Entebbe municipality has joined forces with the Lake Victoria Regional Local Authorities Cooperation (LVRLAC) to restore the degraded forest land in Kitubulu Forest Reserve, reinforcing national efforts to combat deforestation and enhance climate resilience.
The initiative aimed to protect the forest reserve following the deforestation acts by unknown assailants a few months prior. The reforestation drive aligns with the country’s broader goals to increase forest cover and protect biodiversity.
According to Fabric Rulinda, the Mayor of Entebbe municipality, some people attacked the forest and cut down trees, claiming that they had obtained permission from the National Forestry Authority (NFA) to turn it into hotels, which was incorrect.
“We did put a stop to it, but already there have been trees that have been cut. So we decided as a community to come together and replant the trees which is why we have reforested the area, and we are hopeful that this will stop this act,” he said.
In addition, Rulinda explained that this initiative is fully aligned with Uganda’s national reforestation agenda, which seeks to reverse decades of deforestation and environmental degradation.
He therefore appealed to the public to protect the forest, saying, “This is your environment. This is where you do your livelihood. It is upon you also to ensure that it survives, it’s protected and it’s kept in place.”
The programs officer for Lake Victoria Region Local Authorities Cooperation (LVRLAC), Mercy Stephen Sebuliba, revealed that over 2000 trees are planned to be planted in this forest.
“We are also going to do this in many other local governments. So, our starting point today is here in Gudda landing site and also Kitubulu forest in the Entebbe municipality,” he added.
Sebuliba also emphasised the importance of community participation through the Collaborative Forest Management (CFM) framework.
The initiative also attracted conservationists in a clean-up of the area after the place was heavily polluted by the community members who had been seeing the forest as a dumping site, yet it is an ecosystem for various wildlife species that are living there.
Julius Mwesigye from Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Center, (UWEC) which is part of the conservation areas of Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) emphasized that the main reason why this forest was established was to make sure the strong winds that come from Lake Victoria cannot destroy the nearby what communities.
“So we can’t sit down without going into the communities and on the ground to see how we can change the mindset of people, work with them, give them solutions on how they can sustainably utilise the forest rather than using it as a dumping site, destroying it or cutting it down for other purposes,” he noted.
The chairperson of the Gudda landing site, David Kaaya, applauded the Entebbe municipality’s leadership and partnership in forest restoration and also pledged to make sure that the planted trees grow in support of the community.
The partnership not only restores degraded land but also reaffirms the community’s role in supporting the country’s environmental future.
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