The 20-year LRA civil war devastated Northern Uganda. When peace came, most of its people were locked in Internally Displaced people camps (IDPs). Peace and Reconstruction programs to the value of 1,8 Billion USD did little to help since most funds went into workshops and pockets of individual bureaucrats.
The region is still one of the poorest in the country. In recent years, wealthy and connected investors have poured into the region to exploit its resources, land, and trees. Local communities have resorted to selling their land and trees as the only resource they can offer to remain active in the economic system.
A study by Bamwesigye and others in 2020, revealed that close to 40% of Uganda’s supply of charcoal to urban areas is from Northern Uganda. Most of this charcoal is harvested and sold by ‘connected’ businesses as mentioned above. This is worrying as Uganda loses an estimated 200,000 hectares (494,000 acres) of forest cover per year (according to the Africa Natural Resources Institute).
The Controversial Peace Recovery and Development Plan Funds and Poverty in Northern Uganda:
In 2015 before the 2016 Election, Odonga Otto, the then Pader district, Aruu County member of Parliament mobilized over 800 youths from greater Northern Uganda to block former prime-Minister, Amama Mbabazi from crossing to Northern Uganda to campaign under the ‘Join Inter Party Coalition’. It was alleged that over UGX 50 Billion about 12.9 million USD meant for the Peace Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP) for Northern Uganda by donors and government was swindled when he was in office as Prime Minister of Uganda.
In 2008, the Government of Uganda and its development partners entered into a joint financing agreement concerning budget to support the Peace, Recovery, and Development Plan for Northern Uganda (PRDP) where the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and Office of the Prime Minister were lead Ministries in the implementation. In the Financial Year 2011/2012 various development partners contributed to the budget, like Irish Government contributed 4 Million Euros, the Danish Government contributed 5 million DKK, Swedish Government Contributed 16 million Swedish Kroner.
Odonga Otto, a then staunch member of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) by 2015 said he would leave FDC if his party endorsees Amama Mbabazi who had fallen out with President Museveni to contest under the ‘join Party Coalition Project.’
Otto Odonga who mobilized the youth from the greater North for the peaceful demonstration at that time said that it is shaming that some members of the opposition including his then party FDC are not bothered to query the former Prime Minister on the swindling of monies meant for the Peace Recovery Development Fund.
“I also want to say that, if Amama Mbabazi is to be president then we shall raise our flag and immediately form the Nile republic because we can’t accept to be led by a thief, “Odonga said from Heritage Garden in Karuma,Oyam district after matching with over 800 young people from Kamdini corner to Arua-Karuma junction which is about 10 km from Kamdini corner protesting Amama visit to Northern Uganda after allegedly swindling PRDP funds in 2015.
After the 2016 general election, Amama Mbabazi reconciled with President Yoweri Museveni Kaguta, starting with the President attending the ex-premier daughter, Birungi Bridget ( wedding) give away to Andile Ramaphosa, South Africa’s President Son. The relationship was sealed when Amama didn’t contest in 2021 .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1L40vSPdAg
The Uganda Anti-corruption court sentenced Geoffrey Kazinda, the then Principal Accountant in the office of the prime-Minister to 40 year jail term and told him to refund USD 4.9 million or UGX 19 Billion. The donors also forced government to refund about 24 million USD. Although Kazinda still rots in prison as a mockingbird of the OPM PRDP fund scam, the then Prime Minister, Amama Mabazi just received media bashing, and nothing legal was instituted against him as the then head of OPM at that time. OPM then Permanent Secretary also , Dr Pius Bigirimana was just transferred from OPM to the Ministry of Gender by the President and now he is a Permanent Secretary in the Judiciary.
This is one of the examples how PRDP funds were swindled at a high level which thuggery also is felt at the local level as Non-Government Organizations’ sign posts and government projectization of Acholi-subregion/Northern Uganda accounts for the Multi-Million USD dollars poured into the Region.
National statistics still put the Acholi subregion as the second poorest subregion in Uganda , according to the annual report 2022 released by Uganda Bureaus of Statistics (UBOS), the national poverty index was at 42.1% with Northern region as the poorest at 63% followed by the Eastern which is at 45.7%.
Richard Todwong, the current General Secretary of National Resistance Movement (NRM the ruling party, said in an interview that indeed Government injected about 1,8 Billion USD for the recovery of the region in phases.
“In National Development Plan Phase One and Two, the focus of government was infrastructural development where many schools and hospitals were built and National Development Plan Three now is focusing on household income and social programs that help the community come out of poverty”.
Todwong who sits in cabinet and the Central Executive Committee of the National Resistance movement, the top planning organ of the ruling party, also acknowledged that indeed the monies meant for Northern Uganda were misappropriated. “however if you evaluate what has been done vice-versa the money that was sent, you will see there is a gap which is a bit of the concern that most of the money might have not been put in the right program which might have been misappropriated, diverted or mismanaged”. Todwong said.
