Mabira forest, totalling thirty thousand hectares was gazetted as a central forest reserve in 1933.
The forest is now a shadow of itself as encroachers have cut down thousands of trees.
A businessman who owns a chain of fuel stations across the country is reportedly one of those encroachers and has pleaded guilty to fraudulently acquiring land in Mabira forest in Buikwe district.
The land is next to Mabira police post along Kampala -Jinja road.
Bashir Musa, the proprietor of Hared Petroleum Limited paid one million shillings for 5.7 acres of land allocated to him by Buikwe district land board.
Bashir was today appearing before the commission of inquiry into land matters.
When he was interrogated by the commissioners, Bashir admitted that he had been duped into buying the land.
Commission chairperson Justice Catherine Bamugemereire has directed that the title deed issued to the businessmen be cancelled.
An officer of the National forest authority in charge of Mabira forest Mike Ojja had earlier testified against Bashir.Ojja revealed that there are other title deeds that were issued on Mabira forest.NTV later established that a commissioner in the land registry, only identified as Kajambula, allegedly issued titles in forest reserves, including the title that Bashir and his brother obtained.
Kajambula is reportedly on the run.