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  • Centenary Bank & National Forestry Authority kickstart restoration of 20 Hectares of Masindi Central Forest Reserve

    Centenary Bank & National Forestry Authority kickstart restoration of 20 Hectares of Masindi Central Forest Reserve

    Kampala: Centenary Bank, Uganda’s leading commercial microfinance bank, in conjunction with the National Forestry Authority (NFA), ha launched its efforts to restore 20 hectares of the degraded Masindi Central Forest Reserve. The exercise was launched at Nyangahya cell Masindi Municipality.
    This initiative brings to life a recent commitment by the bank to contribute UGX 60 million towards the restoration of the forest reserve in Masindi District. The funds will go toward achieving the bank’s tree growing target of at least 40,000 trees in 2025, with support from NFA.

    Through this three-year partnership, Centenary Bank hopes that its tree growing efforts will support the full restoration of Masindi CFR—an ecologically significant area that plays a vital role in Uganda’s environmental health. The forest is home to a variety of flora and fauna, including endemic and endangered species. It also functions as a carbon sink, aids in water catchment, and contributes to soil conservation, all of which are crucial in combating the effects of climate change.

    Speaking at the event, Fabian Kasi, Managing Director of Centenary Bank, expressed his gratitude to the National Forestry Authority for identifying a restoration site that aligns with the bank’s commitment to mitigating environmental degradation in Uganda.
    “I’m honored to be here today as we kick off the initiative to re-green 20 hectares of Masindi Central Forest Reserve. Partnering with the National Forestry Authority (NFA) gives real weight to what we at Centenary Bank are striving to achieve through our tree growing efforts. Over the years, we’ve made a conscious commitment to improving the environment we operate in. In just the past two years, we’ve planted 70,000 trees in different parts of Uganda, and today’s effort is yet another step in our ongoing journey to build a greener, more sustainable Uganda,” Kasi said.

    “Today, together with the National Forestry Authority, we are proud to demonstrate what true environmental stewardship looks like when two committed partners join forces. As a bank, we are honoured to be part of a collaboration that not only reflects shared values but also delivers meaningful impact for our environment,” he added.

    Mr. Stuart Maniraguha, the Acting Executive Director of the National Forestry Authority, commended Centenary Bank for its continued and impactful efforts in the fight against deforestation. He said, “I would like to welcome all of you to this meaningful partnership event in the future of fighting environmental degradation in Masindi. Together with Centenary Bank we are proud to be restoring one of the most important green belts to biodiversity in the country. Through such collaborative efforts, we have been able to restore 25,000 of forest land across the country in the last five years. Our focus is on restoration degraded CFRs, boundary survey and demarcation, collaborative forest management (CFM) and partnerships, seedlings production and supply and tree plantation establishments to reduce pressure on nature forests’.

    “Ladies and gentlemen, planting trees is just the first step. The real task lies in ensuring that they grow—protected, nurtured, and integrated into the lives of the communities around them, “he concluded.

    According to Global Forest Watch, Uganda lost 37.6 thousand hectares of natural forest in 2023 alone, an alarming figure that underscores the urgent need to accelerate efforts to curb deforestation and restore forest cover.

    Centenary Bank allocates 2% of its previous year’s profits to Corporate Social Investment (CSI). This year, the bank has committed UGX 5.8 billion towards various initiatives, including community stakeholder support, the social mission of the church, health, education, financial literacy, and environmental conservation.

  • Centenary Bank & National Forestry Authority (NFA) partner to restore 20 Haectares. Of degraded part of Masindi Central Forest Reserve in Masindi District

    Centenary Bank & National Forestry Authority (NFA) partner to restore 20 Haectares. Of degraded part of Masindi Central Forest Reserve in Masindi District

    Kampala: Centenary Bank, Uganda’s leading commercial microfinance bank has strengthened its commitment to environmental sustainability through a strategic partnership with the National Forestry Authority (NFA). The bank has committed UGX. 60 million to the restoration of the degraded part of Masindi Central Forest Reserve (CFR) in Masindi district as a way to accelerate its reforestation efforts across the country to achieve its tree planting target of at least 40,000 trees in 2025.

    This partnership will run for three years with the aim of maintaining and growing the trees to at least the age of three when they are expected to be able to survive on their own in the field. Environmental sustainability is rooted in our mission and vision with the guide of the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) framework adopted by the bank to drive best practices and impact-driven banking.

