MPs shocked at sand mining activities in Lwera
Heaps of sand ready to be loaded onto trucks. Photo by Benjamin Jumbe
What you need to know:
Two out of the three licensed companies are currently operating after the third entity opted out when it did not find the viability of sand in its area.
The MPs are among other things seeking to establish whether those engaged in the business are doing it legally and are licensed
Members of the the natural resources committee of parliament have learnt that only three companies were licensed to do sand mining in Lwera, kalungu district.
This was revealed at a meeting between the committee members and some members of the Lwera Town Council during a fact-finding mission to the area on Thursday.
“For the sake of Kalungu, we have permitted three companies to undertake sand mining” the district environment officer, Mr Richard Vvuba has revealed.
He, however, told the MPs that two out of the three licensed companies are currently operating after the third entity opted out when it did not find the viability of sand in its area.
Mr Vvuba identified the two companies as Heshaduo Company and Lwera sand dealers all owned by Chinese.
Mr Vvuba also told the MPs that some of the finest mined sand is exported to as far as Dubai in the United Arab Emirates for glass-making while the other is exported to South Sudan for construction work among other uses.
Lwera Town clerk Aisha Kitenda said the Town council is expecting to get at least Shs36 million as revenue from the sand mining activities this financial year.
“Last year we got 16M shillings from sand mining but with two companies licensed now, we expect this to go higher to at least Shs36 million,” Ms Kitenda said.
The committee was disappointed to learn that one local company identified as Seroma Ltd had allegedly started operating without a license.
Mr Vvuba said the company was only discovered on Thursday to have been operating without a license but was ordered to stop operations until the proper procedures are followed.
Some members of the committee, however, turned against the environment officer Mr Vvuba accusing him of connivance.
“There must be some connivance and you are very unserious, how can you say you did not know that this company has been operating here just next to the road?” Mr Wilberforce Yaguma wondered.
Hon Florence Namayanja also wondered how possible it could be that a company can start operations for over three weeks without the knowledge of the Town council and the district leadership.
Committee Chairperson Alex Byarugaba expressed disappointment with the way sand mining is being done at one of the sites.
Speaking after touring the three sites , Mr Byarugaba said while investment in sand mining is good, the extent to which they have degraded the wetland is of great concern.
“Sand mining is good investment but the activities being undertaken to extract this sand will not spare the environment especially with regard to Lake Victoria. When you look at what they are doing, it seems they were given an open cheque to extract even inside the lake” Hon Byarugaba noted.
He says the best thing to do is controlling the activities done at the sites.
The committee is among other things seeking to establish whether those engaged in the business are doing it legally and are licensed, where the mined sand is taken and whether the companies are following the set conditions stipulated by NEMA.
