Story by Osuta Yusuf.
Maracha District
Maracha Constituency MP Aspirant on NRM Party ticket, Mr. Uhuru Nelson launched the distribution of Eucalyptus tree seedlings to all the religious Clergies in Maracha Constituency, an exercise that was launched on Thursday 8-May-2025 and it is still ongoing.
Apparently, global warming is becoming real, with the World Meteorological Organization’s “State of the Global Climate 2024” report, indicating that 2024 was likely the hottest year within the 175-years observational record.
The smiley clergies are being given 150 tree seedlings each which they will be planting in their gardens..
Initiator of the program, Mr Uhuru Nelson who is the MP Aspirant for Maracha Constituency explained that, he has been touched by the pain and sacrifices most of the religious leaders go through in serving the people but at the end of it all, there are no physical benefits they can show for it.
“It’s a painful trend in our region that religious leaders remain committed to serving people and God but when the time comes for them to retire, they go home and a few years later, most of them die because they have nothing to use to take care of themselves”, Mr Uhuru lamented, and he appealed to the clergies to use these tree seedlings he is giving to them as pensions to prepare and take care of themselves after retirement.
He further stressed that, even in many cases paying of school fees of their children as clergies turns to be hard reason being, they don’t have something that can generate for them some good incomes.
📸: Hon Dribia Charles, Councilor and Agent of Aspiring Candidate Uhuru Nelson
Councilor for Lamila Ward to Okokoro Town Council, Hon Dribia Charles thanked the aspiring candidate Mr Uhuru Nelson for this initiative on climate change and boosting of incomes but he advised him to work in consultation, collaboration and coordination with the clergies if he becomes the MP for Maracha Constituency.
“We have seen, there are some MPs who work on their own and in isolation without consulting the religious institutions for their opinions, and a case in point, is the recently passed Anti-homosexuality law”, Hon Dribia submitted as he insisted that, getting the views of Clergies is paramount because it will add weight in what the Parliament of Uganda intends to pass as a law to protect or preserve our identity, integrity and loyalty to humanity and eternity as a God-fearing country.
Uhuru Nelson’s Father, Mr Embatia Saverino who doubles as the Owner of California Bus Company Ltd, regarded Clergy’s duties as God’s calling and therefore they need to be supported.
In some Constituencies and districts where politicians switch off their telephone numbers after being elected by the people, Mr Embatia advised his son not to become like such politicians if he is voted to become the MP for Maracha Constituency 2026 – 2031.
Mr Embatia further cautioned him never to engage into politics of segregation, religion and tribalism.
The parish priest for Kijomoro Parish, Rev. Adiga Robert described this action by Mr Uhuru Nelson, as implementing the vision of Madi And WestNile Diocese.
“Recently our Bishop for Madi and WestNile Diocese, the Right Reverend Charles Collins Andaku launched a diocesan mission and plan to green the region through afforestation, and your tree seedlings distribution plan for clergies in Maracha Constituency exactly rhymes with it”, Rev Adiga stated, and rallied the clergies not to go and put the tree seedlings idle and they dry up but rather they should plant them.
With complaints of land grabbing increasing in the society, Rev Adiga noted that, the launch of this project by Maracha Constituency MP Aspirant Mr Uhuru Nelson has become timely as the religious leaders will also use some of the trees as security to protect their lands from being encroached.
“ I had gone to my village to cultivate my garden before going to buy and plant some trees in it and around its boundaries because some people wanted to encroach on some parts of my land in the village! And this project by Mr Uhuru has come at the right time it’s going to help me in terms fence as security for my land and also as investment”, the extremely happy Rev averred while advising his his fellow Clergies to plant some of the trees as fences around the boundaries of their gardens so that some people do not take the advantage of their absence to grab their land as they are carried away to do God’s work.
Aspiring Candidate Uhuru Nelson’s Campaign Task Force Chairman, Hon Adripiyo Emmanuel said their vision as Team Uhuru Nelson is to always be available in helping and addressing community challenges and demands by.
Rev. Luke Aluma the parish priest for Koyi Parish from Nyadri South Sub-county while giving a testimony of how some trees he planted few years ago with some people, recently helped them to get timbers to roof a newly built church in his place of origin in Kamaka, Oluffe Sub-county.
“Planting these types of trees is okay because in a few years to come, they will be mature and you can lumber them to get timbers to be sold off to pay school fees and other things”, he narrated.
With what Mr Uhuru Nelson is doing for the people in Maracha, Rev Luke equated him to the Biblical King David who was very young and undermined by many people because of his age but his wisdom and fear for God made him to become the chosen one to lead the people.
After receiving their tree seedlings, the clergies made another outcry over the whirlwind that sometimes blows off roofs of some of the churches, the Aspiring MP Candidate Mr Uhuru promised another tree seedlings to be given 20 per church so that they can be planted to act as windbreaks around the churches.
According to research, Eucalyptus can even be ready for harvest by 5 years, and on average, one Eucalyptus tree can produce 20 pieces of 4 by 2 timbers, and in the average market price, one timber of this type goes at 5000 Shs.
In a rough calculation, 5000 Shs ✖️ 20 = 100,000 Shs.
Then 100,000 ✖️ 150 = 15,000,000 Shs in 5 years time, is what some of the clergies will have to get