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BY RICHARD DRASIMAKU
MADI-OKOLLO: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2025
Martin Drito, the former member of parliament of Madi-Okollo constituency is now the National Resistance Movement flag bearer for the Upper Madi-Okolo constituency has called for efficient utilization of natural resources, and diversification of sources of income to mitigate environmental degradation in the River Nile belt district.
Speaking in an interview, Drito decried the ongoing burning of bushes for leisure and hunting wild animals in the area which leave a trail of destruction of the natural vegetation in its wake.
He said bush burning is a long term problem in the district and leaders like him who value conservation and protection of the environment are still struggling to sensitize the people.
“The dry matter would be useful for fertility of our environment. Bush burning is a tradition that our people have failed to come out of,” he said.
Drito also condemned commercial charcoal burning which he said has threatened indigenous tree species of high value such as shear nut trees, tamarind and desert oats.
“These trees are hard to replace and yet they have high income value. It is an issue of an impoverished society and that is why my manifesto and the manifesto of NRM is seeking to diversify sources of income,” Drito emphasized.
“A tree which takes 50 to 60 years to grow and mature is felled for just two bags of charcoal? This is why I am saying the Parish Development Model program should be better channeled so that it can generate a deference in the lives of the people,” he added.
Madi-Okollo district having 46 parishes has cumulatively received sh14,128,900,000 under the parish development model of which sh13,796,576,588 has been disbursed to 13,796 beneficiaries. This is 36 percent of the total households in Madi-okollo.
The politician explains that destruction of the vegetation cover distorts the rainfall pattern and affects the water aquifer.
To that effect, Drito recommends massive tree planting to mitigate the degradation and reverse the effects of destruction of vegetation on livelihoods.
He urged research institutions like the National Agricultural Research Organisation to seek solutions towards increasing and replacing the lost Shea nut trees, tamarinds and desert oats.
Drito said he will pursue provision of free seedling of other high value species like tik, gravellier among others from government through the National Forestry Authority.
In his view, this would allow households to plant at least ten tree annually and in five to ten years, the situation of environmental destruction in Madi-Okollo would change.
Drito implored the local government to ban blanket charcoal burning and also transportation of commercial scale charcoal via Madi-Okollo.
“When we were young, there was no charcoal burning. Unfortunately influential people are the ones involved in transportation and commandeering charcoal business,” Drito said.
He appealed to the people of Madi-Okollo to support him and the NRM presidential candidate Yoweri Museveni saying that together they will prioritize fighting of poverty by thinking outside the box to introduce new cash crops like coffee, macadamia, cocoa and cashew nut.
Drito said another work to do is to ensure that the agriculture credit facilities that the government channels through the commercial banks are accessible by the people.
He decried the poor education standards where only one first grade was registered in Upper Madi-Okollo in the last primary leaving examinations.
Drito also called for broadening of the piped water system to cover more areas, to stamp out water scarcity, especially during dry spells, and avail water for production and extension of electricity to all parts of the district.
Information from the district water office indicates that out of the 287 rural villages in the whole of Madi-Okollo district, 223 have access to safe water, representing 785 but this percentage tends to fall in dry season when the rate of breakage and boreholes drying is high.
To change the situation, the government embarked on the construction of Aliboro Solar-Powered irrigation system which is at 35% completion.
Drito said this system must be completed according to the project timeline so that irrigation can transform farming practices by ensuring reliable water supply.
He promised to engage the government to construct valley dams in the area and promote pond fish farming so that the people can get out of poverty instead of depending on River Nile for fish.
