Local leaders in Kira Municipality in Wakiso District have accused police of conniving with encroachers to degrade wetlands.
During a field visit to Nalubaga wetland in Najjera A, where part of the wetland is being degraded, Mr Julius Mutebi, the municipality mayor, last Thursday said police were protecting the culprits.
‘’Let us not come here to do the talk, but do the walk. Some police and Nema (National Environment Management Authority) environment police are being used to guard and protect the perpetrators,” he said.
Mr Mutebi said there are many people who are destroying the wetlands in the name of ‘order from above’.
The town clerk, Mr Benon Yiga, said unknown people started pouring soil in the wetland in July last year.
He added that the council worked with Kira police and they arrested some of the culprits but about two weeks ago, they got information that they were back.
The National Physical Planning Board and Nema directed the municipal council to restore the wetland because the Physical Planning Act 2010 allows them.
Mr David Wamai, the National Physical Planning board’s acting executive director, said police should arrest the people pouring soil in the wetland.
“Article 39 of our Constitution requires that every Ugandan is entitled to live in a clean and heathy environment, and to have that, it means that we have to control the developments that take place on the land,” he said.
Ms Jack Kemigisha Kiiza, a board member, said they have directed for the cancellation of the land title since the land is Mailo.
However, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Hillary Kulayigye, denied the allegations, saying police cannot fail to work with the community to restore the wetlands.
“The order from above is not there, don’t expect the IGP (Inspector General of Police) or the CDF (Chief of Defence Forces) to be part of this,’’ he said.
He, however, committed to take up the matter to his seniors so that they work with other stakeholders to restore the wetland.
