The question: “why aren’t Mutuba trees growing all over Uganda?” that is the title of this blog posts, I did ask at the end of another of my blog posts “50 year old Mutuba Tree”, together with the following questions as well:

“Or are they growing all over Uganda, except for places were “development” has arrived? Shouldn’t the Mutuba trees be among protected species of Uganda? And for multiple purposes – aesthetic value, spiritual value, environmental conservation and commerce – bark cloth production, and value addition? The list is potentially long.”

Norah Owaraga

On reading “50 year old Mutuba Tree”, an ardent follower of this blog, commented and made a pledge as follows:

“I agree! I pledge to plant one hundred by the end of the year – please keep me honest … Let us get more people onto this – ten people (each planning 100 Mutuba trees) and we have 1,000 trees!”

Simon Kaheru

Following Kaheru’s challenge, without hesitation, I knew exactly who the first person that I should reach out to should be and so it was that I reached out to Hajjat Sebyala Aphwa, popularly fondly known as Hajjat Green. I was convinced then and I am still convinced now that for Hajjat Green, planting of 100 Mutuba trees or more within 2020 is achievable.

And I am right. Here is an up-date from Hajjat Green in pictures:

Hajjat Green sits on a Mutuba tree cut down for more tree planting on her farm.

Hajjat Green’s new Mutuba trees planted at her garden boundary.

Hajjat Green’s growing Mutuba trees.

Hajja Green was in her village on Sunday 19th July 2020 to check on her gardens, from whence she took and shared the pictures of the Mutuba trees.

Dear Simon, this serves as an up-date, and also a reminder to you to stay true to your pledge. What is your update?

As for me, I had pledged thus: “have reached out to Hajjat Sebyala to share with me where to easily access seedlings. If I can, I will plant some in Pallisa on our ancestral lands; and some in Oyam where the organisation that I work for, CPAR Uganda, owns land.”

Sadly, the advent of COVID-19 ruined my plans and I have not yet planted even a single Mutuba tree on our ancestral home in Pallisa. Nor have I planted any on our organisation’s land in Oyam.

However, it it important to note that I major reason that is frustrationg our organisation’s activities in Oyam, is not so much the COVID-19 outbreak, but the misapplication of the the NGO act, by a few individuals that are blatantly abusing the positions that they occupy in the Oyam District Local Government and in the Office of the President. A story for another blog.

Nevertheless, I remain hopeful that I will and I can. But in the meantime, I will also reach out to my older brother, Silver Adowa Owaraga, to make it happen, if he is not already planting loads of Mutuba trees on his farm in Zirobwe.

And I also hope that other Ugandans who read this will join this worthwhile initiative of not only greening our nation in the era of the negative effects of climate change; but also as a way of maintaining the legacies of our forefathers and in a way in an economically viable way, moreover.