Our other stop on the way to Kampala was the Mabira Forest, the largest semi-deciduous rainforest in Uganda, situated halfway between Jinja and Lugazi and stretching across 120 sq km. The rainforest is home to 311 tree species, some of which are ancient. Before the 1800s, the forest stretched from Jinja to central Africa, but it is now contained within this area of Buikwe. We parked our car next to the main road in Najembe and hired a watchman (7000 UGX) and a small car with a driver (40000 UGX) to explore the forest. During our visit with the local guide (30000 UGX) through the dense and lush forest, we looked out for 219 species of butterfly, 316 species of birds, and 97 moths, but of course, we did not see any. The rainforest is also home to red-tailed monkeys, bush pigs and baboons, and a rare leopard.
The Buganda, god of food and rai, is believed to reside in the Mabira forest. At the park’s edge, a mosque and a church serve local communities that rely on timber and coal for survival. The reserve is a water catchment area that serves streams leading to Sezibwa, Kyoga, and the Nalubale. Between 1971 and 1979, deforestation caused by tea and sugar plantations cleared more than 50% of its area.
