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Conservationists walk 330 kilometres to save River Rwizi
Simon Kaheru, the public affairs and communications director at Coca Cola Beverages Africa in Uganda (right) interacting with some of the walkers during the walk from UMA show grounds to parliament to meet the speaker on Wednesday. PHOTO BY KELVIN ATUHAIRE
What you need to know:
- The newly enthroned Anglican Archbishop, Steven Kazimba flagged off the walkers on Tuesday in Mabira as they started their journey that will be concluded in Mbarara, western Uganda.
Mr Julius Ongole, a member of walkers association who has so far walked over 1,000kilometres in advocacy for environmental conservation, says he will not get tired to do so until he ages, as long as it is for climate change.
“I have walked over 1,00kilometres to create awareness about environment and climate conservation. Uganda’s environment is getting completely disorganised and broken and if we don’t work on it, Uganda will be at a very big risk. So I am part of those people who will continue to walk to champion for climate change,” he noted.
Mr Ongole and ten other walkers including a woman are this time round walking to save River Rwizi, a river that is depended on by at least 12 districts in western Uganda but drying up.
“This walk is to tell Ugandans to show commitment to conserve the environment and I want to invite all Ugandans to join us because we don’t want this to be a symbolic walk, but we want it to bring an impact on society,” said Ms Christine Ebu, the only female walker.
The newly enthroned Anglican Archbishop, Steven Kazimba flagged off the walkers on Tuesday in Mabira as they started their journey that will be concluded in Mbarara, western Uganda.
According to Bryan Josh Bwana, CEO Global community services, the coordinator of the mission under the theme, “walk for water and climate change” the walk is expected to cover 10 -12 days as they make stopovers in seven districts between Buikwe and Mbarara.
He emphasizes that this walk is not a symbolic walk but a walk to awake people that conservation is for all Ugandans.
Some of the walkers during the walk from UMA show grounds to parliament to meet the speaker on Wednesday. PHOTO BY KELVIN ATUHAIRE
“It’s a walk of water, environment and climate change. This is an aspect that touches every single life, whether you are a Ugandan or not, as long as you are a human being. So we thought that we should highlight the key issues of what is happening and surprisingly it’s not a new chapter, everybody knows about it but we feel somehow it is being neglected, not much is being done,” Mr Bwana said.
For long there have been many outcries from the beneficiaries of River Rwizi, saying it’s drying up due to various human activities around it, yet it’s there major source of water.
The river originates from Buhweju hills with various tributaries from Nkore hills, such as Ntungamo and Sheema. It pours its water in Lake Victoria via the drainage systems of Lakes: Mburo, Kachera and Kijanebalola
Manufacturers join the walk
Several manufacturing companies under the umbrella of Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) met the walkers and other conservationists to discuss on how they can work along on the environment conservation.
Mr Simon Kaheru, the Public Affairs and Communications Director at Coca Cola, said as a bottling company, everyday they are looking for better ways to conserve the environment.
“Sustainability is our number one objective before profit, because our intention is not to make profit every year. So we have departments that spend a lot of time trying to develop solutions that we need for sustainability. We also have a plastic cycling plant in Nakawa where we recycling them,” said Mr Kaheru.
River Rwizi, which covers approximately 8,200km is the source of water for livelihood to both people and animals in Rakai, Lyantonde, Isingiro, Lwengo, Kiruhura, Mbarara, Bushenyi, Buhweju, Sheema and Rubirizi.
