Residents from 48 villages in the South Busoga Forest Reserve in Bunya South County have petitioned the Office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), retired Lt. Hajji Ramathan Walugembe, seeking the reinstatement of village security committees, citing declining local security oversight.
The residents, through Malongo Sub-county Local Council III Chairperson Ali Kiganila, said existing security committees are struggling to operate effectively due to a shortage of members needed to constitute fully functional committees.
They explained that some committee members have died, while others have relocated, leaving the committees operating below capacity and weakening security coordination in the area.
Because the villages are located within a forest reserve, residents cannot attain Local Council status until the land is officially degazetted. They say the security committees are therefore the only local structures available to coordinate security matters within the communities.
South Busoga Forest Reserve and Busoga Central Forest Reserve have had pending degazettement processes for several years.
In 2011, President Museveni directed that 48 villages within South Busoga Forest Reserve be returned to residents for resettlement, alongside 500 hectares of land in Busoga Central Forest Reserve. However, residents say the directive has not yet been implemented.
The area, which is approximately the size of a sub-county, is densely populated but difficult to access, creating security challenges and making it vulnerable to criminal activities.
Residents also expressed concern over reports that the Uganda Police Force is withdrawing police posts in several parts of the country, with stations being maintained mainly at sub-county level.
They argued that this development makes the restoration of village security committees more urgent, especially as local council elections are ongoing.
RDC retired Lt. Hajji Ramathan Walugembe confirmed receiving the petition and said his office would work on restoring the committees after the conclusion of Local Council I, II, and Women Council elections.
He said the committees would help strengthen security in the area and complement police operations as residents await government action on the long-delayed degazettement of the forest reserves.
"We have received the letter and after the elections of Local Councils, we are to come up with a programme to have those committees reinstated," Walugembe said.
