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Arua, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Police in Arua City have arrested five people for allegedly encroaching on a wetland. They were found constructing a residential house on the shores of Ania Stream, a tributary to River Enyau in Alengo cell, Pokea ward, Ayivu Division.
The suspects were arrested on Tuesday during an operation by a combined team from the office of the Resident City Commissioner, environmental police and the city environment department.
During the arrest, Rhone Dramuke, the owner of the house was not at the site, prompting the security personnel to arrest Innocent Adoroti, a caretaker of the project together with four other yet-to-be-identified workers who were found roofing the house.
Jona Mbigiti, the Deputy RCC Ayivu Division in Arua City explains that the operation is in response to the recent directive by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on wetland encroachment. He further noted that they have also suspended the construction works pending further investigations.
Mary Dawaru, the senior environment officer for Arua City disclosed the rampant cases of wetland encroachment, especially in Enyau Wetland catchment area has greatly affected the water quality within the city. She appealed to the residents in the City to desist from the practice of encroaching on wetlands noting that they would be punished by the law.
Some of the common wetland encroachment activities within Arua City include settling along the buffer zones, sand mining, car washing inside the river and planting of hazardous plants such as eucalyptus trees along the river banks and wetlands.
The National Environment (Wetlands, River Banks and Lake Shores Management) Regulations 2000, prohibits a person from reclaiming or draining a wetland; erecting, constructing, places extending, removing or demolishing any tractor that is fixed in or under or over a wetland.
Section 55 of the National Environment Management Act 2019 provides that a person who encroaches on a wetland commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment of up to 12 years or a fine of 600 million Shillings.
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