He added that the Government now is focused on fighting poverty under National Development Plan III and onwards with earmarked money directly to people through social programs like the Parish Development Model, Emooyga, and others.
The Economist and Development Experts on Why Poverty in Northern Uganda:
Dr. Owot Godfrey Moses of the Faculty of Business and Development Studies of Gulu University said the poverty in Northern Uganda is because there was no strategic investment in the mechanization of Agriculture but rather households continued with rudimental tools like hoes and pangas meaning subsistence was high hence the people could not do mass production.
Dr. Owot also said poor expenditure management of the monies injected in the region also accounts for the poverty since corruption was high making people not benefit from what was meant for them.
Dr. Owot also asserts that the population still spends on social events like traditional funeral rites, and birthdays and exhausting their meager savings.
He advised that government should invest in creating marker linkages for the people’s produce and need to do mindset change before giving money to the people under the Parish Development Model.
Dr Owot believes that when government fights corruption in Government Programmes and invests in mindset change by preparing the people and pushing for Tractors to enable mass land opening for commercial agriculture and doing mindset change before giving any money under the household support, there would be change in the region.
Confronting the Perpetrators of Charcoal and Commercial Logging in Northern Uganda:
Owor Arthur the Director of Centre for African Research and the man behind ‘Our Trees We Need Answers’ activism said their main agenda was to rally the communities to be able to bear pressure on the perpetrators because the level of tree cutting and dealing in the wood had gone overboard with fear that the region was losing even local tree species that would be extinct and desert looked nearer with the activities on environment in the region.
“We used the norm of environmentalism of the poor, we realized that power belongs to the people and trees were being extracted from private gardens and from the communities. Our attempts to stop the trucks were also guided by the fact that we were operating within the laws, one -we were demanding proper documentation because in the Forestry Act, there were different steps stipulated for someone to cut down the trees and also transport charcoal. For us we were using the Forestry Act and clearly stipulated guidelines as a point to demand documents from the perpetrators and in most cases they didn’t have the documents “ Owor said.
Owor said they mounted pressure from Layibi Roundabout Check Point in Gulu, Akurukwe on Juba Road between the border of Gulu and Amuru, and in other places checking compliances with the regulations and laws in place. (Forestry Act)
‘We would immediately impound those trucks without permit to carry or transport charcoal, wood to the Police as a referral point because we were citizens just united to see that the laws and rules were followed. Once we found them short of that or without any documentation, we would refer the trucks to the police what would happen there is another story”. Owor narrated
‘’Sometimes the trucks are released, sometimes the police would tell us they didn’t have the capacity or the space to hold the trucks or to deal with the perpetrators or refer us to environmental police who were overstretched with work, an environmental officer in the region being able to look at Eight (8) Acoli districts with lack of logistics with the moving charcoal hotspots moving deeper in the different terrain with bad weather -that became a problem to police and our work” Owor noted.
Who are the Charcoal and Timber dealers in Northern Uganda?
The local community members interviewed said that they only interfaced with the middlemen since their bosses don’t come to the ground but they say their bosses are in Kampala.
Owor Arthur the man behind ‘Our Tress, We Need Answers’ said they deliberately refused to register ‘Our Trees We Need Answers’ since some of the perpetrators were powerful and feared that they could make their activism useless since they would deregister their entity hence kept it just as a pressure group.
“We never registered, we just kept it as a pressure advocacy group, we didn’t want to fall into a scenario where our certificate would be revoked as a retaliatory measure by illegal perpetrators who were highly connected and working together with some people in the system “.
“Now in years of activism backed by research, this was a cartel whatever is happening works in a form of the value chain that is mixed with legality and illegality, all together, in some cases, they are working with districts who are picking money from them -for their local revenue, somebody is faulting the rules by not following the Forestry Act to go and cut the trees and the district picks local revenue from them. The person begins to transport charcoal to Kampala working with different actors and it was difficult to nail just one person”.Owor said.
According to Arthur, the powerful economic elites were working with transporters from down south and other areas as one of the revelations was that some were coming from the East African block from Rwanda and were in areas in Apaa and Palaro in Gulu District.
“It’s like Local economic elites working with national economic elites and businessmen who work with big transporters with lots of trucks like Mukama-Mulunyi to continue with the trade that has devastated the environment in the region -” Owor said.
Owor Arthur said the Military is also involved especially in the logs business where the activists team working with authorities like with the Santos Okot Lapolo the then Gulu Resident District Commissioner, impounded Africana Afrizella mbeyo logs belonging to one of the Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF) Lieutenant colonel and put the logs at Bomah ground next to RDC office but he arm-twisted the police and had the logs transported to Kampala to their dismay.
