An article written by Dorothy Nalubega

Uganda is gifted with a number of natural forests; among them is Mabira, Bugoma, which these are a habitat of animals, medicinal trees, indigenous people, and other biodiversity and ecosystem. Forests provide multiple benefits and sustainably managed forests give environmental benefits, sustainable economic development and improve the quality of life of people across the country. Given those benefits, it hurts to learn that some people in the name of “investors” backed by greedy leaders- the very people who are supposed to protect our forests! try hard to destroy these forests and have already penetrated and destroyed part of the forests.

Despite warnings, advice and resistance from locals, and demonstrations by environmental activities, some forest’s part have already been penetrated. And guess what! They are given out to sugar factories to grow sugar cane!

An example is Bugoma Forest in Bunyoro-western Uganda, a habitat for over 500 chimpanzees, 201 bird species, and primates called Uganda Mangabeys (only found in Uganda)! A large portion of it is being cleared by Hoima Sugar Ltd for a sugarcane plantation against locals and against civil society’s “save Bugoma campaign”

In the past years, the same thing happened with another rainforest – Mabira, a forest which covers 32,000 hectares and a home to hundreds of tree species as well as rare monkeys and the prized Tit-hylia bird. Our dear President suggested the giveaway of a quarter of the forest to sugar corporations to plant sugarcanes. This also faced a lot of resistance and the give-away was stopped, but still, the forest’s trees were cut from behind, and the only trees seen on the roadside is a deceit.

Environmental Activists are never seated when these unjust acts to nature are being carried out, but they always get silenced, threatened, arrested or character assassination. I personally got threats from a colleague when I posted the save bugoma campaign on face book, so many of our fellow activists were arrested. The deployment of paramilitary agencies which gave sanctuary to the destroyers also scares away campaigners.

Well, the destroyers excuse themselves saying it is just the buffer zone of the forest and not the forest itself, little do they know that destroying even just a part of the forest’s diversity would lead to a loss of fauna and flora, affect water levels and besides, sugarcane is not only environmentally unfriendly but more so if planted in the buffer zone of tropical rainforest, it destroys the biodiversity, and also sugarcane doesn’t mix well with wildlife.

They also defend themselves saying this would create jobs for the residents, but that is so short-lived, this cannot be the sustainable development we are yarning for, it is the greed of corporations and our leaders that make them consider profits at the expense of the present and future wellbeing.

I still say it is greed! Today I am only talking about Mabira and Bugoma forests which are given away for sugarcane plantations, but what about Mugoye, Banga and Towa Forest reserves in Kalangala district given away to Bidco (a cooking oil company) for growing palm oil trees!

I am crying out to the corporations, the so called ‘investors’, to our leaders, to stop the selfishness, to know what they owe society, to be considerate and know what they owe nature.. to my fellow environmental activists, let’s continue to fight together, I am also amplifying the voice of global south activists to the activists in the global north, to join and support us in this fight because we have the same cause. TOGETHER WE CAN ACHIEVE THIS!