Pastor Kakande apologises for illegal sand mining
What you need to know:
Last week, the committee heard that Aqua World Uganda Ltd, a company associated with Pastor Kakande, has for the last two years been mining sand in Lwera. Initially, the company had got a National Environmental Management Authority permit to carry out fish farming
PARLIAMENT.
Pastor Samuel Kakande has apologised for illegally excavating sand in Lwera wetland on Masaka Road.
The mining has been taking place on a piece of land in Lwera within a 100metre radius of Lake Victoria, contravening environmental regulations.
Pastor Kakande, through his attorney, Mr Bernard Mutyaba, blamed the rising level of water in Lake Victoria on the damming of sections of River Nile for the construction of hydropower plants.
“With the raising waters, where the 100metres would stop became difficult to identify,” Pastor Kakande’s lawyer told the House Committee on Natural Resources on Tuesday.
Moments earlier, the committee’s members Herbert Ariko (Soroti Municipality), Thomas Tayebwa (Rubanda North), Keefa Kiwanuka (Kiboga West), Winfred Masiko (Rukungiri Woman) and Andrew Aja Baryayanga (Kabale Muncipality) had questioned the legality of Aqua World Ltd’s activities.
Pastor Kakande added that they have embarked on restoring the area.
“We acknowledge that flaw and we are saying that if permitted and given the opportunity, we are willing to rectify that anomaly,” he said.
In the meantime, Mr Alex Byarugaba (Isingiro South), the chairperson of the Committee, said Aqua World should stop mining sand in the Lwera.
Last week, the committee heard that Aqua World Uganda Ltd, a company associated with Pastor Kakande, has for the last two years been mining sand in Lwera. Initially, the company had got a National Environmental Management Authority permit to carry out fish farming.
