NEMA conducts reassessment of Namiiro swamp boundaries

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  The National Environment Management Authority- NEMA has conducted a re-assessment exercise on the boundaries of Namiiro swamp in Kiwafu village, Entebbe Municipality. 

Namiiro wetland, located along the shores of Lake Victoria, covers 1,000 hectares stretching from Kiwafu, Kiwafu West and Lugogo-Nakiwogo villages in Entebbe Municipality Division B.  

The reassessment follows an appeal from residents who received eviction orders last month.

NEMA issued the order to 5,000 people, including 80 Kiwafu residents who had encroached on 50 hectares of Namiiro wetland. The residents have erected semi-permanent structures which include houses, shops and gardens. 

However, NEMA set up a committee for the appeal process.  The committee asked NEMA experts to visit the area in the presence of key stakeholders and then submit a report with findings and recommendations.

On Tuesday, Nicholas Magara, the coordinator of wetlands in-charge of the central region at the Ministry of Water and Environment, led a team of district leaders and the environment police officers to make the reassessment of the boundaries of the wetland.   

Michael Akampurira, a lawyer of the residents welcomes the reassessment exercise and hopes that the exercise will resolve the issue.     

Entebbe Municipal Mayor, Vincent Kayanja says the government should compensate people who settled on the wetland because NEMA failed to enforce the law.  

******

URN