Mabira forest Council Divergent reserve give-away
The disagreement over Mabira Forest has deepened with some local political leaders dismissing claims that they approved the degazettement of part of the Mabira forest reserve to Metha Family for sugarcane growing. The LC3 chairperson, Apollo Massa, said the sub-county, which borders the forest, had never approved any decree charitable concerning the forest reserve. He further lamented “I affirm my earlier position that Mabira should not be touched,’’ he asserted, adding that Mehta had only held an awareness meeting with them, without any concrete resolutions. Little has been said by the President of Uganda though, the environment minister, Maria Mutagamba, told the press at the Media Center in Kampala last week that four sub-counties on the eastern side of the forest to be affected by the degazettment and had approved the forest give-away. The local communities are still astonished with the violence that erupted due to the forest give away last. One wonders whether the minister is speaking on behalf of the government or not, if so then the forest is gone unless or otherwise. Mabira forest is the only central reserve contributing to Uganda tours in the country. The forest reserve has 315 species of Bird causal to the Birds of Uganda and Uganda tours at large. Other rear unique features in the forest reserve include 218 butterfly species, 97 moth species and a new primate species of monkey family only found in this forest.
Though there is claim that giving the forest reserve has many advantages such as employment that Mehta has given to the local people but the natural forests have priceless roles like rain making and protection of soil as well as rivers among other advantages. Above all sugar in Uganda is the most expensive luxury in the country compared to other east African countries and Africa as a whole. Sugar prices increase every day and night and giving away the forest reserve will not even stop the country from importing sugar which is a necessity only enjoyed by roughly 20% of the population in urban areas. The Mabira Forest saga began a few weeks ago when The New Vision reported that 7,100 hectares of the forest were to be given to the Sugar Corporation of Uganda Ltd, owned by Mehta, for sugarcane planting. Since then, there has been a strong public outcry, with several civil society groups threatening legal action if the forest is given away. That later sparked the peaceful demonstration which ended up violent claiming lives of many Ugandans with others locked behind bars.