Land probe shocked by destruction of forest reserves in Kayunga

The land probe has questioned the presence of cattle keepers in Kayunga forest reserve.

The commission of inquiry into land matters yesterday tasked the National Forest Authority to explain how the forest reserves became settlement areas for the cattle keepers.

This followed their visit to the forest reserves of Bajjo, Wamale and Kiwura in Kayunga district to discover what is on the ground.

To their shock, they discovered that a big chunk of Bajjo had been occupied by cattle keepers.

"We grew up from here and even our grandfathers were born here," said Steven Kategaya, a cattle keeper.

This infuriated the chairperson for the commission Justice Catherine Bamugemereire who said she could not understand how human beings could invade a forest and destroy it.

Bamugemereire later tasked NFA officials to explain more about this co-existence between the forest and the cattle keepers.

From Bajjo, the commission proceeded to Wamale where they found that part of the reserve had been cleared for sugarcane growing.

"About one and half years, people who claimed that this is a public land, brought tractors and graders to clear the land. They evicted us and started planting sugarcane," Peter Muzale a resident of the area told the commissioners.

When asked who the owner of the sugar plantation is, Muzale told us it is MG sugar factory.