At least six employees of the National Forest Authority (NFA) in Kalangala District have been detained in connection with illegal logging activities in the Kubanda Forest Reserve. The arrested individuals include the Kalangala District NFA manager, the Mugoye Forest supervisor, and four forest patrollers.
The arrests occurred on Thursday, following a significant discovery of destruction within the Kubanda Forest Reserve. Southern regional police spokesperson Twaha Kasirye confirmed that the Kalangala Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Eve Mwesiga, along with regional NFA manager Esther Nekesa and an environmental police team, conducted the investigation that led to the arrests.
“We have detained the suspects at Kalangala Central Police Station. They are being questioned about their involvement in illegal logging activities in Kubanda Forest Reserve, located near the Mutambala landing site in Mugoye Sub County,” Kasirye explained.
Local leader Sulait Kafeero reported that non-residents camped in Kubanda Forest Reserve in early July, where they cut down trees for two weeks. Kafeero claimed that, despite the evidence of external logging activities, NFA workers arrested local residents who had entered the forest to gather firewood, accusing them unjustly of illegal logging.
District chairperson Rajab Semakula expressed concern about the rapid depletion of Kalangala’s forest cover under the new NFA sector manager’s watch. He highlighted the urgent need for action to protect the remaining forest reserves.
President Museveni’s Executive Order No.3, issued on May 24, 2023, mandates that only factories processing timber for products like plywood and furniture within Uganda should operate. These factories are required to have sustainable tree planting and harvesting plans.
Current statistics reveal that out of the 31 forest reserves in the Kalangala area, 17 have been depleted, underscoring the urgent need for effective forest management and enforcement.
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