Wakiso chairman, councillors clash over sand mining

The LC5 chairperson, Mr Matia Lwanga Bwanika

What you need to know:

  • "The chairperson knows that unsubstantiated allegations equals to serious action. We are not thinking of impeaching him now but all options will be available and open in the next sitting,” Simon Nsubuga, district speaker
  • Meanwhile, the National Environmental Management Agency yesterday issued a statement indicating that the licence they issued to Mango Tree, the Chinese mining company, is only limited to making ships and not sand mining.

Wakiso District councillors have vowed to pass a resolution endorsing sand mining in Lake Victoria and ordered the LC5 chairperson, Mr Matia Lwanga Bwanika, to retract bribery allegations he made against them or face impeachment.

“Come January 30, we will pass a formal resolution endorsing sand mining in Lake Victoria. We will not sit back as we lose revenue and jobs. No politics in this,” the district speaker, Mr Simon Nsubuga, said yesterday during a press conference.

The councillors unanimously agreed that Mr Bwanika apologises to them over allegations he made that they had taken bribes from Gen Salim Saleh and were less qualified to determine sand mining issues as some of them cannot take oaths in English.

Mr Bwanika, however, declined to apologise, saying he is against sand mining.
“When you apologise, it means you have made a mistake which is not the case. I do not know of those bribery issues but what I can repeat is that on three occasions, my councillors visited Gen Salim Saleh, I have evidence that he facilitated them with some money,” he said.

However, when contacted, Gen Saleh’s political assistant, Mr Robert Ndyomugyenyi, accused Mr Bwanika of pursuing personal interests.
“He is frustrating a businessman [Gen Salim Saleh] who has injected more than $8m. The businessman has a very big development portfolio for Wakiso. Lake Victoria is underutilised and there should not be frustration. Mr Bwanika should stop looking at trivial issues. He is a self-seeker who does not know he is ‘sitting’ on gold by frustrating the developer,” Mr Ndyomugyenyi said.

Meanwhile, the National Environmental Management Agency yesterday issued a statement indicating that the licence they issued to Mango Tree, the Chinese mining company, is only limited to making ships and not sand mining.