“As I speak up to date he was never reprimanded and we don’t know where he is, perhaps is still continuing with the trade in other areas”.
Investigation revealed that the soldier in question was involved in the incident in 2018 and he was identified only as LT. Col Rutainama, security source who spoke on anonymity said after the activists and authority impounded 25 pieces of logs belonging to the UPDF officer in 2018, he came with eight soldiers and loaded his logs at night and overpowered only two Police officers who were put to guard the logs.
At that time, then Brigadier Kanyesigye Emmanuel now Major General was the Fourth Division Commander, he had promised to get back to the public on the UPDF officer behavior but the matter never surfaced anywhere todate.
“Even some police officers were involved in the trade and there was one who was just saved by being transferred to one of the Universities to redeem his image, so security knows this very well’. A Highly security source said.
In his Executive Order No.3 of 2023 dated May,19th 2023 under number 4, President Yoweri Museveni Kaguta acknowledges the Corruption in the security forces. The Corruption of some elements of security forces in Northern Uganda, is not only shameful and discrediting the UPDF and other Security Groups and Government Agencies, but is a danger to environment”. The President writes acknowledging that his office is aware that the security forces are the ones who were escorting the charcoal however apart from announcing the ban. The order does not investigate those who have been perpetrating in the charcoal business and escorting them.
Owor Arthur also narrated that some of the perpetrators who were coming on the ground were using pseudo names like there was Nalongo who was controlling Amuru and Nwoya belt and Master who was in charge of Agago district.
Looking at the Law that governs Forests and their entire Products in Uganda:
Article 21 of the National Forestry and Tree Planting Act 2003, directs all those with Forest Land on land owned as of the Land Act 1988, to register with their Local Government or District Land Board and the law further explains that the forest produce belongs to the owner except the process of extraction and harvesting needs the District Forestry Officer guidance and direction for professional and sustainable management.
Article 27 again stipulates that government or local government has no ownership over trees or forest produce situated on private land but further guides that the district forest Officer should issue direction to the owner to manage in a professional and sustainable manner.
Article 32 of the same act again stipulates prohibited activities on private or community forest land saying that cutting trees for grazing, farming land, recreational purposes, erecting of a building, or camping without a management plan or in accordance with a license granted under the Act, in a forest reserve or community forest commits an offense liable for about three years imprisonment.
The same law under Article 33 grants free right to anybody to use forest products for domestic use but cautioned that in a reasonable quantity with subsequent article 34 guiding the person harvesting forest products to ensure that no damages are caused to the forest during the process and said however contravenes that is liable to imprisonment of about two years.
The law in Articles 41 and 42 talks about licensing the use of forest products revealing that is the work of a responsible body subject to a management plan which has been the practice that the district Forestry Officer takes this role while guiding a district council because the law is silent on the amount for permits to use forest products and so on.
According to Martin Anywar, Kitgum District Forestry Officer who is also a member of Acoli Technical Working Committee on Charcoal said the local community doesn’t know this law and yet when they don’t register their trees or forest on private land, harvesting it becomes an illegality
Anywar an experienced forest officer also explains that the permit for carrying charcoal or dealing in wood products before it was banned was determined by each local government council in the region and it was not uniform it depended on each district’s local council with the technical guidance of their district forest officer.
The permit was between UGX 150,000 to UGX 500,000 per lorry truck in the Acoli subregion districts (Gulu, Amuru, Pader,Kitgum, Omoro, Nwoya, Agago) depending on the district council resolution.
The Minister and Presidential Ban on Charcoal in Northern Uganda:
Currently, there are two Bans on the transportation of Forest products or Charcoal for Northern Uganda and the respective local government has been told to halt giving permits for charcoal.
In a letter dated January 4th,2023, Beatrice Anywar the State Minister for Water and Environment banned all the Acoli districts from issuing permits that allowed commercial charcoal or wood product sale. However, the ban was criticized for lacking proper implementation guidelines and not giving clear ways for people doing charcoal for domestic use the Forestry Act permits.
Then in May 2023, President Yoweri Museveni issued Executive Order N0.3 addressing migrant cattle keepers’ issues in Uganda and emphasizing a ban on the commercial charcoal trade in Northern Uganda.
The Ban under schedule 4 of the Executive order allows charcoal under the symbiotic arrangement where the Minister of Environment clears on the recommendation of the RDC.
Activist Owor Arthur said the ban by the President was good until he allowed the symbiotic production of charcoal arrangement which the powerful perpetrators still have all the means to exploit and means business as usual.
“Secondly the former State Minister of Northern Uganda who is in the lead of the implementation of the Executive order only concentrated on implementing the order on the Balalo and forgot completely the ban on charcoal by the President which was part of the same order”. Owor submitted.
