Masindi, Uganda: The Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs (MoDVA) has engaged the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom to seek the kingdom’s input in shaping Uganda’s Climate Change and Environmental Security Strategy (CCES).
The delegation was led by Brig. Gen. Dr. David Gonyi, Chief of Staff of the UPDF Air Forces and Chair of the technical committee spearheading the CCES development. The team also included officials from the Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), and the Ministry of Water and Environment.
Representing the kingdom was Mr. Alex Katusabe, Chief Administrative Secretary, standing in for the Prime Minister, Owek Andrew Byakutaga Atenyi.
Mr. Katusabe welcomed the team and commended MoDVA for recognising the strategic importance of environmental protection in national security. He highlighted the kingdom’s long-standing commitment to conservation, noting that the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom Strategic Plan 2050 prioritises environmental protection.
He detailed initiatives including: tree planting after burials to replace the tradition of laying flowers, Eka Ekwesimisa Program, encouraging every Munyoro to plant at least 20 trees, partnerships with the National Forestry Authority to preserve cultural forests like Nyagahya in Masindi, and collaboration with a Dutch-based company to distribute over two million indigenous seedlings to the public.
He also reflected on the legacy of Omukama Kabalega, who planted the Royal Mile in Budongo Forest with medicinal plants and trees, an environmental heritage that remains intact today.
Brig. Gen. Dr. Gonyi expressed gratitude to Omukama Gafabusa Iguru I and the Prime Minister for their leadership in conservation. He emphasised that climate change represents one of Uganda’s greatest security challenges.
The CCES seeks to integrate environmental protection into all MoDVA and UPDF policies, operations, and projects, in alignment with Uganda’s international and regional obligations, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement, and the East African Community Climate Change Policy.
Owek Robert Rukahemura Akiiki, the kingdom’s Cultural and Social Services Officer, underlined that tree planting is deeply embedded in Bunyoro culture. Trees are used in cultural rituals and the making of drums for Runyege dancing, reinforcing the kingdom’s mandate to protect and replenish forest resources.
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