The Department is headed by Mr. John Paul Agaba on acting basis. Mr. Mugisha Charles Mbarizarugo retired on 24th April 2021. However, since his handover the Department has been moving on smoothly and the departmental objectives are still on going.

 

 

Departmental Mission:

To promote the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in Kyenjojo District

 

 

Departmental Vision:

Sustainable Natural Resource Use, Land Tenure Security, Affordable Decent Housing, and Organized Urban Development

 

 Key Functions of the department:

·Departmental planning and administration

·Land administration

· Land surveying and titling

·Physical planning

·Environmental management and protection

·Forestry management

 

Budgetary allocation, work-plans and budget

The department is always allocated about 0.1% of the district budget comprising of local revenue and central government grants. For many years now, the department has had no donor support.

 

Departmental structure and staffing

The Department is made up of four divisions as below:

·Coordination

·Land Administration

·Environment, and

·Forestry.

 

Staff:

As per the approved staff structure, the staffing level has been at 71% and is currently composed of the following staff members:

·Agaba John Paul: Senior Land Management Officer and, Acting District Natural Resources Officer

·Bigabwa Julius: Senior Environment Officer

·Rubongoya Richard: Environment/Wetland Officer

·Kayanja N. Harvert: Staff Surveyor

·Atugonza Doreen: Physical Planner

·Olike Christopher District Forest Officer

·Birungi Kirabo: Forest Ranger

·Komusana Lydia: Office attendant/Assigned to records

 

Development partners

Natural resources department does not have donor funding. However, there has been some collaboration with some development partners in the conservation of natural resources in the district. Some of the partners are: CARE-Uganda, Joint Effort to save the Environment (JESE), the National Forest Authority (NFA), CARDWEL industries limited, ACODE and World Wide fund for nature (WWF). Recently an MOU was signed between the District and the World Conservation Society (WCS) to implement conservation activities in the Albertine Rift whereby Kyenjojo District is included. Some recruitment of staff from Kyenjojo and other districts by WCS has already taken place. The MOU signed between WCS and Kyenjojo District Local Government is being followed up for implementation.

 

Forestry estate:

There are 8ha of local forest reserves for the district. 5 ha at Nyantungo 3ha at Butiiti. Only 4ha at Nyantungo have been planted with Eucalyptus trees although affected by termites. Another half an acre of clonal Eucalyptus has been planted at the district headquarters for demonstration purpose. The woodlot is performing very well. The land at Butiiti has not been planted and is vulnerable to encroachment or land grabbing. There is also a small forestry nursery at Nyantungo managed by CURDWLL Industries limited to supply Prunus Africana seedlings to farmers in Kyenjojo.

 

Challenges

The following have been the major challenges to the Department

·        Inadequate funding to the Department There is low prioritization of the Natural Resources Sector at all levels of planning. Unlike other Departments, the Natural Resources Department has no donor funding thus depends solely on the little local revenue and a small central government grant for the wetland section of the environment division. This leaves out many planned activities not being implemented.

·        Lack of staff at lower local government level The staff structure for the department does not provide for staffing at lower local government. The few staff of the department are stationed at the district headquarters yet all problems associated with environment degradation take place at lower local governments. This has led to inadequate enforcement of environment laws and regulations resulting into environment and forest degradation.

·        Wetland encroachment and degradation There are increased cases of wetland degradation in the district majorly caused by people who want to drain and convert wetlands into farmlands. Cases of crop growing such as rice, matooke, maize, yams etc. have been noticed while Eucalyptus has been the priority tree species. This tree species is much preferred for wetland as it is fast growing, well adapted to wetland environment and good at draining the water. Attempts by the district with help of NEMA have tried evictions and crop/tree destruction to discourage wetland encroachers. However, the illegal act has been repetitive due to limited funding and lack of staffing at lower local government to do routine monitoring and law enforcement. Although still not enough, this year, environment and natural resources sector grants have been increased from 10million to about 40million with guidelines on how it should be utilized for environment and forestry conservation. There is need to sensitize and motivate communities on better profitable ways of utilizing the wetlands without causing wanton destruction.

·        Deforestation and a decline of forest resources There has been massive deforestation on private land in recent years. This has been due to agricultural expansion, charcoal burning and timber cutting. The district used to collect substantial amount of forest revenue from pit-sawing activities on private forests. These forests are now completely depleted hence the number of registered pit-sawyers have reduced from 36 in 2008 to only two registered pit-sawyer who have paid for license although not yet licensed. This calls the need for serious investment in a tree planting campaign and forest extension services in the district. It is worth to note that currently there is high demand for tree seedlings which the department has been unable to supply

·        Limited land tenure security and land conflicts Government has decentralized the land titling to the zonal offices. However, it has not invested in training of the Area Land Committees (ALC) who constitute the backbone of the land titling process. Yet these committees keep changing membership every three years. The Government has also left the inspection fees charged to the desecration of these committees. The ALC charges are sometimes exorbitant. There are other fees charged at the district and sub county authorities. When combined with the complex bureaucratic land titling processes, land titling becomes unaffordable to ordinary citizens resulting into land insecurity issues and conflicts.

