national 8 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Nakasongola Forest Land Resettlement Stalled Six Years After Museveni Directive
Over 2,000 landless families in Nakasongola District remain in limbo six years after President Museveni ordered the degazettement of Kyalubanga Forest Reserve for their permanent settlement. Bureaucratic delays, fraud allegations, and violent clashes have hindered the process despite recent ministerial assurances. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/six-years-on-nakasongola-forest-land-giveaway-stalls-amid-bureaucracy-disputes-5416450
Six years have passed since President Museveni instructed the allocation of Kyalubanga Central Forest Reserve land to more than 1,800 landless families in Nakasongola District. The 2019 directive, outlined in a letter to key government offices, required formal degazettement to comply with forest protection laws and avoid future encroachments.
Despite repeated efforts by district leaders, the process remains incomplete due to slow bureaucracy. Nakasongola District Council Speaker Sunday Rogers Bwanga noted multiple follow-ups yielded little progress, while LC5 Chairperson Sam Kigula emphasized that degazettement falls under central government authority, specifically the Office of the Prime Minister as directed in 2020.
Complications arose from fraud claims and illegal allocations. On April 2, 2026, five suspects faced Nakasongola Chief Magistrate’s Court for charges like fraudulent land distribution, property damage, and unlawful confinement, following a State House Anti-Corruption Unit probe. They were remanded until April 14.
Tensions boiled over into violence in October 2023, when rival groups clashed in Lwabiyata Sub-county over boundaries, destroying property and displacing families. Security intervened after the incident.
The unresolved issue also blocks resettlement for families displaced by Lake Kyoga floods from 2021 to 2024. The eight-square-mile reserve spans Lwabiyata, Nakitoma, Nabiswera, and Lwampanga sub-counties. In December 2025, Museveni urged the Ministry of Lands to hasten action.
Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba affirmed the matter is a priority, with ongoing collaboration involving relevant departments and district officials.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)