Change in the Charcoal transportation style:
Martin Anwar, the Kitgum District Forestry Officer told this reporter that the transportation style has changed where with the current ban the transporters are now are using closed-box body lorry trailers that were very difficult to detect.
He also said the trailer is stationed somewhere and the community carry small quantities on their boda-Boda-or bicycle until the trailer is full and closed. On the roadblock -the security thinks there are some goods.
“The transportation has become very complicated with the bans in place, actually they use sim-sim, sorghum, and other food crops and they pour to cover the charcoal in the box-body lorries unless you keen and able to remove these items you won’t notice is charcoal on transit”. Anywar said.
According to Anywar, even some soda companies truck after dropping sodas with empty crates on their way back to Kampala load charcoal.
“This ban was not done through research and because charcoal is indispensable, many Ugandans can’t afford gas hence the ban can never be a permanent solution to the mass charcoal production”
The Elephant has also learnt through community sources that the Charcoal at times especially for Buses that reach deeper North like Lamwo, Kitgum and Agago end up taking Charcoal to Kampala by passing all the security checkpoints since charcoal would be packed in the bus boots.
Dealers in forest products argue that the government must provide the population with alternative energy sources if the ban on forest products is to be impactful.
“Who can afford electricity in this Country if not few and how many can afford gas in this country”. A Charcoal dealer who asked to be protected told the Elephant.
The Uganda Electricity Regulation report of 2020 shows that only 45 percent of the citizens are connected to the national power grid, this increases the vulnerability of the bigger population who turn to affordable and reliable charcoal as fuel for cooking.
The Uganda National Household Survey of 2016-2017 revealed that up to 90% of the citizens use burned dry wood for fuel with 15.5% of the charcoal consumed in the rural areas compared to 66.4 percent in the urban areas and cities. This leaves charcoal as the most affordable and reliable source of domestic energy.
Dr. Kato Stonewall an environmentalist researcher at Gulu University Faculty of Agriculture and Environment said government should focus on providing alternative energy sources at low cost but immediately must jump into promoting growing trees for charcoal production so that the natural trees are saved. ‘’They can promote also highly efficient kilns for charcoal productions’ Kato noted.
“There is need for planting of more bamboo and eucalyptus trees including other species for charcoal as a university we are piloting in Nwoya district to promote tree farming for charcoal”.
Dr. Collins Okello dean Faculty of Agriculture and Environment and a biosystem engineer at Gulu University promoting green charcoal in Northern Uganda said research is even showing that pests and diseases shall increase in gardens in northern Uganda because deadly pests would have had their habitats destroyed hence, they would end up in people’s garden and would create more problems.
The Response from the Duty Bearers on Failure of the Ban:
The Former Minister of State for Northern Uganda, Grace Freedom Kwiyucwiny in charge of implementing the presidential Executive Order N0.3 said she has not forgotten about the environment but only that they have reviewed and found out that the Road-Block strategy of stopping charcoal doesn’t work and are now investing in stopping the trade from the source.
“We are going to increase surveillance in the national forest, the river banks and swamps and the ranches, Aswa ranch, Marusi ranch. People have taken advantage to hide deep in these ranches and cut our trees, so we are going to increase surveillance at the source because stopping them at the roadblock does not help very much”. She narrated at the time she was still the Minister.
The new Aswa Region West Police Commander Senior Supretendant of Police, Assimwe Samuel said his office is not aware of the new tactics in the Charcoal transportation of hiding charcoal in buses, Box body closed Lorry trailers.
“Am not aware let the people give us information, we shall act immediately, please give my telephone number to the community members on the Radio”. He spoke.
As the charcoal passes, the Police commander manning the districts of Gulu, Amuru, Omoro,Nwoya, and Amuru is yet to wait from the people and brief his team on the new tactics.
The Funding for Restoring Environment in Northern Uganda:
Alfred Okot Okidi, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water and Environment recently told the press in Gulu that the reckless harvesting of trees for charcoal has destroyed 05 % of the tree cover in the region, According to Okidi, before the commercial charcoal deal started in the region, the tree cover was standing at 13. 9 %, but now reduced to 13.4 %.
Okidi added that the ministry has already approved a plan for community tree planting in the region, and has signed a memorandum of understanding with both religious and traditional leaders to implement the campaign, adding that mobilization of funds by government and partners for the intervention has started.
Okidi revealed the government has already secured 40 million Euros (166.9 billion Uganda shillings) from the European Union for the proposition of the value chain, where the Northern Region has been identified to take the largest share of the fund.
Ends
You can also read:
Ministry of Energy on Spotlight over Stalled Value Addition Facilities in Local Government
Links
https://gnna.co.ug/2024/01/government-secures-shs165bn-for-reforestation/
https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/minister-anywar-bans-issuance-of-permits-to-c-NV_154786
https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/eu-gives-shs20b-for-forest-management-3657446
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hedyqI4IFzQ
