Stanbic oversees Manwa forest restoration in UGX150m drive for ROOTS

What the report says

Stanbic Bank is supporting a forest restoration drive at Manwa Local Forest Reserve in Masaka City, where more than 20,000 trees are being planted to help revive a degraded 144-hectare woodland. According to Watchdog Uganda, the reserve is an important water catchment area and also supports medicinal plants used by nearby communities.

The effort sits within the national Running Out of Trees (ROOTS) Campaign, a public-private initiative led by the Ministry of Water and Environment. The bank has contributed UGX150 million to the wider programme, which aims to plant 700,000 trees across the country as part of a larger national goal of 200 million trees over five years ending in 2026.

Stanbic’s Corporate Social Investment Manager, Diana Ondoga, said the bank was among the first corporate participants in ROOTS and would continue backing environmental conservation through its ESG strategy. Forestry officials and local leaders also used the occasion to urge residents to stop illegal tree cutting, charcoal burning and encroachment, and to protect newly planted trees from livestock and other threats.

The report adds that the Manwa forest helps local communities by moderating drought impacts and preserving access to water and traditional medicinal plants. In general, Uganda’s forest cover has faced pressure from deforestation, and restoration projects such as this are being promoted as part of broader climate and conservation efforts.