Soroti, Uganda | The National Forestry Authority (NFA) has commenced a large-scale eviction targeting over 300 households illegally occupying parts of the Soroti Central Forest Reserve, in an effort to restore the degraded ecosystem and advance the city’s green development agenda.
The operation, led by Soroti Area Forest Supervisor Abigaba Nazzifa and Joseph Otim, the NFA Sector Manager for Teso Sub-region, began earlier this week at Prison Spring Block, one of nine forest segments threatened by human encroachment.
The exercise comes after years of failed negotiations and repeated warnings to vacate the protected land.
According to NFA officials, settlers had been given a two-week ultimatum to leave voluntarily. While some residents complied, many remained, prompting the authority to initiate enforcement.
Officials revealed that the illegal occupants had not only constructed permanent and semi-permanent structures but also destroyed over 5,000 tree seedlings planted as part of a reforestation effort by licensed private farmers.
Abigaba noted that the land in question had been earmarked for ecological restoration and designated as part of Soroti’s planned green belt, an initiative aimed at improving environmental health and urban aesthetics.
However, instead of cooperating, the encroachers had cleared forested sections and actively sabotaged tree-planting efforts.
Otim explained that the eviction is the culmination of a five-year engagement process that began when Soroti was still a municipality.
Multiple warnings and formal eviction notices were issued first in February 2025 and again in May but were largely ignored.
He stressed that the Soroti Central Forest Reserve, gazetted in 1948, remains protected by law, and settlement or construction within it is a criminal offence punishable by up to six years in prison.
While some households have voluntarily vacated the land, authorities said enforcement was necessary for those who refused to comply.
Otim confirmed that the operation successfully addressed long-standing occupation in the Prison Spring Block, but warned that other forest blocks such as Gweri, Madera, and Lale are also under threat and may be targeted next.
Local leaders have expressed concern over how some residents acquired land in the protected area.
Paul Richard Osele, Defense Secretary of Cell A6 in Kamswahili Ward, stated that most transactions were done privately without involvement of local council leadership.
He said community leaders had issued warnings to buyers, but many proceeded regardless.
Sam Emuron, the LCI Chairperson of Cell A6, described some settlers as particularly destructive, noting that even mature trees had been felled.
He urged city authorities to demarcate forest land clearly, recommending the construction of a long-proposed road that would separate public forest reserves from private settlements and reduce future land conflicts.
Among the affected residents, reactions were mixed. Some claimed they were unaware of the land’s protected status and had purchased plots in good faith.
Others admitted they had been warned but felt they had no alternative due to high land costs within Soroti City.
With evictions underway, NFA has announced immediate plans to resume replanting in the cleared areas.
Private tree farmers are being encouraged to return and resume restoration work, which will now proceed under closer supervision.
Abigaba emphasized that the initiative is not merely about planting trees but about safeguarding the city’s future and environmental resilience.
The operation, backed by central government support, is part of a broader national strategy to reclaim and restore all gazetted forest reserves.