Nema decries illegal sand mining on R. Nile

Authorities in Kayunga District are looking on as lucrative sand mining activities are destroying River Nile, Daily Monitor has learnt.

Mr Nicholas Magara, the National Environmental Management Authority (Nema) coordinator of wetland matter in the central region, said illegal sand mining on River Nile started 20 years ago at Nabuganyi Landing Site in Busaana, Nazigo and Kangulumira sub-counties.

“We are aware of the illegal sand mining activities on the river. We have district environment officers in that area, but I wonder why they have failed to stop that activity,” Mr Magara said during an interview with this newspaper at the weekend.

He added that miners need to first get a wetland user permit, which is provided by Nema.

However, Mr Magara added that the permit is provided after a thorough study is undertaken and discovered that the activity does not affect the aquatic life.

He said his team would soon visit the sites, ascertain the degree of damage and take appropriate action.

The environmentalist said over-exploitation of the river sand threatens the existence of ecosystems and may lead to environmental degradation and ecological disorders.

Kayunga District senior environment officer Patrick Musaazi said although the law prohibiting river sand mining is in place, enforcement has proved difficult. 

“When we try to arrest them, some people come out and complain that we are harassing their people, even then, flushing out these people from the river is not easy,” Mr Musaazi said.

Last year, local leaders in Kalungu and Mpigi districts also complained that they lack the political clout to stop the illegal sanding mining in Lwera wetland.

The Kalungu District chairperson, Mr Richard Kyabaggu, said all their efforts to stop the  illegal activities have in the past failed due to ‘external  factors’ .

Kayunga District speaker Saleh Bulinsoni said the mining has provided jobs to more than 200 youth.
“As a district, we have not had any initiative to fight this activity because it has helped in providing jobs to our youth,’’ he said.

What the youth say
When Daily Monitor visited Nabuganyi Landing Site on River Nile in Busaana Sub-county, Kayunga District at the weekend, a number of youth were found carrying sand in their canoes to the shores.

Mr Yusuf Karungi, one of the youth, said they scoop the sand using spades from the river.
He said he is aware that the activity is illegal, but it is lack of jobs that forces them to engage in such activities.

“We go under the river, about 30 feet and scoop the sand, which we put in canoes and later carry to the banks,” Mr Karungi said.

He added that currently, most of the miners are school children who have taken advantage of the lockdown to make some money.

“We sell a big truck at Shs450, 000 and in a day we can sell three or four trucks of sand,” Mr Karungi said.
He, however, said the rising water levels have made it difficult to mine sand.

Sand mining has become a lucrative business due to the swiftly growing construction sector in Uganda.

The law

In May 2018, government put sand, stones and murram under the category of minerals in the new approved mining policy. Government believes this will end unregulated sand mining across the country.

Under the new policy, anyone intending to venture into sand mining will be required to acquire a licence from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

According to the new policy, anyone who will be caught engaging in sand mining without a licence will be fined Shs500,000 or jailed for one year, or both.

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