Do the city authorities know how filthy Kampala really is?

Allow me add my voice to the many that have voiced this concern. It is no longer news that Nakivubo Channel, the once cherished effluent purifier, has progressively been turned into an open sewer. What is very disappointing is that this has been allowed to go on as if this city and country has no accountable leaders.

What amazes me again is the resigned tone of Nema officials and other key government officials including our MPs when commenting on such a subject, which they do very casually. People have been allowed to encroach on most of the wetlands, green parks have been given away (including a road near the Ministry of Health headquarters), buildings have been allowed to be raised in wetlands and water ways (just go to the space between Spear Motors and Kireka), thereby causing flooding and suffering to the people.

People have been allowed to encroach on Nakivubo wetland. The result: cholera epidemics, flooded and damaged road infrastructure that cost Ugandan taxpayers a lot of money in form of repairs. This is unacceptable.

Simply drive along Mulwana Road around 10 p.m; the whole place is polluted with sewage smell! The factories in the city have not helped the situation either. Uganda Baati on Mulwana Road emits dark fumes in evenings; I believe Nema officials have never seen this. A swampy area near Spear Motors in Nakawa has also been fenced off.

My question is: Who is behind all this? Is it not possible for our Parliament to investigate and expose these culprits? We can not continue like this: Eating sewage, drinking sewage, breathing sewage and sleeping in sewage as if the country has no leaders. Someone must be held accountable. Let all the encroachers be evicted even if it means using extreme force. Forget about votes! The future of our country is mightier than ‘filthy votes’.

John Kaka,
Kampala