Sep 09, 2011 (The Monitor/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) — Buganda Kingdom has upped the ante in the fight to save parts of Mabira Forest from being parcelled off to a sugar baron by resurrecting its historical claim to all forests found within its domain.

The kingdom renewed its claim moments after an opposition party leader and avowed environmental activist had drawn attention to the historical matter at a press conference yesterday. Buganda remains passionately involved in the nationwide crusade to resist President Museveni’s wishes to hand more than 7,000 hectares of the central forest reserve in Mabira to the Mehta Group.

Yesterday, Conservative Party president general John Ken Lukyamuzi (MP Rubaga South) told journalists in Kampala that Mabira Forest is traditionally owned by the Kabaka and thus it should be the Kabaka to give directions on how it is managed.

Mr Lukyamuzi said it is wrong and outrageous for the government to think of giving out what it does not own. Under Uganda’s Constitution, the government enjoys supervisory mandate over the country’s natural resources including forests, holding them in trust for public good.

“The President accepted that he had talked about Mabira give-away out of context. He has no constitutional powers to give away any part of Mabira. This forest does not belong to this government. Mabira is traditionally owned by His Majesty Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, the Kabaka of Buganda,” Mr Lukyamuzi said.

“The Kabaka is equally touched about the government’s plan to kill Mabira. The move to destroy Mabira aims at destroying Buganda’s long standing history and norms. Mabira has a bearing on Buganda’s origin,” he said.

Mr Lukyamuzi’s claims were supported by Mr Charles Peter Mayiga, the Buganda cultural institution’s minister for information and cabinet affairs.

“Basing on the 1962 arrangement, Mabira Forest and all other forests in Buganda were owned by Kabaka’s government. However, they were illegally taken up by [former president Milton] Obote’s government in 1966. Up to now, we are still demanding for these properties though the current government is reluctant about giving them back to the rightful owners. But the fact stays that Mabira Forest belongs to the Buganda Kingdom and we are working hard to save it,” Mr Mayiga said.

Tension about the proposed give-away of part of this forest dates back to 2007 when President Museveni first proposed to give the Mehtas more land to expand their sugar estate which borders Mabira. The violent protests against the attempt led to the death of three people and several others sustained injuries, forcing the President to back off only to revive the matter last month.

Again, under pressure from widespread public opposition to his plans which have also attracted donor condemnation, Mr Museveni last week softened his views, saying the final decision will be taken by Parliament.

Mr Tamale Mirundi, the presidential press secretary, noted that “whoever said that Mabira Forest belonged to the Kabaka needed to go back and read Uganda’s history in order to get facts right”.

“I really fail to understand Lukyamuzi and all other politicians who hide behind the Kabaka to misinform Ugandans. It is clearly stated in books of history that land was divided and given out to different people including the Kabaka, church, central government and chiefs. While the Kabaka owns 350 square miles, valleys and forests were handed over to the central government. They are not even part of the 9,000 square miles Buganda is asking for,” Mr Mirundi said.

“Lukyamuzi was with the President last weekend, why didn’t he tell the President face to face? If he believes what he is saying is true, I advise him to take the matter to courts of law.”