Kalangala forest
Police and NFA officer officers arrest charcoal dealers at Buwunge Forest Reserve in Bufumira Sub-county, Kalangala District on October 8,2021. Several forest reserves in the island district are reportedly under encroachment. PHOTO BY DAVID SEKAYINGA
What you need to know:
- Available statistics indicate that out of the 31 forest reserves in the Kalangala area, 17 of them have been depleted.
At least six workers attached to the National Forest Authority (NFA) office in Kalangala District have been arrested over masterminding illegal logging in Kubanda Forest Reserve.
The suspects include the Kalangala District NFA manager, the Mugoye Forest supervisor and four forest patrollers.
According to southern regional police spokesperson Twaha Kasirye, the arrests were conducted on Thursday after Kalangala Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Eve Mwesiga, together with the regional NFA manager Esther Nekesa and environmental regional police team, found Kubanda Forest Reserve under massive destruction.
"We have them at Kalangala Central Police Station to respond to allegations of being behind the illegal tree cutting in Kubanda Forest Reserve near Mutambala landing site in Mugoye Sub County," he explained.
Local leader Sulait Kafeero claimed non-residents early July camped in Kubanda Forest Reserve for two weeks, cutting down trees in the middle of the forest.
“But after a few days, NFA workers arrested residents who had gone to collect firewood from the forest claiming that they are responsible for logging,which is not true ," he added.
Rajab Semakula, the District chairperson, said Kalangala's forest cover is quickly disappearing under the watch of the new NFA sector manager.
In the May 24 ,2023 Executive Order No.3, President Museveni guided that only factories processing timber within Uganda for production of plywood, furniture and other value-added products, should be allowed to operate ,but with sustainable tree planting and harvesting plans.
Available statistics indicate that out of the 31 forest reserves in the Kalangala area, 17 of them have been depleted.
