National Environment Management Authority has denied the allegations being made that Bugoma forest had been sold off.
Since June, 2020, there have been allegations that NEMA sold Bugoma Central Forest Reserve to Hoima Sugar limited for them to grow sugarcane.
Hoima Sugar Limited was apparently going to take over 5,000 hectares of the forest to plant sugarcane.
However since this information got to the public, people have not been pleased and they have started #SaveBugomaForest.
The hashtag started trending as different Ugandans expressed their disappointed in NEMA for selling off the forest.
Many of them say that at the rate at which Uganda’s forest cover is being destroyed, Uganda’s climate will soon turn into a semi-desert.
NEMA released a statement saying that the land was not sold off but rather with the guidance the Environment law of 1995, NEMA only over saw land allocation as determined by court.
The sugarcane plantation is on an area that was formerly grassland and not forested as many people believe.
NEMA also insists that all the ecosystems in the area including the river, streams, wetlands will continue to protected.