Uganda Today: Dr. Ssemugenyi’s EBTDI Tree Planting Community Outreach Foiled Amid Heavy Investment and Police Blockade
By Uganda Today Reporter
[www.ugandatoday.co.ug] (https://www.ugandatoday.co.ug)
A highly anticipated community outreach event organized by Dr. Dennis Daniel Ssemugenyi under his EBTDI Tree Planting Project has been unexpectedly disrupted under controversial circumstances, sparking frustration and financial loss for the organiser.
The event, which was scheduled to take place today August 02, 2025 at Nabweeru Gombolola playgrounds, was set to mark the official launch of the “Planting a Legacy” campaign—an initiative Dr. Ssemugenyi has been championing across Uganda for some time and for the past four months organising this blocked launch event. But what was meant to be a celebration of environmental stewardship turned into a day of bitter disappointment.
“Plant Trees Equal to Your Years on Earth”
Speaking to Uganda Today on phone after the disruption, an agitated Dr. Ssemugenyi expressed deep frustration at the authorities’ last-minute interference. He explained that the core message of the EBTDI (Every Birthday Tree Day Initiative)* campaign is to encourage every Ugandan to plant a number of trees equivalent to their age.
“This is not politics. This is not protest. This is about legacy—about each one of us taking personal responsibility for the environment,” he said.
Through a well-structured network of district coordinators ranging from 60 to 100 per district, divided into smaller community groups of 5 to 12 per Gombolola, the campaign had mobilized widely for today’s function. Participants were expected to receive branded materials, EBTDI manuals, and purchase Dr. Ssemugenyi’s new book titled “Planting a Legacy: The EBTDI Guide.”
Community Dialogue and Legacy Building
Beyond tree planting, the outreach also includes community engagement fora, where local residents are encouraged to identify and discuss the most pressing challenges in their localities. This, Dr. Ssemugenyi said, was meant to anchor environmental responsibility within the wider scope of social transformation.
“We want people to walk away not just with seedlings, but with a sense of ownership over their future and that of their communities,” he added.
Blockade, Wasted Resources, and a Slaughtered Cow
However, all the elaborate planning, community mobilization, and logistical preparations came to naught when security authorities allegedly stepped in to block the event. According to Dr. Ssemugenyi,police intervention halted the function on vague claims, which he dismissed as baseless fear.
“They feared for nothing!” he fumed. “What kind of state obstructs tree planting?”
Dr. Ssemugenyi further disclosed that he had spent millions of shillings preparing for the outreach, including renting a fleet of coaster buses and ambulances for transportation and medical support, printing branded material, preparing meals and slaughtering a cow to feed the over 1,000 attendees expected at the function.
Uganda Today reached out to Nabweeru Police post just adjacent to the venue, and the CID officer said “Go to Nansana Police for information about the blockade because all orders emanated from there”.
Frozen Scholarship Bank Accounts?
In an alarming revelation, Dr. Ssemugenyi also claimed that bank accounts associated with his education scholarship programs were tampered with in the lead-up to the event. While Uganda Today could not independently verify the claim at the time of reporting, Dr. Ssemugenyi hinted at legal action and demanded accountability from the authorities.
“What are they afraid of? That Ugandans will plant too many trees?” he asked sarcastically.
Moving Forward
Despite the setback, Dr. Ssemugenyi vowed to continue with the EBTDI campaign, promising to take the message to every district, Gombolola, and village across Uganda.
“This is not the end. We will rise above sabotage. Trees will be planted. Legacies will be built.”
📷 All images © Uganda Today
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