Uganda Cancels All Titles to Protect Lake Victoria Forest

Uganda's president just put the brakes on a major development project to save a forest that keeps Lake Victoria healthy.

President Museveni ordered the immediate cancellation of all land titles in Kitubulu Central Forest Reserve on December 23, 2025. The forest plays a vital role filtering pollutants and silt from Lake Victoria, which supports millions of people across East Africa.

The decision came after Museveni discovered he'd been misled about the development site. He had previously approved plans for a shopping mall, hotel, and mini city based on false information that downplayed the forest's environmental importance.

The president didn't hold back in his letter to the Minister of Water and Environment. He pointed to rampant corruption that allowed 1.1 million hectares of Ugandan forest to disappear between 2004 and 2025, much of it through illegal collusion between officials and timber traders.

One former National Forestry Authority director allegedly allowed 900,000 acres to be exploited during his watch. These losses have devastated Uganda's ecosystem and threatened water quality for communities depending on Lake Victoria.

The Ripple Effect

This decision signals a turning point in Uganda's fight against environmental corruption. By canceling the titles, the government is choosing long-term ecological health over short-term development profits.

Entebbe Mayor Fabrice Rulinda earned presidential praise for standing up to groups pushing destructive projects. His resistance helped expose the false information that nearly cost Kitubulu its protective forest cover.

The government is now working to relocate approved investors to alternative sites outside protected areas. This approach shows that economic development and environmental protection don't have to be enemies.

Lake Victoria's ecosystem serves over 30 million people across Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. Protecting forests like Kitubulu means cleaner water, healthier fisheries, and more stable climate patterns for generations to come.

Uganda is proving that protecting nature can become a national priority again, even when powerful interests push back.