Police block wetland encroachers from invading State House

One of the wetland encroachers who was arrested by police. Photo by Eve Muganga

ENTEBBE – Police in Entebbe have blocked a a group of wetland encroachers from Lugonjo-Nakiwogo in Entebbe Municipality who were marching to State House to request President Yoweri Museveni to stop the environment ministry to evict them from a wetland.

Last month, Ministry of Environment and Water issued the encroachers a 21-day ultimatum to vacate Namiiro Wetland, near Entebbe International Airport.

Mr Joseph Ongol, the assistant commissioner in-charge of wetland management in the ministry, urged the encroachers to surrender their land titles and land sales agreements to the ministry for verification.

This came after some encroachers claimed ownership of genuine land titles in the wetland.

 The operation to stop the group of about 300 people from reaching State House, was led by Mr  James Mwesigye, the Officer-in-Charge of Entebbe Police Station.

Earlier, police stopped the group from storming the office of Lugonjo-Nakiwogo Local Council 1 chairman, Mr Paul Zikuliza, after accusing him of snubbing several their meetings.

Police arrested five members of the group including the Youth Councillor for Division B, Mr Emmanuel Sseguya.

Police later advised them to seek an appointment with Mr Museveni through the Resident District Commissioner.

One of the protestors who identified himself as Mr Gyamada Tabula said they resorted to seek Mr Museveni’s intervention because their leaders have failed to address their concerns.

“These leaders have made the issue political. Our houses were marked for demolition.  We can’t just look on,” Mr Tabula said.

Mr Paul Zikuliza said the residents’ concerns can be addressed by Entebbe Town mayor and the town clerk.

The encroachment on Namiiro Wetland started in 2006 by bricklayers who were  later joined by hundreds of people to construct semi and permanent houses.

The wetland measures about 1,000 hectares, but almost a quarter of it has been encroached on by at least 5,000 people.

 Mr Nicholas Magara, the Coordinator of Wetlands Protection in central region, urged local leaders and the encroachers to collaborate with the  team from the Environment ministry to make the eviction exercise smooth.

“This place is waterlogged. So, they [encroachers] have to agree with what we are telling them and voluntarily vacate before we apply force,’’ he said.

Wetlands in Uganda

Ministry of Water and Environment statistics show that Uganda has lost more than 30 per cent of the wetlands in the last 23 years. This trend indicates the country is at increased risk and vulnerability to natural disasters and other effects of climate change.

 Section 36 of the National Environment Act provides for the protection of wetlands and prohibits reclamation, erection of illegal structures and empowers authorities to demolish any structure that is fixed in, on, under or above any wetland.

 The Act also empowers local leaders in districts to manage wetlands within their jurisdictions and ensure that their boundaries are clearly demarcated so that even as water levels and wetland vegetation recedes, the communities are clear on where the boundaries lie.