In an effort to restore the diminishing important tree species, a trial to replant some of the rare tree species has been started in Matiri central forest reserve in Kyejojo district.
Uganda loses 90,000 hectares of forestry every year to encroachers for human activity which has resulted into harsh climate change weather conditions now affecting Uganda.
According to Kamugisha Hillary the NFA supervisor for Matiri central forest reserve, they are to replant the extinct anti-cancer tree Prunas Africana and Kaaya (Jirikiti) tree species.
Five hectares of a formerly encroached piece of land inside Matiri central forest reserve have been identified for replanting.
Kamugisha has made the remarks while speaking to Environmental journalists under their umbrella Water and Environment media network Uganda (WEMNET) who visited Matiri central reserve forest to investigate the illegalities in the forests, sensitize masses on the need to conserve forests among others.
“We shall plant these two rare tree species as a pilot because we realized that the natural seed back had been destroyed beyond repair by the encroachers who had cleared the forest for Agriculture and the forest cant regenerate naturally” explains Kamugisha.
Besides replanting, Matiri forest is regenerating on a fast rate according to Byamugisha. This is evident because the once trading centers that had cropped up in Matiri are now a thick bush with several trees shooting up.
“This is where we evicted encroachers last year after they lost a court case but you can see even the bore hole is covered in the bush. That side is where the church was but now unless I tell you that it was a church you can’t tell, it’s all a bush” explains Byamugisha as he shows journalists around the regenerating forest.
Impressed by the regeneration in Matiri, Dezi Irumba of Care international in Uganda who has been on the visiting team has commended the effort of all stakeholders who joined forces to create awareness about the need to preserve matiri forest.
” I am sure this is a success as a result of Efforts by JESSE, the media, NFA and all institutions under the justice law and order sector. We encourage you not to celebrate yet because the political heat is here and its around such times that some politicians give away forest land for settlement in search for votes” says Dezi Irumba.
By Joshua Mutale