Published on 22/07/2025
Entebbe municipal leaders have condemned the National Forestry Authority (NFA) for allegedly giving away parts of Kitubulu Central Forest Reserve to private developers.
The development has sparked widespread outrage, with many questioning the legality of the NFA’s actions.
Last week, residents in Entebbe Municipality woke up to the astonishing sight of felled trees and a tractor clearing part of Kitubulu Central Forest Reserve.
A few moments later the cleared part of the forest was fenced off.
According to documents obtained by this publication, the NFA issued licenses to various private developers to establish ‘eco-lodges’ within the forest.
During a meeting convened last Friday by Entebbe Municipality Mayor, Mr Fabrice Rulinda, Katabi Town Council Mayor, Mr Ronald Kalema, stakeholders, NFA officials, and the developers, Ms Debora Watase, one of the developers, revealed that she was granted a 25-year license to operate within the forest, paying $1,500 (about Shs5.3million) annually.
“NFA allowed me to operate within this area for 25 years, paying $ 1,500 each year,” she revealed.
She added, “There has been a lot of encroachment on this forest, which is why NFA deemed it fit to allow regulated developments, as we also protect the forest and as per now, NFA has given me three soldiers to protect my developments within the forest because some people had started harassing me.”
Another company, known as Abacus African Vacations Ltd, also benefited from the forest giveaway. According to a letter from NFA written on May 17, 2023, the private company was granted six (6) hectares (14.8 acres).
Another letter NFA dated June 27, 2024, addressed to Mr Robert Franklin Begumisa, the managing director of Abacus African Vacations Ltd, allowed the private developer to go ahead with the environmental and social impact assessment as guided by the National Environment Management Authority (Nema).
During the meeting, Mr Begumisa defended his action to fence off part of the forest, saying he was demarcating the land apportioned to him for development.
Also among the listed entities is Triple Sound investment Limited which was granted 114.2 acres of the forest on Block 443, Plots 369 and 371, in March 2022. The records also show that Megha Industries (U) Ltd acquired 3.2 acres on Plots 11, 13-17 and 23-25. A one Debora Mbabazi is said to have acquired 0.94 acres on Plot 18, while one David Hood Mpigi reportedly got 0.47 acres on Plots 7 and 8, Mirza Close.
Another company, Mulkin Enterprises Ltd, is reported to have acquired 0.27 acres, while New Nordic (U) Ltd was reportedly apportioned 1.2 acres of land on Plots 19-21 on Kibira Road.
Mr Robert Muhumuza, NFA legal officer, explained that the land titles in the names of Megha Industries had been cancelled.
“We submitted for the cancellation of the remaining titles to the Uganda Land Commission. We are currently waiting for the public hearing and decision to that effect,’’ he noted.
However, Mr Rulinda in an interview on Tuesday, said all that was done by NFA is illegal because they never consulted the municipal authorities.
“Later this week, I am going to lead a tree planting exercise in the part of the forest which has been depleted, and I will not allow any developments in that forest,” he said.
Kitubulu Central Forest Reserve measures approximately 197 acres. However, local authorities say a total of 120 acres have since been parcelled out to developers, leaving only 77 acres of the forested area. The forest has, over the years, lost part of its land to developers who have since erected recreation parks.
Uganda’s forest cover has been on a declining trend in the past two decades.
The country is losing 122,000 hectares of forest cover annually, according to the Ministry of Water and Environment, a trend that has persisted for nearly four decades.
Statistics obtained from the ministry indicate that in 1990, Uganda had 24 per cent of forest cover, but due to several factors, including illegal activities, deforestation and population growth, this has forced people to encroach on the various forest reserve land, which has drastically reduced the forest cover to 12.7 per cent currently.
Institutions such as the National Forestry Authority (NFA), Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), and National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) all have mandates that intersect, yet enforcement remains fragmented.
Tree cover loss in Uganda is mainly attributed to rapid population growth and the need for land for settlement and agriculture, urbanisation, industrialisation and the increased demand for solid biomass for fuel.
Forest cover loss has exposed the East African nation to a number of hazards which have had significant impacts on the economy. According to World Bank statistics on climate change, floods impact nearly 50,000 people and cause the loss of over $62 million in GDP.
