Controversy Over Uganda’s National Forestry Authority: Should It Stay Autonomous?
The National Forestry and Tree Planting (Amendment) Bill, 2024 has stirred up significant debate in Uganda’s Parliament. This bill proposes dissolving the National Forestry Authority (NFA) and transferring its functions to the Ministry of Water and Environment. State Minister for Environment, Hon. Beatrice Anywar, presented a motion supporting the bill for its second reading.
According to the report presented by Hon. Emmanual Otaala, the Committee on Environment expressed concerns about the potential consequences of mainstreaming NFA into the Ministry of Water and Environment. The committee fears that this move could pose a threat to Uganda’s forest cover, which NFA has worked hard to protect over the years. Additionally, there are worries about the loss of employment opportunities that could result from rationalizing NFA’s functions.
Hon. Otaala highlighted that NFA currently employs 364 full-time contract staff who receive salaries through the government payroll. He emphasized the committee’s recommendation to retain NFA as a semi-autonomous entity rather than integrating it into the Ministry of Water and Environment. According to the committee, the Ministry should focus on its core mandate of policy formulation and resource mobilization, while NFA should continue its work of managing and conserving forest cover.
The Committee further proposed amending the National Forestry and Tree Planting Act, 2003 to mandate NFA to manage the district forest reserves. Several Members of Parliament expressed their concerns about the potential negative impacts of mainstreaming NFA. Hon. Paska Aciro highlighted the importance of NFA’s role in combating issues like charcoal burning in the Northern region and expressed fears that mainstreaming NFA could hinder these efforts.
Hon. Alex Byarugaba and Hon. David Mugole also argued against the dissolution of NFA, emphasizing its importance in forest conservation efforts. Hon. Daudi Kabanda suggested that Minister Beatrice Anywar might have supported maintaining NFA’s autonomy if she were not a minister. The debate in Parliament reflects the significant implications of the proposed changes to NFA’s status.
As the House continues to deliberate on the National Forestry and Tree Planting (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Speaker Anitah Among is overseeing the proceedings. The outcome of this debate will shape the future of Uganda’s forestry management and conservation efforts.
