Wambabya Forest Block

Wambabya Forest Block:

This is a privately owned tropical riverine Forest. It derives its name from Wambabya River which it shadows all along to Wambabya CFR in Buseruka and Kigorobya. Wambabya River can be traced from Kyabigambire Sub County where it becomes momentous from the stream separating Nyakakonge and Kyamungi villages in Mparangasi parish. This river pours into Nyakakonge wetland which then forms Buniogoro River and flows through Kadebeda swamp, continuing to Kihoro and Kyamalera. These two villages border each other in Kyabigambire Sub County. Buniogoro River is the boundary between Kyabigambire-Kyamalera and Kihoro, Kyabigambire and Nyaituma as well as Kyabigambire and Nyakakonge villages Bulindi sub counties. The river continues from Kyabigambire sub county through Hoima town (Northern and central wards), and it as well acts as the boundary between Busiisi, Kitoba, Kiziranfumbi, Bugambe and Buseruka sub counties. In Buseruka it then goes through Wambabya CFR where it pours into Lake Albert.
Wambabya forest is located in the following villages of Busiisi; Kaibalya, Kihomboza (I), kihomboza (II), Kihomboza (III) and Katasiiha in Kibingo Parish, the villages of Kasasa, Kasasa-Rukooge and Butale in Kasingo parish and the village of Kisonde in kihukya Parish. Kyalwensambya village in Bulimya parish and Butimba located in Kidoma parish both in Kiziranfumbi sub county, Kiyora village in Ruguse parish and in the villages of Kyambala and Katanwa in Katanga parish all in Bugambe sub county. In Buseruka Sub County, Wambabya forest crosses the villages of Katooke in Kabale parish and Buseruka, Rwamutonga, Nyakabooga and Bureruka in Nyakabingo parish.

All along the forest, most areas are highly degraded with cultivations which are done either along the forest edges with increasing encroachment on the forest every season, or inside the already thin forest where it is cleared especially for tobacco growing. Other cultivations along this riverine forest are as well mostly for commercial agriculture; where crops like maize, ground nuts and rice are grown, with addition of subsistence crops; where local food crops like cassava, sweet potatoes and beans are cultivated. Brewing of a local alcohol, popularly known as ‘waragi,’ from sugar molasses is also on the increase throughout the sub counties traced by the river and its tributaries. Wambabya forest is also a major source of timber and building materials for residents of the villages it traverses as well as water for both animal and human domestic use. Wambabya is rich in biodiversity with both woodland and degraded tropical rain forest ecosystems. These habitats support a number of animals which include apes like chimpanzees, baboons, monkeys such as velvet monkey, black and white colobus monkeys. There is also a wide range of rodents especially in woodland species. There are a variety of avifauna species due to the forest edge effect and also the agri ecosystem along the Wambabya with common birds like great blue turacos, black and white cuskood hornbills, common and forest greenbuls among others. Some rare bird species like the plain green bulbul the red tailed bristlebill can also be sighted in the catchment.