President Museveni has issued a final tough warning that they will not take lightly any individuals found encroaching on wetlands saying that they are reason the economy is suffocating than it should.
Museveni made the remarks in his address to the nation on Tuesday. He said Ugandans should borrow a leaf from other countries that produce enough food to be in position to sustain their economies.
The president who was quick to cite that surplus production can only be possible with existence of fertile soils said in Uganda, it is still a big challenge because of the constant encroachment which is endangering the soils and rainfall formation cycle.
“You have seen what can happen to countries when they cannot produce their own food. There is no problem Uganda cannot solve, as I have stated above, as long as we are able to produce most or all of our food. To do this, you need soil and, above all, fresh water.”
Museveni warned that the vice will not be taken lightly. He issued a warning to among others all concerned leaders that they will be sacked and prosecuted in case of any illegal encroachments.
“This means environmental protection –protecting the wetlands –all of them, the river banks, the lake shoresand the forests and also planting trees even in inhabited areas. I have warned all sub-county and mirukachiefs, as well as CAOs, not to forget the environmental officers, GISOs and DISOs, manning areas where I will discover encroachment on wetlands, will be sacked and, if legally possible, also criminally prosecuted,” he warned.
“This is for all areas of Uganda except some 25 areas of Busoga, Bukedi and Kigyezi where, historically, there was misguided Government encouragement of people going into wetlands to grow swamp rice and start dairy farms. Those areas of historical mistakes, will also be recovered by working with the stakeholders to shift to fish farming in the periphery of those wetlands, which activity is much more profitable, so as to allow the wetland regenerate.”
In addition, he called on other individual encroachers to depart the wetlands before prompt action is taken on them saying that they are suffocating the economy.
“Many of these are recent, which means they are doing it in deliberate defiance of plans to save their country. The swamp of Buseemba, between Kirolo and Kalasa,was the river crossing where machine-gunner Mondo Tumuhairwe used to do a lot of damage to the UNLA,” Museveni added.
“There was not a single encroacher at that time. It is now invaded and so is Mayanja-Wenkalwe, Wabikokoma, etc. When I flew to Kiwoko,recently, I saw the swamps that feed into Mayanja, Makyebebe, Kizzikibi, etc.,being encroached on. This is my last warning to the Local authorities all over Uganda. Damage to our Local water bodies affects 40% of our rainfall. How can we tolerate that?”
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