Kasese Tourism Investors’ Forum has today donated 2,000 indigenous tree seedlings to the communities in Mahango and Nyakabingo sub-counties.
The trees are meant to be planted along the road that connects the two sub-counties to Kasese town via Kilembe Golf Club Course. They are part of the 10,000 seedlings that given to Kasese Tourism Investors’ Forum by the Uganda National Forestry Authority during the recently concluded Rwenzori Theluji Festival.
In September this year, the organizers of the Rwenzori Theluji Festival managed to plant only 1,000 out of the 10,000 tree seedlings. They were planted in the Kasese Industrial Park, Kirembe Ward in the Central Division of Kasese Municipality.
Mr. Benson Kule Baritazale, the Chairperson for Kasese Tourism Investors’ Forum says they selected the two sub-counties to benefit from the donation because the main road connecting to the area is used by the runners during the Mt. Rwenzori Marathons.
He explains that the trees would help in providing good shelter and cool temperatures to the runners and other tourists who might visit the district through those routes.
The Kasese Municipal Tourism Officer, Mr. Erick Baluku is optimistic that the trees would also act as a demonstration to the people in the rural areas so that they are lured to plant trees in their own pieces of land.
Receiving the seedlings on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mr. Jeremiah Bwambale Bwanandeke and Mr. Asasio Bwambale Isekambere the District Councilors representing the two sub-counties respectively commended the donors, saying once grown the trees would help to mitigate the effects of climate change in the area.