Lucky Patrick
The Minister of State for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Margaret Muhanga Mugisa, has launched a campaign to plant one million trees across Fort Portal City, in honour of the late King of Tooro, His Highness Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
The campaign, which targets the Central and North Divisions of Fort Portal City, is intended to preserve the environment and create a legacy in memory of the late King, who consistently encouraged his subjects to protect nature and conserve the environment.
Speaking during the launch today morning, Minister Muhanga said the tree-planting campaign is a practical way of honouring the King by continuing to promote one of the causes he strongly advocated for during his reign.
She called upon residents, schools, religious institutions, cultural leaders, businesses and community organisations to actively participate in the campaign by planting and protecting trees within their communities.
The Minister emphasised that planting trees should not be viewed as a one-day activity, but as a long-term responsibility aimed at restoring degraded areas, protecting wetlands and water sources, reducing environmental degradation and improving the quality of life for present and future generations.
She urged residents to take responsibility for the trees they plant, warning that the success of the campaign will depend not only on the number of trees planted but also on their survival and continued protection.
The campaign comes at a time when Fort Portal City and the wider Tooro region are facing growing environmental challenges, including wetland encroachment, loss of tree cover, soil degradation, poor waste management and the effects of climate change.
Minister Muhanga said the one-million-tree target should therefore serve as a collective call to action for residents to make environmental conservation part of their daily lives.
She further encouraged institutions and individuals to identify suitable spaces for tree planting, including school compounds, roadsides, public institutions, farms and other areas where trees can be sustainably established.
The initiative is also expected to contribute to the creation of greener urban spaces, improve the city’s landscape and support efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change.
The late King Oyo, who ascended the Tooro throne as a child in 1995, was widely associated with initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of his subjects and promoting environmental awareness among the people of the kingdom.
Organisers of the campaign say the one-million-tree initiative will therefore serve both as an environmental intervention and a living tribute to his legacy.
Residents have been urged to embrace the campaign and ensure that the trees planted are protected from destruction so that the initiative can achieve its intended impact.
The organisers hope that the campaign will transform Fort Portal into a greener and more environmentally sustainable city while preserving the late King Oyo’s message of responsible stewardship of the environment.
The campaign is expected to continue through various communities in the Central and North Divisions, with residents encouraged to plant and nurture trees as part of the tribute to the late Omukama.