Guramwa Central Forest Reserve

Guramwa Central Forest Reserve is a protected area located in Western Uganda's Kibaale district. It is managed by the National Forestry Authority and was first gazetted in 1932 under the National Forestry and Tree Planting Act, 2003 with an area of, and was later re-gazetted in 1968 with an area of 1,550 ha.

Setting and structure

Guramwa Central Forest Reserve is part of the Albertine Rift montane forests, which is located in the Albertine Rift region. The Albertine Rift is a branch of the East African Rift that stretches from Lake Albert's northern end to Lake Tanganyika's southern end. It is one of richest biodiversity hotspot areas in Uganda.

There have been reports of degradation of Guramwa central forest reserve by local communities adjacent to the forests. The National Forestry Authority reports high rates of deforestation asserting that five of the 16 major forest reserves in Kibaale district including Gurama are totally "clean-shaven" with scarcely any trees remaining. Ruzaire, Kanaga, Nyabiku, and Kagadi are the other four. Even though the forest reserve has constantly been under threat from encroachers and depleted for charcoal burning, there has been recurrent need for explaining the boundaries separating the forest reserve and individual pieces of land. In August 2013, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni was drawn to controversy concerning the borders of the Guramwa Central Forest Reserve.