By Alan Clement
Two county officials have been arrested in Kajo-Keji for suspected involvement in illegal logging.
On Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025, the office of Kajo-Keji County Commissioner, confirmed the arrests.
According to the report, the arrested individuals served in the County Directorate of Agriculture, Environment and Forestry.
The suspects were accused of facilitating or participating in unauthorized logging operations and timber transit to Uganda.
According to state authorities this move is a direct violation of a recent executive order banning the harvesting and transport of timber within the county.
The commissioner’s office noted that the suspects were apprehended by operatives of the Military Intelligence (MI) unit.
The arrests come amid mounting concerns over illegal deforestation in defiance of a directive recently issued by local authorities.
“The suspects are currently being held at a local detention facility pending further investigation,” the commissioner’s office confirmed in a statement issued on Thursday. “Once preliminary inquiries are concluded, the individuals will be handed over to the police for formal legal processing and trial in accordance with national laws,” the statement continued.
The clampdown stems from a county-wide executive order issued by the Kajo-Keji County Commissioner on July 16, 2025, imposing an indefinite ban on all logging and forest product transportation.
The directive forms part of a broader campaign to combat widespread deforestation, environmental degradation, and the illegal cross-border export of timber.
“The County Government is serious about protecting our forests and ensuring that no individual, regardless of their status or position, is above the law,” the commissioner’s office said in a statement.
The county government pledged to intensify monitoring and enforcement efforts in coordination with the county security apparatus and community structures to curb environmental crimes and rebuild public trust in the management of natural resources.