Arua City Rejects NPPB Eco-tourism Development Directive

By Dramadri Federick.
Arua city council has rejected the directive of the National Physical Planning Board ordering the city’s Physical Planning Committee to approve the plans for eco-tourismdevelopment in Arua central forest reserve terming it robbery of land.
Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people whose facilities are geared towards conservation of environment.
In 2019 Uguzu Lee Denis the Member of Parliament for Maracha county was licensed 10 acre piece of land in Arua central forest reserve commonly known as Barifa forest to develop an ecotourism site for a period of two years by National Forestry Authority in an open bidding under the Public Procurement process but trouble started when Arua city Physical Planning Committee refused to approve plans over alleged attempts to put permanent structures in the forest reserve contrary to section 57 of the National Physical Planning Act 2020 as Amended as enshrined in a letter dated 17 th August 2022 from National Physical Planning Board.
On 21 st /5/2021 Uguzu applied to Arua city Physical Planning Committee for a building permit to Arua city Physical Planning committee to allow him construct eco-tourism facilities in Arua central forest reserve and this was rejected by Arua city council citing illegalities in awarding the license and efforts of the developer termed to be land grabbing however Uguzu appealed to the National Physical Planning Review board on 02 nd /5/2022 who in their letter dated 28 th / June 2022 criticized the decision of the city
council indicating that it was erroneous.
Meanwhile in a letter dated 11 th July, 2022 signed by the Acting Executive Director National Physical Planning Board David Wamai to Arua city town clerk, the board directed the city to allow Uguzu Lee Denis to carry out the activities of Ecotourism development in the 10 acre licensed piece of land in Arua central forest reserve as well as submit progress report on the implementation of the city physical development plan and the minutes of the proceedings of the City Physical Planning Committee for the financial year 2021/2022 before July 29 th 2022.

To the contrary the same National Physical Planning Board warned local governments in their letter dated 17 th August 2022 over protection of public open spaces from encroachment and allowing construction of permanent structures in gazzetted places like wetlands, forests among others.
According to the councilor representing Ayivu North East ward to Arua city council who is also the chairperson social services Sam Ndaa these attempts by National Physical Planning Board and Hon Uguzu Lee Denis are meant to grab the land in Barifa Arua central forest reserve which they are not ready to entertain.
“We cannot accept their decisions to force us approve their destructive plan, and we have instructed the town clerk to write the reply of the letter which the bulls wrote to force us and it is nice that we are not ready unless they change those facilities to be constructed.” Ndaa said
The councilor representing Ayivu North Godfrey Anguyo says the council is not ready to allow any construction of permanent structures in Arua central forest reserve.
“one of the things that he wanted to put are permanent structures like hotels, swimming pools, police outpost, parking yards and so many other infrastructures which are permanent in nature and yet the plan is supposed to be for eco city, for us this plan does confront whatever is there in the license, if they want the land is there they can carry it on their head and put it where it belongs but as Arua city council whatever they do there without our approval is to the disservice to our people” Anguyo explained.
The plans we were able see indicates that the eco-tourism site will have tarmacked roads connecting from hotels, swimming pool, health clubs, manufacturing facility, stores, energy plant, composing plant, among others which are permanent in nature contrary to the rules of the license from NFA.
However Denis Uguzu the Member of Parliament for Maracha constituency explain that he is yet waiting for official communication from the city council as directed by National Physical Planning Board.
“I’m not seeking to change land use or the existing approved Physical Development Plan of the Area for which Council’s approval would have been mandatory. Under Physical Planning Act 2010, approval of building plans is a reserve for Physical Planning committee that works for the Councils. While Council input is needed in physical.

This was achieved in 2015 during the Physical planning process for the
current Arua City Physical Development Plan (2015-2025) which zoned this area as forest reserve.” Uguzu retaliated.
Julliet Mubi the Public Relations Officer National Forestry Authority NFA reiterates that the licensee was awarded the contract within the law and regrets why the city council should stop Uguzu from developing the place.
Mubi adds that their license is not limited although they had given the developer two years that would expire by 2021, but due to the nature of the events in which he finds himself they have decided to put it temporarily without a limit
“It’s very unfortunate that he is facing those challenges but as an institution we also understand that he is not on ground yet, our license is not a short term license but it is a long term one and from our side once he has license that means he was cleared to continue with development” Mubi responded.
In 2009, the then Arua Municipal Council spent nearly a billion shillings to purchase over 250 hectares of land in Logiri Sub County under Arua district to clear the forest for Eco-City development to relocate the forest up from the 236 hectares but due to failure to meet other requirements set by National Environment Management Authority and National Forestry Authority for degazettement which was not okayed by the Parliament of
Uganda.
Among other key notable rules of ecotourism development in any of the National forests In Uganda are degazettement as envisaged in S.8 of NFTA 2003 is not a requirement for forest and recreational park development in a CFR. Ecotourism and recreational park development proposed by NFA is a legally authorized and licensed forest activity whose implementation falls within with current land use (forest reserve) as provided in S. 6 (2) (d), S.28, 32 and development is adequately covered by sections 14, 32, 41, 42,
38 of the National Forest and Tree Planting Act 2003.
Under the same law (s.41 and 42), NFA is mandated to license and supervise
implementation of such activities in Central Forest Reserves and take note that NFA has licensed a number of such developments in a number of forest reserves.