MASAKA CITY, Uganda (UGNEWSLINE) – Stanbic Bank is overseeing the planting over 20,000 trees at Manwa Local Forest Reserve in Masaka City as part of efforts to restore the degraded 144 hectare woodland which acts as a vital water catchment area.
The initiative is part of a broader programme under the national Running Out of Trees (ROOTS) Campaign to which the bank has contributed UGX150 million and is targeting to plant a total of 700,000 trees across the country.
ROOTS is a public-private partnership led by the Ministry of Water and Environment, involving government entities, civil society, cultural institutions, and private sector companies.
Diana Ondoga, the Corporate Social Investment Manager said Stanbic Bank was among the first corporate entities to sign up for the ROOTS campaign which has the goal of planting 200 million trees in a five-year period ending 2026.
She said, “Forest conservation requires sustained participation from residents, government agencies, environmental experts and other stakeholders, and according to experts, Uganda needs to replace 2.5 million hectares of forest cover to keep the country from experiencing the most adverse effects of climate change.”
“Protecting forests is not the responsibility of one person or institution. It requires collective action from communities, environmental authorities and all other stakeholders. As part of
Stanbic’s ESG strategy, we will continue to drive Uganda’s environmental conservation programmes both unilaterally and in partnerships with others,” Ondoga said.
The forest provides medicinal plants and serves as a water catchment area for two lakes, making its protection important for both biodiversity and the surrounding communities.
Saul Ndyabandiho, a forestry officer with the Ministry of Water and Environment, called on residents to stop illegal tree cutting, charcoal burning, and forest encroachment as Uganda steps up efforts to restore degraded forests ahead of the National Tree Planting Day on November 26, 2026.
“Communities must take the lead in protecting forests, because they directly benefit from the resources they provide, including medicinal plants and water catchment services,” Ndyabandiho said.
Ismael Mukiibi, the Stanbic Bank Manager, Masaka branch, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to working with local communities and other stakeholders to sustain the restoration campaign. He encouraged residents to help protect the trees planted under the programme.
Valeriano Kiberu, the Manwa village chairperson said, communities around the foresrt appeared to have experienced less severe effects from drought than some other areas, attributing this partly to the forest and its contribution to local environmental conditions.
“When drought affects the country, we have not experienced the same situation here in Manwa, and our crops have continued to do well, because of this forest. It also helps us access traditional medicinal plants,” Kiberu said.
John Kakande, the Masaka District chairperson, urged the government to take action against people responsible for destroying forests, regardless of their positions or influence.
He expressed concern that some individuals allegedly misuse their positions to engage in activities that undermine environmental conservation and called for stronger enforcement of existing protections.
Ndyabandiho reiterated that the restoration campaign’s success would depend on sustained community participation, warning that newly planted trees could be lost unless residents protect them from livestock, illegal cutting and other threats.
