Govt starts restoration of degraded Lwajali wetland
What you need to know:
The wetland is shared by five districts of Mukono, Luweero, Kayunga, Mpigi and Wakiso.
The restoration plan for one of the most encroached-on wetlands in central Uganda is taking shape after the eviction and clearance of more than 200 acres of illegal gardens by Luweero District authorities.
Lwajali wetland system that is shared by five districts of Mukono, Luweero, Kayunga, Mpigi and Wakiso is among the marshlands earlier mapped out by the Ministry of Water and Environment in the 2022 for restoration.
This was after it was revealed that 85 percent of it had been encroached on by 2020.
Ms Teopista Gatese, the Luweero District natural resources officer, revealed that the eviction of the encroachers followed a series of sensitisation meetings conducted by the Ministry of Environment in partnership with area leaders.
“While several of the encroachers voluntarily heeded the call to stop the unauthorised usage of the Lwajali wetland system, many others defied the directive. So we have cleared several gardens as part of the restoration campaign,” she told this newspaper at the weekend.
The enforcement team had by last weekend destroyed banana plantations, rice gardens, vegetables and sugarcane plantations in the wetland.
At the onset of the restoration plan last year, government initiated the sensitisation through the local government leaders with a view to initiating a new wetland user plan for families that derived livelihoods from the area.
Ms Scovia Kayonga, the Luweero environment officer, said the National Wetland Policy regulates activities in the wetland areas, with only non-destructive human activities acceptable.
“After a series of sensitisation, we now have some groups and communities that are approaching the district authorities, seeking guidance on how they can utilise the wetland areas. The guidelines allow particular activities, including fish farming and ecological tourism,” she said
But a section of the former wetland users in Busiika Town Council, Zirobwe Town Council and Zirobwe Sub-county claim that the government approach in securing the areas is discriminatory and not friendly.
Residents speak
Mr Samuel Simbwa, a resident of Busiika Town Council, said vegetable growing in the wetland has been the major source of income for his family.
“Some of our families have derived livelihood for more than 30 years in Lwajali wetland. We expected a sensitisation on how best we can plant the vegetable without destroying the wetland and not eviction. We also see permanent structures by investors at sections of the other wetlands that have not been interrupted,” he said
Ms Agnes Nakagolo, another affected farmer and resident of Busiika Town Council, claimed that while rice growing is permitted in various of the wetland areas in Uganda, the Ministry of Water and Environment has destroyed the rice gardens in Lwajali.
“We need proper guidance and pray that the government permits rice growing at the wetlands,” she said.
Background
In January last year, President Museveni ordered all encroachers out of wetlands. While in some places the presidential directive was enforced, in others it was not. Former presidential aspirant and now head of National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED) party Joseph Kabuleta has asked the government to walk the environment and evict investors and other encroachers from the wetlands.
