Invaders ravage Kilombero Nature Reserve for agricultural activities

Ifakara. Nestled between the breathtaking Udzungwa Mountains and the Uzungwa Scarp, the Kilombero Nature Forest Reserve (KNFR) has long stood as a vital natural asset.

But this once-thriving ecosystem is now facing its most serious threat yet — a wave of illegal invasions that has led to the felling of ancient trees and large-scale destruction of its delicate landscape.
In recent months, a group of invaders from various regions, including Mbeya, Njombe, and Ruvuma, have descended upon the reserve, cutting down trees to clear land for crop production.

And now, over 341.8 hectares of the forest, part of the 134,511-hectare reserve, lie devastated, with thousands of trees scattered across the ground.
The damage has triggered environmental, economic, and even social concerns that threaten to spiral out of control.

The total loss could not be immediately established but experts in the district’s forestry economics currently analysing the situation have estimated it to exceed Sh1 billion.

Reports from the Kilombero district say invaders came from different regions, including Mbeya, Njombe, and Ruvuma.

The Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) manages the devastated forest reserve that is located 70 kilometres away from Ifakara town.
The forest reserve upgraded in August 2007, is the largest nature forest reserve located between the Udzungwa Mountains National Park and the Uzungwa Scarp Nature Forest Reserve in Kilombero District, Morogoro Region, and Kilolo District, Iringa Region respectively.

Geographically, 70 percent of the forest reserve is located in the Kilombero District and the remaining 30 percent rests in Kilolo District.

Its highest point at Nyumbanitu Peak is 2600 meters above sea level, and the natural forest reserves are an immigration corridor for large mammals between Udzungwa National Park and the newly established Nyerere National Park.

The KNFR has different tourist attractions, including elephants, buffaloes, the Magombera Caves, bat caves, and the Hehe tribe’s sacred and worship sites.

Read: Magombera forest now protected as nature Forest reserve

Others are the viewpoints where visitors can see over 100 kilometres, including the Kilombero River, the waterfalls, oxbow lakes with various fish species, over 150 bird species including the rare Udzungwa partridge, and beautiful scenic features, valleys, and landscapes.

Shocking, massive devastation

During a recent visit to the Chiwachiwa village, Mbingu ward, Kilombero district, The Citizen witnessed the devastated area of the forest reserve.

The area had thousands of trees lying on the ground including those conducive to timber manufacture and those important for biodiversity conservation.

Most fallen trees are about 100 years old and cannot be grounded by axes, but the use of chainsaws as witnessed by this newspaper.

At the scene, observation showed that invaders had established temporary settlements with garden crops such as vegetables, tomatoes, and peppers visible in the area.

“TFS faced serious resistance from people behind the invasion when we launched an exercise to remove invaders from the area,” said the agency’s deputy conservation commissioner, Dr Masota Abel.

“One of our rangers narrowly survived death after being pushed to the river by angry invaders who were protesting the eviction decision,” added Dr Abel, thanking the Kilombero District Commissioner, Dunstan Kyobya.

“He strongly supported TFS in the eviction operation conducted on August 28, 2024, whereby 300 invaders were evicted, and over 265 temporary shelters destroyed,” he added.
 

Invasion, destruction impacts

If uncontrolled, reports from the district say the destruction could adversely affect water flow to the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP), expected to produce 2,115 megawatts of electricity when fully operational.
This is because key small rivers that pour water to the Kilombero River and ultimately to the JNHPP, including the Lwipa, Chiwachiwa, and Rondo originate from the forest.

“The destruction will also affect tourism activities in the area and deny the country from important foreign exchange. Research, and scientific studies carried out in the area by individuals, from domestic and international organisations will also be adversely affected,” said Dr Abel.
He said tree felling also exposes the place to agents of erosion, and subjects the area to threats of floods, therefore, putting residents and properties to huge threats, “It should be understood that the importance of buffers in preventing water runoff cannot be overemphasised.”
 

What happened?
 

Speaking to The Citizen, the Chiwachiwa acting village chairman, Mr Lameck Kipela, said before its 2007 upgrade, KNFR was part of the Mbingu village.

“Initially there was a misunderstanding about part of the land in the KNFR believed to belong to Mbingu village before the official establishment of the Chiwachiwa village which used to be Mbingu’s hamlet,” he said.

However, the misunderstanding was amicably resolved and the new beacons were planted during the exercise witnessed by the DC.

“However, the DC advised villagers to follow procedures of tendering applications for the increased size of the village land to meet the new demand due to the population surge,” he said.

Scramble for the KNFR

Furthermore, Mr Kipela said some unscrupulous village leaders defied the district proposal and, mobilised people from neighbouring regions to shift to the forest reserve on individual benefits.

“Invaders are mostly foreigners who have paid significant amounts of money. However, this happened without the knowledge of the village leadership,” said Mr Kapela who leads a village with Angola, Nyakasisi, Ng’ongwa, and Chiwachiwa hamlets.

The CCM village ideology secretary, Mr Emmanuel Malengele, said selfish hamlet leaders created a system to reap personal benefits from the forest reserve.

“Invaders sold valuables, including houses, crops, and land in their respective home regions to generate money for accessing land in the reserve considered suitable land for crop cultivation,” he said, adding that invaders arrived at that decision after being assured of the availability of the said land.

He said very few Chiwachiwa residents had fallen into the trap, noting that almost all racketeers had fled the village to unknown destinations.

Conning

Mr Malengele said the hamlet leaders who received money from people for the KNFR invasion conned Tanzanians millions of shillings because no agreement had been reached during the village decision-making meetings.

“It is their individual decision aimed at reaping financial benefits. They communicated with people in need from different regions and adequately received the money after striking an agreement,” said Mr Malengele.

For example, a Chiwachiwa villager sold a two-hectare farm for Sh3 million and got 15 hectares in the KNFR, noting that she has remained with nothing after the eviction decision.

Mr Malengele said it is difficult to establish the actual amount charged to invaders because the arrangement remained secret between the two sides, but the business involved no written contract or provision of receipts.

Chainsaws

Regarding the use of chainsaws, TFS said stringent measures aimed to control ownership and utilisation of the equipment were underway.

“We are finalising the formulation of a regulation that, apart from controlling possession and utilisation, will establish provisions similar to guidelines applied to gun ownership and use,” said Dr Abel.

What the DC says

The Kilombero District Commissioner, Mr Kyobya, said KNFR is recognised by the International Union Conservation of Nature (IUCN), saying there was a need to maintain and protect the reserve for the interest of present and future generations.

“The district police in charge was present at the scene during the eviction operation where several people were arrested to aid information over what had transpired,” he said.
Describing the district, Mr Kyobya said apart from its role in the JNHPP power generation, it is famous in sugar production, saying the Sh800 billion sugar plant project was being implemented in the district.
“Kilombero is the highest rice producer. It also attracts tourists through the Udzungwa Mountains National Park, the Kilombero Game Controlled Area (KGCA), and the Kilombero North Safaris attractions, among others,” he said.

Plan for the future

Dr Abel said to address invasion challenges, TFS has planned to establish a ranger station at the scene, noting that the implementation was immediate.
“We have also planned to procure and utilise drones for the KNFR surveillance, therefore efficiently and effectively controlling future incidents that will jeopardise existence and prosperity of the forest reserve,” he said.

A TFS representative of the Southern Highland Zone Conservation Commander, Mr Haruna Luganga, urged villagers to assess their population by establishing the number of villagers and newcomers.

“Established data should be key in the application process for the additional land to be used for settlement and economic production activities,” he suggested.