Authorities have arrested two suspects accused of illegally cutting trees and burning charcoal in Bugoma Central Forest Reserve on the first day of the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s takeover of management operations in the contested forest reserve.
According to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), rangers conducting enforcement patrols in the forest also impounded a truck loaded with charcoal as part of intensified operations targeting encroachment and environmental destruction.
The arrests came just hours after Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja officially handed over the management of Bugoma Forest to UWA during a ceremony held at Kikuube headquarters on May 9.
Speaking during the handover, Nabbanja issued a firm directive ordering all encroachers to vacate the forest without compensation.
“All encroachers must leave the forest immediately. Government will not compensate people who illegally occupied protected land,” the Prime Minister said.
The Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Tom Butime, also warned individuals involved in illegal activities within the forest to leave before facing arrest and prosecution.
“We shall not tolerate further destruction of Bugoma Forest. Those involved in charcoal burning, illegal logging and encroachment should vacate immediately,” Butime said during the event.
UWA officials said the latest arrests signal the beginning of a broader crackdown aimed at restoring the degraded forest reserve, which has faced years of illegal logging, land grabbing, charcoal burning and agricultural encroachment.
Commissioner for Wildlife Conservation George Owoyesigire clarified that although UWA would tighten access controls, the agency would continue engaging nearby communities through regulated resource-use arrangements.
“The handover does not eliminate community relations. People who formally apply and are authorised may still access certain resources, such as firewood under controlled arrangements,” Owoyesigire said.
However, officials stressed that public access to the forest would remain restricted until recovery efforts are fully implemented.
Boaz Bsigirenda, the Range Commander overseeing the area, revealed that more than 364 illegal activity cases have been recorded in Bugoma Forest since 2016.
“Bugoma has suffered extensive degradation over the years. The transfer to UWA is a major step toward stronger conservation and protection for future generations,” Bsigirenda said.
Environmental activists have long raised concerns over the destruction of Bugoma Forest, which is home to chimpanzees and other wildlife species and plays a key role in biodiversity conservation and climate regulation in western Uganda.
The forest has also been at the centre of prolonged disputes involving sugarcane expansion, land ownership claims and allegations of illegal forest clearance.
UWA says operations to remove encroachers and dismantle illegal charcoal camps will continue in the coming weeks as part of efforts to restore the reserve.
