By Moses Andama
www.mknewslink.com
In Masindi—-
Kinyara Sugar Limited has planted and maintained more than 400,000 trees of various indigenous species over the past eight years as part of its commitment to environmental conservation and wetland restoration in Masindi District.
The company has also established approximately 72 kilometers of indigenous tree cover along community roads within its areas of operation, strengthening efforts to restore degraded ecosystems and promote sustainable environmental management.
Through collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and other conservation partners, the initiative has also supported local communities in successfully restoring more than 300 hectares of degraded wetlands across Masindi District.
Some of the restored wetlands include Kihuura, covering 106 hectares; Kabagenyi-Kisubi, 7 hectares; Musoma, 50 hectares; Kiryatete, 75 hectares; Bulyango, 50 hectares; and Kisaguru, 50 hectares.
Olivia Nabukenya, the Masindi District Environment Officer, commended Kinyara Sugar Limited for its contribution to environmental conservation, particularly its financial support towards initiatives aimed at protecting and restoring the district’s natural resources.
Nabukenya applauded the company’s continued partnership with government and other stakeholders, noting that private-sector involvement was essential in addressing environmental challenges.
The achievements were highlighted by Kinyara Sugar Limited Chief Executive Officer Ravi Ramalingam on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, during a wetland conservation sensitisation meeting held at Kinyara Sugar Works premises.
The meeting was organised by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) in collaboration with Masindi District Local Government, Kinyara Sugar Limited and other private-sector partners.
It brought together Kinyara sugarcane outgrowers and other stakeholders to promote sustainable sugarcane production while strengthening community participation in wetland protection.
Ramalingam welcomed the engagement, emphasising that environmental protection was an integral part of the company’s agricultural operations and long-term sustainability agenda.
He said Kinyara recognized the importance of protecting ecosystems, supporting surrounding communities and promoting responsible environmental practices throughout its sugarcane value chain.
The CEO pledged the company’s continued cooperation with NEMA, local government authorities and other stakeholders in implementing environmental conservation initiatives.
Simon Akweteireho, the Wetland Management and Conservation Specialist at Masindi District Local Government, said wetlands in the district were increasingly facing pressure from rapid urbanisation, population growth and expanding economic activities, including sugarcane cultivation.
He explained that the growing demand for land for settlement, agriculture and socioeconomic development had accelerated the degradation of natural resources.
According to Akweteireho, Masindi previously had extensive natural forest cover and abundant wetland resources, but these had continued to decline as human activities expanded.
He identified Bwijanga, Budongo and Pakanyi as some of the subcounties most affected by wetland degradation.
Kimengo and Kijunjubwa were also experiencing increasing pressure on wetlands, particularly around the River Kafu catchment.
Akweteireho said the district had undertaken several interventions to address the challenge, including developing catchment management plans for the River Kafu and other water resource systems with support from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
He added that the district was working with development partners and private-sector organisations, including Kinyara Sugar Limited, the Environment Conservation Trust of Uganda and the Jane Goodall Institute, to promote sustainable wetland management.
He said the interventions were intended to safeguard wetlands and ensure that they continue benefiting present and future generations.
Meanwhile, Christine Ainabwinona, the Assistant Commissioner for NEMA in the Albertine Graben region, based in Hoima City, said the authority was working closely with district officials and other stakeholders to address wetland degradation in Masindi.
Ainabwinona revealed that NEMA had documented cases of wetland degradation in Bwijanga Subcounty involving individual sugarcane outgrowers.
She said the authority had previously inspected the affected wetlands and issued environmental restoration orders to farmers found cultivating in protected areas.
Ainabwinona said NEMA would return to the affected sites to establish whether the farmers had complied with the restoration orders.
She warned that those who failed to comply could face enforcement action, including the removal of illegal developments and activities at their own expense, in accordance with the law.
She identified limited public awareness of wetland regulations, inadequate enforcement capacity and transport challenges among local government partners as some of the obstacles affecting conservation efforts.
Robert Atugonza, the chairman of Masindi Sugarcane Growers Limited (MASGAL), acknowledged that some sugarcane farmers were cultivating in wetlands, describing the sensitisation meeting as an important step towards improving environmental conservation.
Atugonza, however, called for conservation interventions to extend beyond organised sugarcane growers, noting that other agricultural activities also contribute to wetland degradation.
He emphasised the need to actively involve farmers and communities living near wetlands through continuous sensitisation and community engagement.
He said communities that understand the importance of wetlands would be more willing to protect them, reducing the need for enforcement interventions.
Atugonza added that sugarcane farmers supplying Kinyara were bound by contractual requirements prohibiting sugarcane cultivation in wetlands and requiring them to reserve some of their land for food production.