    Speaking at the launch, Fabian Kasi, Managing Director, Centenary Bank, emphasized the need for environmental conservation as a tool to support the well-being of Ugandans as environmental and green spaces underpin the provision of ecosystem services. He said, “In Uganda and beyond, deforestation has led to soil erosion, reduced rainfall, and increased vulnerability to extreme weather events like floods and prolonged droughts. These environmental shocks directly affect food security, public health, and the economy, especially for rural communities that are reliant on nature for survival.”

    “This partnership launch between Centenary Bank and NFA is a shared commitment to environmental stewardship, a value that we hold so dear to us in the quest to build the resilience of communities to remain productive and competitive in the markets where we operate,
    Mr. Stuart Maniraguha, the Ag. Executive Director of National Forestry Authority, appreciated the bank’s efforts to curb deforestation proactively and drive the country’s ESG agenda.

    He said, “National Forestry Authority recognizes that sustainable forest restoration requires collaborative effort. We value this partnership Centenary Bank that align with our mandate to restore degraded Central Forest Reserves and enhance ecosystem services. By working together, we can achieve long-term forest resilience, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation for the benefit of present and future generations.”

    According to Uganda’s Third National Voluntary Review (VNR) Report of 2024, while the country has made some progress in increasing forest cover from 9.5% in 2015 to 13.3%, there is still much work to be done to achieve the target of 15% forest cover by 2026. This recovery is fragile, and continued deforestation could quickly reverse the gains made, leading to severe consequences for Uganda’s people and environment hence the need for interventions to curb the effects.

    Centenary Bank’s environmental journey is already making a visible impact. Over the past two years, the bank has planted more than 70,000 trees nationwide, and its efforts extend beyond reforestation. Transitioning 11 of its branches to renewable solar energy to reduce dependency on non-renewable power sources, introducing Water, Sanitation, and Health (WASH) Loans to finance community-level projects, among others.
    The initiative aligns with global climate action priorities and underscores Centenary Bank’s role as a leader in sustainable finance and responsible corporate citizenship in Uganda.

  • Deputy Speaker Tayebwa, UWA, NFA reach an agreement to rescue Mitooma people from raging Elephants & land conflict

    Deputy Speaker Tayebwa, UWA, NFA reach an agreement to rescue Mitooma people from raging Elephants & land conflict

    The Deputy Speaker of Parliament who also doubles as Ruhinda North MP in Mitooma District, Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, yesterday held a meeting with Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the National Forestry Authority (NFA), along with the Mitooma district Speaker Mr. Tumwekwatse Moses and local stakeholders to deliberate on the ongoing opening of the boundaries of Imaramagambo Forest in the sub-counties of Kigyende and Kiyanga in Mitooma District.

    The issue had caused an uproar in those communities, as people’s properties and crops have been destroyed during the exercise.

    Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa said he was glad to have resolved the issue with National Forestry Authority (NFA) clearly showing that their boundaries don’t extend to people’s land.

    He confirmed that the overzealous surveyors who had gone beyond the border demarcations of Queen Elizabeth National Park have been stopped.

    He thanked the management of NFA for this swift action.

    Meanwhile as the meeting was going on, the unwanted visitors stormed Kiyanga

    While the locals were ranting about Emily’s uncompensated gardens (in Kiyanga) yesterday, today, uninvited gigantic monsters (Elephants) paid homage to the villages of Nyanga and Kongi in Kiyanga and enjoyed a feast in the gardens.

    The visitors were heard singing a jovial Thanksgiving chorus praising the gardens for doing great work.

    The onlookers were shocked by the singing and dancing of these uninvited visitors who were vehemently feasting on the kawandas and other crops in the garden.

    As the celebration song of (tinkola kwonka ndalya) was going on amid the dancing and ululations of these visitors, UWA officials were alerted who came around midday and calmly begged the elephants to leave the gardens and head back to the bush.

    The locals have called on UWA to compensate victims of the Animal attack and also erect the fence separating the park area from the people.

  • Private Companies Boost National Effort to Plant 40 Million Trees

    Private Companies Boost National Effort to Plant 40 Million Trees

    Kampala: The Ministry of Water and Environment in partnership with Uganda Breweries Limited, American Tower Corporation (ATC) Uganda, Stanbic Bank Uganda and MTN Foundation has for the second year running announced a Running out of Trees (ROOT) Initiative which targets to plant 40 million trees countrywide. The tree planting drive, targeted at the restoration of the indigenous tree and fruit species across the entire landscapes of Uganda will take place on May 17th on the National Tree Planting Day.

