As Politicians, Commentators, and Policy analysts in Uganda are busy talking and debating the Balaalo eviction embedded in Presidential Executive Order No.3 of 2023, the majority of them completely forgot to talk about other issues like ‘Ban on Commercial Charcoal Burning and Putting a Complete End to Cattle Rustling’, also part of the same Executive Order.
Every effort has been directed to the Balaalo issues without focusing or challenging the Government on the practicality of implementing the other orders on Charcoal Business and Cattle Rustling in Northern Uganda.
To this, the Minister of State for Northern Uganda, Grace Freedom Kwiyucwiny announced in her Press Conference with the Media on November,24th 2023 that the Government has planned to implement the Executive Order in its totality.
The Minister told the Media that the Government had found out that the Road-Block strategy of ending Commercial Charcoal Business and trade by impounding them was not sustainable, and as part of the new strategy, the Government would get to the root of the challenges by going to the Forests and Ranches where people in the trade normally go so that the matter is handled comprehensively.
Audile File one: Minister on Strategy-Eng
She also talked about cattle rustling and all the strategies the Government is putting in place to minimize cattle rustling in the affected districts Like Agago, Kitgum, and Pader among others. The residents in these districts especially Adilang in Agago District have also been on record complaining about animals like Elephants, Buffaloes among others breaking loose from Kidepo National Park and eating up their crop gardens.
Audio File two: Minister on Cattle Rustling-Eng
Over 3 billion people worldwide rely on solid fuels using technologies that are inefficient and pose health risks to users. In Africa, the energy needs of over half of the population are met by firewood and charcoal.
Consequently, Uganda in particular loses an estimated 200,000 hectares (494,000 acres) of forest cover per year (Africa Natural Resources Institute).
Uganda’s annual population growth of over 3% results in an annual increase in energy demand of more than 7% therefore resulting in resource depletion.
Uganda may not have any forests left in the next 83 years due to logging and rapid human population growth if not controlled or minimized.
The overall impact is climate change, which is already evident, especially in Northern Uganda, which is experiencing increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.
This challenges poverty reduction efforts and also reinforces the many risks to which African households are exposed.
The situation in Northern Uganda, recovering from over 20 years of civil unrest, is exacerbated by the massive influx of refugees from neighboring countries, resulting in severe ecological consequences and conflicts with the host communities over access to resources.
According to a study by Bamwesigye and others, in 2020, close to 40% of Uganda’s supply of charcoal to urban areas is from Northern Uganda.
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