Nema orders mining firm to vacate Masaka wetland

The National Environment Management Authority (Nema) has directed a private company mining clay in Nakiyaga wetland, Buwunga Sub-county, Masaka District to vacate and restore the depleted section of the marshland.

Gazoola Supplies Company Ltd has in the past months been carrying out clay mining activities in Nakiyaga wetland.
The clay collected from the wetland is ferried in trucks to Kapeeka Industrial Park, Nakaseke District where it is used as raw material in making porcelain and ceramic tiles.
The directive to vacate the wetland, according to Mr William Lubuulwa, the senior public relations officer at Nema, is in line with the National Environment Act,2019, and a presidential directive that bars any further encroachment on wetlands.

He said the latest presidential directive bans all activities in wetlands except fish farming and eco-tourism projects. 
“We are not turning back. Some companies are operating with expired permits, which is illegal. Already, operations have begun in key areas, including Lubigi wetland in Kampala and Wakiso and in other districts like Rwampara and Bukedi, where a lot of destruction  has been done,” he told Monitor on Monday.

With their re-energised efforts to restore wetlands, Mr Lubuulwa, said they are determined to correct past mistakes and called upon all stakeholders to rally behind them.
“We’re set to correct the historical mistakes, however, as specified in the presidential directive, industries and factories that are operational with authentic permits can be allowed to continue operating, but no new permits will be issued,” he explained.

Mr Lubuulwa said their initial efforts focused on raising awareness, and that many  Ugandans are now more aware of their role in conserving the environment, despite the agency’s staffing constraints.
Mr  Darlin Kavuma, the chairperson of Buwunga Sub-county in Masaka District, lauded Nema for the move.
“We want that company [Gazoola Supplies Company Ltd] to first come back and restore the depleted part of the wetland by covering all the open pits,” he said.

Mr Andrew Muzoola, the manager at Gazoola Supplies Company Ltd on Monday declined to comment on Nema’s directive.
But in an earlier interview with this publication, Mr Muzoola said his company possesses an approved environment and social impact assessment report for whatever they are doing. 
“Whoever wants to have a look at it , should come to Kapeeka where our offices are, there is no way we can start excavation without following the  due  procedures,” he clarified.

Mr Andrew Mafundo, the executive director of Citizens Concern Africa (CICOA), an organisation that promotes sustainable management of natural resources in the country, said the current environmental degradation across the country displays a distressing lack of effectiveness.
He raises concerns about Nema’s dedication to conserving the natural resources.
“It is evident that Nema has failed to fulfill its responsibilities in this critical matter. We are in dire need of a new entity that possesses clear guidelines and the ability to strictly enforce laws in order to halt further destruction of wetlands and other crucial ecosystems,” he said.

Ms Harriet Namayanja, the woman district councilor for Lwankoni Sub-county in Kyotera, concurs with Mr Mafundo, saying despite Nema issuing several directives, the environment watchdog has often fallen short of implementing them effectively.
“In Kyotera, wetland destruction is still rampant. As a member of the natural resources committee, I want to see these operations trickle down to villages,” she said.

About the wetland
Nakiyaga wetland which stretches in the two sub counties of Buwunga and Bukakkata , forms part of Lake Nabugabo wetland system that comprises satellite lakes of Lake Victoria . The  wetland is a protected Ramsar Site, listed as one of the wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The Nabugabo wetland system has also been identified as an Important Bird Area by Birdlife International. More than 180 bird species, among which are globally threatened species, have been recorded in the Lake Nabugabo wetland system. However, the wetland has been degraded.