Leaders and environmental activists in West Nile have expressed disappointment over the failure or laxity by security agencies to enforce the Presidential directive that prohibited charcoal burning and trade.
President Yoweri Museveni’s Executive Order No. 3 of 2023 prohibited charcoal burning and trade in northern and northeastern Uganda, including Karamoja, Teso, Lango, Acholi, and West Nile.
The aim was to combat rampant deforestation and promote sustainable energy alternatives.
In West Nile, there is a concern that the executive order has not been strictly enforced by the police and other security agencies.
It has been noted that the charcoal trade remains lucrative in West Nile, as traders cut down trees from forests, like Zoka Central Forest Reserve. Most of the charcoal is ferried and sold in Kampala and neighbouring towns in central Uganda.
Simon Peter Aimai, the West Nile Regional Environment Protection Police Officer, says he will step up operations against charcoal burning and trade.
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