Parliament has voted against the government’s proposal to relocate the National Forestry Authority (NFA) to the Ministry of Water and Environment. During a session chaired by Speaker Anita Among, legislators rejected the second reading of the National Forestry and Tree Planting (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which sought to mainstream NFA under the Ministry of Water and Environment.
Dr. Emmanuel Otaala, Chairperson of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, presented the committee’s report on the bill. He argued that integrating NFA into the Ministry of Water and Environment would jeopardize forest conservation efforts, as NFA plays a crucial role in maintaining forest cover across the country.
Otaala emphasized that the Ministry of Water and Environment should focus on its core responsibilities of policy formulation and standards establishment, while allowing NFA to continue its mandate of managing and conserving forest resources. He also highlighted concerns about potential job losses, as NFA currently employs 364 staff nationwide.
The committee recommended retaining NFA as a semi-autonomous entity to safeguard its operational independence. Additionally, Otaala proposed amending the National Forestry and Tree Planting Act, 2003, to empower NFA to manage district forest reserves.
Several MPs voiced objections to the merger, expressing concerns that NFA’s role would be overshadowed by the Ministry of Water and Environment. They cited NFA’s significant contributions to forest restoration and expansion, emphasizing its importance in preserving natural resources and generating revenue.
Hon. Muruli Mukasa, Minister of Public Service, and Hon. Beatrice Anywar, Minister for Water and Environment, argued in favor of streamlining NFA into the ministry. Mukasa highlighted potential cost savings by removing the NFA board, while Anywar emphasized existing collaboration between NFA and the ministry.
Despite these arguments, Parliament voted against the integration proposal during the session. The Speaker called for a vote on the second reading of the bill, which was ultimately defeated.
In other legislative matters, Parliament approved the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (Amendment) Bill 2024, transferring civil registration responsibilities from URSB to the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA). Minister Muruli Mukasa withdrew three bills, including the National Tribunal (Amendment) Bill 2023, the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill 2023, and the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2023.
