Kampala — VICE-PRESIDENT Speciosa Kazibwe and over 1,000 other people allocated chunks of forest reserve land nationwide have been defended by environment state minister Dr. Kezimbira Miyingo.

Recently, Mukono North MP Rev. Peter Bakaluba Mukasa kicked up controversy in Parliament when he said forest reserve land had been given out to wealthy people, leaving the peasants without any compensation.

Miyingo said it was a Government strategy to increase Uganda's forest cover that has fallen from 45% to 20%.

He was speaking at the weekly President's Office press briefing, coordinated by information minister Basoga Nsadhu yesterday.

"We are faced with a desertification crisis if we don't plant trees now. About 96% of Ugandans are using wood fuel. The Vice-President and other investors have taken the initiative to plant trees. What is wrong with that?" Miyingo asked. Ends