    The Ministry of Water and Environment launched a National Tree Planting Campaign in 2020 built around engaging local stakeholders in attaining national restoration goals with the aim to rally Ugandans into action through increased public awareness and participation, especially the private sector in the conservation and protection of indigenous tree species to address ongoing loss and conversion of primary and secondary natural forest. The campaign approach also involves adopting restoration strategies to fit local social, economic and ecological contexts and a wide range of eligible technical strategies for restoring a mosaic canopy of trees on the national landscape. In addition, we aim at fast tracking national restoration goals and commitments that include but not limited to;

    – The pledge to restore 2.5million hectares of degraded landscapes by 2030 under the Bonn Challenge
    – Vision 2040 aimed at restoring forest cover of total land area to 24%
    – Uganda’s Green Growth Strategy
    – Uganda’s Nationally Determined Contributions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
    – The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

    According to The Minister of Water and Environment, Sam Cheptoris, 65% of forest degradation takes place on private land and on several occasions the land owners choose land use change from forestry to agriculture, industry or settlement over biodiversity conservation. “Current national deforestation rates stand at 2% annually with an average of 122,000 hectares lost every year yet 6% of the GDP of Uganda and more than 90% of the population depends directly on forest for their energy needs.  It is imperative therefore that we restore these forests faster than they are being degraded by human activity”

    The ROOT Campaign was launched in February 2020 as a 5-year project geared towards soliciting commitments from the private sector to support Government’s initiative to restore forest cover. Last year, the campaign managed to attract the support of various corporate companies who came together and supported financially and also by physically taking part in a relay run that started in Kampala and ended in Gulu. This year, the corporate companies joining Uganda Breweries Limited include, Stanbic Bank Uganda, ATC Uganda and the MTN Foundation.

    Speaking at the launch of this year’s ROOT, Alvin Mbugua, the Managing Director of Uganda Breweries Limited affirmed the company’s continued support to the Ministry of Water and Environment. “The Ministry’s bid to restore forest cover and reduce on the country’s Green House Emissions ties well with UBL’s Spirit of Progress which is our 10-year action plan to help create a more sustainable world. We do this by playing a significant part in preserving the natural resources on which we all depend by regenerating and restoring the landscapes and resources we rely on.” he said.

    Anne Juuko the CEO of Stanbic Bank, another annual sponsor of the event reiterated the importance of the private sector coming together to play a role in this important initiative “Our world is changing and we as corporate companies and our customers are completely dependent on this changing world. It is our shared responsibility as companies who benefit a lot from it, to protect it, to nurture it and as evidenced by the current need, to replenish it. On behalf of all the corporate sponsors, I would like to say that we take this responsibility seriously and that is why every year we do what we can to pitch in to Government efforts on environmental protection”,she said.

    The other main sponsors of the event ATC Uganda attributed their participation in the event to being a key corporate responsibility purpose for the company, saying “The environment is one of ATC’s five core pillars of corporate responsibility. As a key player in the telecommunications industry, we strive to conduct our operations in an environmentally friendly manner. The ROOTS initiative therefore provides a unique platform for us to contribute towards greening our environment and contributing towards the national reforestation effort” concluded CEO Michael Magambo.

    As part of the launch activities this year, the organizers have included a mechanic for the public to participate through a mobile phone app called ROOTs. Using this app, participants will “run” by downloading the app and purchasing a tree seedling at Ush 1,500 each using MTN/Airtel/Africel Mobile Money, Visa or Mastercard. What this means is that the Tree Planting this year will mainly be a virtual exercise where the 40 Million will be achieved through Virtual donations on the day but the actual physical planting of trees will happen over a period of 3 months.

    Between March 21st and the end of May, a team from Tree Adoption Uganda which has been designated by the Ministry will support the planting and mapping the seedlings in the designated bulk planting areas.

    The Running out of Trees initiative is an annual initiative that will be held over a 5-year period to end in 2025 with the planting of over 200 million Trees and sequester an estimated 15million tons of carbon.

  • Speaker of Parliament flags off UBL Running out Of Trees Kampala – Gulu Relay

    Speaker of Parliament flags off UBL Running out Of Trees Kampala – Gulu Relay

    The speaker of Parliament Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga has this morning flagged off 33 runners who will participate in a 330-km long awareness relay Marathon from Kampala to Gulu.

    Spearheaded by Uganda Breweries the relay Marathon is part of a series of activities aimed at raising awareness on the rapid deforestation in Uganda and calling upon corporate companies and citizens to participate in forest restoration under the campaign dubbed “Running Out of Trees.”

    The 2-day relay will feature 33 main runners each covering 10km carrying and passing on a baton inform of a commitment for the private sector to be at the forefront of driving efforts of rehabilitating our lost tree cover. Each of the runners will be flanked by a number of pacesetters.

    The campaign will climax into a National Tree Planting Day, to be held on April 25th, 2020. On this day, Uganda Breweries Limited and the Ministry of Water and Environment shall be leading an effort to plant 40 million trees in 8 hours.

