A rural woman’s fight to save Uganda’s Bugoma Forest from destruction

She hid her phone in a menstrual pad to secretly collect evidence of the destruction of Bugoma Forest. This is the story of Asasira Lamula, a local woman from Nyairongo Village who refused to give up on Bugoma Central Forest Reserve, even when the forest was being cleared, even when she faced threats, and even when the struggle affected her health. Now, after continued pressure from environmental defenders like Lamula and many others, a major breakthrough has come. In a letter dated 23rd February 2026, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni ordered that the destruction of Bugoma must stop immediately. The letter also directs investigations into those involved, orders the Uganda Wildlife Authority to take charge of protecting the forest, calls for the eviction of encroachers, and proposes that Bugoma be upgraded into a National Park for maximum protection.