By Leilah Bbaale
Bakwonga clan members in Kabwoya sub county, Kikuube district are demanding for suspension of Nyakabaale wetland boundary demarcation until proper consultations are made.
The clan members claim they have for decades been managing their community forest known as “Kwonga clan forest” which neighbors with the wetland in the area.
Kikuube district local government under Dr. Dip project is demarcating the wetland boundaries with a purpose to plant boundary marks/pillars to prevent future encroachment into the wetland by communities.
However the clan members of Bakwonga claim they were not consulted on the boundary opening exercise adding that there forest has been tempered with by those opening the boundaries.
Deziderius Irumba, the team leader of Bakwonga clan says several of the natural trees in their forest has been market implying they are going to be harvested as act they claim is illegal and beats the whole purpose of saving the environment.
Steven Nyakoojo, a member of the Bakwonga wonders why the boundary opening is being done secretly without involving the prime stakeholders in the area. He says they petitioned the office of the RDC recently but no positive response realized.
Annette Kiiza and others have vowed to demonstrate if the exercise continues without their involvement.