    Speaking during the flag–off ceremony, the speaker hailed Uganda Breweries and other participating organizations for coming together to restore Uganda’s forest cover.

    “In the last decade, Uganda has carried out several Policies, Legal and Institutional Reforms aimed at promoting the conservation and sustainable use of the country’s forest resources. Among the key reforms include putting in place of the National Forestry Policy 2001 and enactment of the National Forestry and Tree Planting Act 2003 among others. Despite these interventions, the country continues to lose forest cover at a very alarming rate due to deforestation. If this continues, the country will soon become water-stressed if citizens do not pay attention to environmental management.”

    “Corporate companies rallying together to conserve the environment and support government efforts is a step in the right direction. All organizations need to take part in planting trees as a priority to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.” she said, adding that Ugandans need to plant trees at every public and social gathering.”

    Uganda Breweries Board Chairman, Mr. Japheth Katto said, “At Uganda Breweries,we believe that management of our environment is important, benefits all our stakeholders in their respective communities and is fundamental for our long-term business growth. We, therefore, work towards sustaining and improving natural resources, and believe that environmental performance is a shared responsibility. So far, under our E Green Initiative, UBL has planted over 55,000 trees across the country since 2005,

    “As corporate entities, we in one way or another contribute to forest depletion. In the same vein, we have the resources to be part of the solution as well as have the most to gain from an economy set in a healthy natural environment. With this Running out trees campaign, we are playing our part in increasing the tree cover across the country by imparting the culture of tree planting and nurturing, thereby eventually reducing climate change impacts like landslides, storms, and floods among others.” He added.

    The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Water and Environment Alfred Okot noted that the demand for timber and firewood, land for agriculture and other human behaviors have seen Uganda lose an average of 96,000 hectares of forest cover every year.

    Statistics from the National Forestry Authority show that Uganda lost 2.4 million hectares of forest cover between 1990 and 2015. This translates to an annual loss of 96,000 hectares, which acreage is equivalent to 96,000 football pitches.

    During the same period, the forest estate outside protected areas reduced from 68% of the total forest land area in 1990 to 38% in 2015. This means that almost half of the non-gazetted forests were cleared in just 25 years.

    “Whereas the Ministry of Water and Environment is already implementing restoration interventions through a number of development projects like the farm income enhancement and forest conservation project and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, there is need for a concerted effort from corporate companies to occupy their seat at the high table and start protecting and restoring the national tree cover in the midst of rising global temperatures,” Okot said.

    “As a ministry, we have a goal of plating 100 Million trees this year. This campaign we are doing with Uganda Breweries and other stakeholders is a step towards this goal. I urge everyone to embrace April 25, 2020, as the National Tree Planting Day, and make their Contribution towards the ’40 million trees in 8 hours’ by planting at least one tree. “he added,Organizations taking part in the Campaign include Stanbic Bank Uganda, Liberty Life Assurance, Total, Vision Group, UEGCL, and KCCA.

    Going forward, the “Running Out of Trees” Relay will be held annually for the next 5 years. The next run will be held in January 2021 and will take the Kampala – Fort Portal route.

  • NWSC, NFA partner to plant One million trees

    NWSC, NFA partner to plant One million trees

    The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) has partnered with National Forestry Authority (NFA) to plant One million trees in all its areas of operation in Uganda by June 2019.

    Speaking at the press conference held at the new NWSC Head office in Nakasero, NFA acting ED Mr Paul Buyerah Musamali appreciated the partnership and pledged the authority’s support and technical assistance towards the campaign.

    NWSC MD Dr. Eng Silver urged the people of Uganda to be part of environmental protection initiatives.

    “In recent months, NWSC has experienced extreme weather conditions in Gulu, Masaka, Mbale, Arua, Mityana, Bushenyi, Mbarara among many other areas. The water sources dried up and in some areas the water treatment plants flooded. These are some of effects of climate change. Water is no longer an infinite resource! We shall face a lot of hardships in the near future if we don’t take of the environment,” he warned.

    NWSC will plant live fences around all its offices, plant trees to protect the catchment, plants trees with communities in all its areas of operation, through the Young water professionals a group of youth below the age of 35 years in the water and sanitation sector, the School Water and Sanitation clubs and the local leadership in the various areas. A total of 172,192 trees have been planted since the launch of the campaign in November 2017. The corporation is on target to achieve the campaign targets.

    According to Dr. Silver, NWSC is piloting technology to produce briquettes from treated sludge. (Biofuel). This will provide alternative fuel and reduce over reliance on firewood for cooking.