Kampala — THE Member of Parliament for Ruhaama constituency, Mrs. Janet Museveni, has urged residents to plant trees on the hills to control soil erosion.

Margret Kakitahi, the executive director of the National Strategy for the Advancement of Rural Women in Uganda, represented her at the tree planting campaign.

Mrs. Museveni said many hills in the constituency, which had been degraded due to overgrazing, needed urgent restoration through afforestation.

She advised the community to establish tree nurseries for supporting afforestation activities.

The tree planting exercise lasted four days after training of community leaders.

Francis Ogwal, an official from the National Environment Management Authority, Ntungamo district forestry officer Vincent Kakuru and the office of the MP sensitised the community about the importance of planting pine trees.

The Ntungamo district LC5 vice-chairman, Elijah Atuhaire, commended the First Lady for offering free pine tree seedlings to the people, saying the trees will help them in poverty eradication.