·        Lack of information and law enforcement on policy guide lines People are not well informed about the physical planning process and there is no effective law enforcement to guide the process. This has led to poor town developments that leave a lot to be desired. There is total lack of conformity to the structural standards hence new developing townships are fast becoming slums.

·        Ineffective physical planning committee The Physical Planning Act of 2010 provides for a physical Planning Committee mandated to recommend physical planning applications. This committee is amorphous in its composition with unnecessarily too many members without provisional funding. This renders the Physical Planning Committee ineffective and this has resulted in mushrooming unplanned urban centers

·        Lack of adequate transport means for field activities The department has an aging pick up that was donated by UNDP through WWF. This vehicle is currently broken down. This has hampered field movements. The vehicle requires about four million shillings to be back on the road.

·        Continued eviction of wetland encroachers the different wetlands of Kahompo, Kajooro and many other wetlands in Nyabuharwa, Nyantungo, Butunduzi, Kigaraale, Bugaaki and many other sub counties fostering wetland regeneration.

 

 Interventions by the department to the challenges being faced

·        Wetland restoration activities along river Muziizi wetlands with the assistance from NEMA the wetland in major areas worked on have regenerated most rice growers, Eucalyptus and other encroachers left. In the five (5) years we have conducted routine environmental sensitization in the community and on radio programs

·        Inspected wet lands in the District to update the inventory Inspected District and Private developments that have adverse impacts on the environment and proposed mitigation measures these include carrying out Environment and social screening for health centers, schools under the different programs.

·        Carried out Environment screening for Roads under Uganda road fund (URF), DDEG, and water projects for the District, sub counties and Town Councils.

·        Attended meetings on River Muziizi catchment management committee meetings in Mubende and Fort portal

·        Compliance inspections in lower local governments including town councils

·   Conducted serval trainings for different stakeholders on environment issues including waste management, wetlands management, climate change and environment management

·        Environment and social screening for LEGS and AGRI-LED projects where done and submitted to the different project coordinators.

·        Inspection of the different factories in Kyenjojo, monitoring compliance with environment regulations as stated in the NEMA certificates including Kyenjojo Sugar works factory in katara ward Katooke Town council. Kigumba Tea Factory, Nyambya tea factory, McLeold Russell in Kyarusozi, Mabaale Tea Factory.

·        Revamping the Kyerenga wetland management plan in Butunduzi Town council under CARE fund and JESE.

·        Coordinating for the completion of District Environment and Natural Resources Ordinance which is still with the solicitor General. This is being followed up by ACODE.

 

Achievements

·        The District Forestry Officer (DFO) mobilized and collected a total of shs. 20,672,000= as revenue from forestry produce and transportation on private land for three (3) Financial Years (up to end of April, 2021). However, the revenue collected from charcoal burning fees is being reflected at the sub-county and town council levels within the district. In actual sense the revenue collected from forestry produce and trade is more than 20M.

·        Revenue collection for 2018/19 FY; (shs 5,071,000=). Revenue collection for 2019/20 FY; (shs 7,413,100=). Revenue collection for 2020/21 FY; (shs. 8,188,000=).

·        NFA allocated 260,000 seedlings of indigenous tree species under the national community tree planting program since 2018 to date.

·        Cadwell industries limited as also allocated 25,000 seedlings of Prunus to tree farmers in the district.

·        Ministry of water and environment through the directorate of water resources management, the Albertine water resources management (MWE/DWRM/AWRMZ) established 2 nursery beds in Nyabuharwa and Butiiti sub-county to raise seedlings for protecting the river Mpanga catchment area.

·        Sensitized communities on tree planting and management, the importance of forests and dangers associated with forest degradation and climate change effects in Kigoyera, Butunduzi town council and Nyabuharwa.

·        Carried out routine patrols and participated joint patrols against illegal activities in the district. There has been routine supervision of private surveyors.

·        The Sector procured a surveying machine for the District.

·        The Sector has managed to Process 240 Land titles

·        Quarterly Land Board meetings have been taking place.

·        Monitoring land activities in the District for various Sub counties.

·        Mobilized and sensitized the community on physical planning issues and land applications

·        Prepared the Kyenjojo District headquarters layout plan

·        Managed to do field surveillance, monitoring and supervision of development projects both government and private

·        Conducted physical planning committee meetings, four sets per financial year. All these minutes were submitted to ministry of lands Housing and Urban development for consideration

·        Conducted physical planning committee meetings, four sets per financial year. All these minutes were submitted to ministry of lands Housing and Urban development for consideration

·        The sector recommended around 140 plans for approval

·        Development control was done in some areas that is to say, operation against illegal developments

 

Constraints 

·        In adequate funds to the sector that leaves some activities un accomplished or un attended to, as per planned activities in Financial Year.

·        Lack of field staff at lower local governments causing a lot of illegal tree cutting for charcoal, timber and poles/logs.

·        Declining forest revenue due to reduced forestry resources on private land and increased tree cutting for reasons stated above.

·        The District Forestry Officer’s (DFO) office has no information on the status of central forest reserves (CFRs) because the law does not allow for NFA staff in the district to either report or copy to the DFO their activity/quarterly reports. This means, the DFO being in control of the district has no power and authority over NFA staff within the district.

·        Increased illegalities in central forest reserves (CFRs) within the district as reported by the community based monitors as well wishers from the community neighboring CFR.