Legislators reject Museveni’s move to give away Mabira
Like Kibaki, Kikwete, Kagame and Nkurunziza before him, Museveni is discovering that the contagion effect of an emerging ‘common political market’ means winning re-election only ensures his legitimacy will be immediately challenged. Picture: File
Already battling fresh protests from the opposition over the high cost of living, President Museveni faces a revolt from his party over the planned giveaway of Mabira Forest Reserve to sugar miller Mehta’s Sugar Corporation of Uganda Limited, SCOUL.
Trying to exploit the current sugar shortages to push for the giveaway of the forest that he first unsuccessfully tried to expropriate in 2007, Museveni summoned ruling party legislators to meet over the issue at State House Entebbe last week.
However, in the second instance of rebellion by his party in four months, legislators roundly rejected the proposal. While there was no objection to an increase in sugar production, the NRM legislators were opposed to the idea of giving away a natural forest citing environmental concerns.
Mabira forest is a catchment area for Lake Victoria whose destruction will negatively impact on the lake. The forest is also gifted with a host of biodiversity that is important for ecotourism.
It is one of the thickest tropical forests in East Africa and plays an important roles in carbon intake thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“I am the chairman of the Parliamentary Forum for Climate Change and I know the value of that forest in as far as climate change is concerned. I will not support its giveaway because there is alternative land being offered on leasehold by the Church of Uganda and the Buganda Land Board,” said Ezra Kwizera, deputy chairperson of the Natural Resources Committee.
At the peak of the sugar scarcity, a kilogramme of sugar sold at $3.5, up from $1.5 within a month. Museveni still blames sugar scarcity on shadow Cabinet minister for energy Beatrice Anywar after she successfully led a mass demonstration against the Mabira giveaway in 2007.
“If the government had given alternative land in 2007, the sugarcane would be under harvest now. The president should stop the blame game and diverting people’s attention from the current economic crisis, rising unemployment and poverty,” said Ms Anywar.
The popular view is that the government should help local farmers to grow sugarcane and sell to sugar processing companies.
A section of the population is now questioning whether the sugar scarcity is not an artificial creation to justify the giveaway of Mabira to the Mehtas, who seems to have paid for the land already.
Apparently, Mabira is not the only land planned for sugarcane activities. In his speech to district leaders and agricultural officers, Museveni also gave a three-month ultimatum to the government to give prison land in Masindi, western Uganda to another sugar company, Kinyara Sugar Works.
A third proposed piece of land in Amuru has been suggested for construction of a sugar factory. With local people nurturing the belief that beneath it, there is a likelihood of oil, Museveni would be treading on thin ice again.
“We have hope that Amuru land is one of those areas earmarked for oil prospects. Now he wants Madhvani to pay money before we know how much oil we have,” said Ms Anywar.
