By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
The Makindye Chief Magistrates Court has today, Monday, 11th November, 2024 convicted and sentenced Sembwa Rabinson to 12 months imprisonment for Illegal Possession of Forest Produce.
Sembwa was arrested by State House Anti-Corruption Unit in liaison with CID on 27th September, 2024 after being found in possession of over 200 pieces of timber cut from Mabira forest.
Sembwa is a notorious illegal logger who has repeatedly been arrested, charged over the same but had never been convicted till now.
The accused was found in possession of over 200 pieces of timber cut from Mabira forest following a search at his stores near the forest in Najjembe division, Lugazi Municipality.
Sembwa who is a notorious illegal logger was arrested and charged before court on 27th September, 2023 and consequently remanded until 12th October 2023.
State House Anti-Corruption Unit commenced investigations into the illegal destruction of Mabira Forest following a directive from H.E the President, to stop the illegal activities in Mabira Forest.
The President has always been vocal against this vice and on one occasion, he said “whoever destroys forests is an enemy of the country because forests, work as a system and when one part of the system is tampered with, the entire system is affected.”
It is estimated that over 500,000 acres of forests are cut annually throughout Uganda, this is equivalent to deforesting 43 football fields every hour.
In 2021, Uganda lost 49,000 hectares of tree cover, equivalent to 23.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
Investigations which are still ongoing have so far revealed a number of illegal activities; encroachment for agriculture, logging, charcoal burning and creation of titles on forest land.
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