President should tour Mabira forest

In a pre-Independence Day address, President Museveni talked tough about environmental degradation. 
Among others, he directed people encroaching on wetlands, forests and other protected areas to vacate such places immediately or else they will be evicted.

“Those in the wetlands must leave them peacefully persuaded by this unimpeachable logic of our survival. The ones in the Bukedi-Busoga…areas, will be assisted to shift from wetland rice-growing to either growing that rice by irrigation on the non-wetland land or to fish farming at the edges of the wetlands, allowing the rest of the wetlands to regenerate. Those who have encroached on wetlands in other areas must leave unconditionally because they went there, knowing it was a mistake,” he said.

READ: Mabira: A forest under encroachment

He said 200 metres from the lakeshore must be allowed to regenerate into the forest or waterline shrubbery and 100 metres from the river banks must be similarly vacated. The President said it is only the factories that are already built in what used to be wetlands that will be kept and that no new ones will be allowed.

“Even those that were erroneously licensed by the UIA (Uganda Investment Authority) but where the construction has not yet started, should be allocated alternative land. 
The environment authorities may permit well-organised residential houses and hotels near the lake shore or the river banks, which observe environmental rules – e.g. planting grass and trees so that there are no bare patches of soil from which run-off water would pick soil to silt the water bodies. 

There should be no cultivation or slums near these water bodies. However, residential houses built in the wetlands must be demolished. Water is not only important for air, life support, and food generation but also enables us to get electricity – hydroelectricity,” he added.
The President said he will issue an Executive Order, the second this year, about environment protection. He has also promised to arrest all resident district commissioners, chief accounting officers, sub-county and parish leaders and security personnel who are not protecting wetlands from encroachment.

Before issuing that Executive Order, President Museveni needs to tour Mabira Forest Reserve and confirm whether or not the story aired on our sister tv station, NTV Uganda, on Sunday was accurate. 
The follow-up story indicates that the forest reserve, which originally was 300 km and has more than 300 species of indigenous trees and a flora and fauna treasure, is under threat. The only untouched part could be the stretch on the Jinja-Kampala highway.

The President, after his tour, might empower residents and local governments to protect the forest, wetlands since the law enforcement personnel are inadequate, and in some instances, aiding encroachers.