By Alice Kobusinge
The Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Kyenjojo, Ayesiga Julian Sarah, has cautioned the public against deforestation, wetland encroachment, and other destructive practices that are accelerating the effects of climate change.
Speaking during a tree-planting exercise at Oruha Forest Reserve in Kyenjojo District, an initiative spearheaded by American Tower Corporation (ATC) Uganda in partnership with the National Forestry Authority (NFA), Ayesiga urged residents to play an active role in conserving the environment.
“Encroachers must desist from cutting down trees and degrading wetlands. The future population can only be safeguarded if we embrace massive planting of indigenous and fruit trees, especially on our land boundaries and other open spaces,” Ayesiga warned.
The RDC’s remarks came as ATC Uganda and NFA launched the planting of 33,330 tree seedlings across 30 hectares of Oruha Forest Reserve, part of a wider restoration campaign to restore degraded forest cover.
Atuhaire Grace, another participant at the launch, emphasized the importance of sensitizing communities on protecting the planted seedlings.
“Communities need to avoid bush burning, uncontrolled tree cutting, and embrace environmental restoration. Without this, the gains from such initiatives will not be sustained,” Atuhaire said.
The tree planting exercise is part of ATC Uganda’s broader sustainability agenda, which has seen over 73,000 trees planted nationwide since 2021 in partnership with NFA.
Officials stressed that such efforts are crucial for reversing Uganda’s forest loss, which has declined from 24% in 1990 to just 12.7% today, leading to soil erosion, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and worsening climate extremes.