Former Kagombe Forest Encroachers Earn Millions through WWF-Supported Climate-Smart Agriculture Project

4 August 2026, 7:12 am

By James Muhumuza

Kagombe Central Forest Reserve is a 17,751-hectare (301-square-kilometre) protected tropical forest located in Western Uganda’s Kagadi District and Nyamarundu sub-county in Kibaale district.

Gazetted in 1932, it forms a vital watershed for the Muzizi River and Lake Albert within the Albertine Rift ecoregion

Former encroachers of the Kagombe Central Forest Reserve are now earning millions of shillings after embracing climate-smart agriculture under the Forest Restoration and Community Resilience (FRECAR) Project, an initiative funded by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

The beneficiaries, who belong to Collaborative Forest Management Groups (CFMGs) from Nsugasugi Village in Kagadi District and Bujogoro Village in Kibaale District yesterday shared their success stories during a field inspection conducted by the FRECAR Project Steering Committee across Kagadi, Kibaale, and Kakumiro districts.

The inspection team included WWF Project Manager Titus Akora, Senior Forestry Officer at the Ministry of Water and Environment Basigirenda Boaz, retired Bishop of Bunyoro Kitara Diocese Rt. Rev. Nathan Kyamanywa, Kagadi District LCV Chairperson Elly Guard Tumusiime, District Speaker Vincent Semuga, and other district officials.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Moses Busobozi, a former forest encroacher, said the project has transformed his livelihood and enabled him to earn a sustainable income.

Busobozi said he received 3,000 coffee seedlings, 1,000 banana suckers planted on six acres of land, 15,000 eucalyptus seedlings, and several indigenous tree species through the project.

He noted that the agricultural inputs, coupled with training in climate-smart farming practices, have significantly boosted his household income while reducing dependence on forest resources.

Other beneficiaries praised the project for equipping them with modern farming skills that have enabled them to increase agricultural productivity on small pieces of land while conserving the forest instead of encroaching on it.

WWF Project Manager Titus Akora said WWF, in partnership with KCSON and the Collaborative Forest Management Groups, has distributed climate-smart agricultural inputs to communities neighbouring forest reserves in Kagadi, Kibaale, Kakumiro, Kyegegwa, and other participating districts.

Akora said the project is designed to improve household incomes, strengthen community resilience to climate change, and reduce pressure on protected forests by providing sustainable alternative livelihoods.

Senior Forestry Officer Basigirenda Boaz commended WWF and its partners for supporting forest restoration efforts, noting that the project has contributed to the restoration of approximately 1,500 hectares of the Kagombe Central Forest Reserve.

He urged the remaining forest encroachers to voluntarily leave the protected area and take advantage of the livelihood opportunities being offered through the project.

Kagadi District LCV Chairperson Elly Guard Tumusiime called for the expansion of the FRECAR Project to enable more households to benefit from climate-smart agriculture and further reduce encroachment on the protected forest.

He said expanding the initiative would strengthen environmental conservation while improving the livelihoods of communities living near forest reserves.