The National Forestry Authority has embarked on restoring degraded Natural Forests in Mpigi and Wakiso districts. The forests have in the recent past been degraded by individuals engaged in illegal forest resource extraction. NFA has enriched the forests through planting indigenous tree species like Mahogany and Musizi among others.
In a November 2008 inspection tour of the 642 hectares (1586 acres) planted by NFA, the Minister for Water and Environment appreciated the restoration efforts. Hon. Maria Mutagamba, however, stressed to NFA to intensify a presence in the area to deter encroachments who had previously cleared parts of the forest to plant Red Pepper, Nakati and maize. “What is surprising is that these people respect private land and only encroach on the reserves. They should be advised to rent the private land near their homes and practice soil conservation to minimize the nutrient losses”, Mutagamba added.
On degradation of forests in Mpigi and Wakiso, NFA Executive Director, Mr. Damian Akankwasa said the closeness of the forests to Kampala City leaves them as a target for timber, firewood and charcoal extraction to meet the demands of individuals schools, Hospitals and others institutions.
The reserves in Mpigi have most of the remaining forest cover after the locals cleared most private forests for agriculture and settlement. “The Forests in Mpigi are traversed by many motorable roads and this makes securing the resource very challenging”, Akankwasa noted. He said NFA had stepped up vigilance with security agencies to root out illegal activities from the forest reserves. “Some reserves like Bugoma have been secured with the support of the UPDF”, he added.
Many private tree farmers with planting licences have invested in exotic plantation species which mature faster with quick returns on investment. As such, NFA’s restoration efforts are focusing on planting indigenous species to aid natural regeneration. The replanted reserves include Kyewaga, Lwamunda, Katabalalalu and Butobuvuma.
It is anticipated that the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Mpigi district and NFA in November 2008 will strengthen restoration efforts and generally improve the management of forests in the area once it is implemented according to plan.