By Joachim Twino
Masaka district LC5 Chairman the no-nonsense Jude Mbabali has written to Gen Salim Saleh’s OWC secretariat, through his OWC Deputy Gen Charles Angina, vowing to relentlessly fight to protect the sensitive Nakiyaga wetland that crucially feeds into Lake Victoria. The wetland is located in Buwunga Sub County and the OWC-backed Chinese company called Goodwill Ceramics has been destructively mining clay from there to manufacture ceramics products mostly for the export market. Mbabali, to whom Gen Saleh’s OWC secretariat had written proposing that his district signs an MoU with the Chinese, says that whereas he is excited about the prospect of job creation and increased foreign exchange for the country, the cost of letting Goodwill Ceramics carry on by far outweighs the benefits hence his executive’s decision to halt their mining activities and chase them away.
Mbabali says it was disrespectful for the company officials to begin destroying the wetland without even having the courtesy to first introduce themselves to the Masaka district authorities. He says they have caused “extensive destruction to the wetland as vegetation was cleared and murram dumped in the wetland to create pathways for vehicles and excavators.” He says the company acted with impunity when it started all these activities without acquiring exploration license from the concerned ministry of energy. He faults the company for operating without the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certificate and wetland user permit from NEMA. Ideally, the EIA should detail how the company or any other developer intends to mitigate negative environmental consequences the neighboring communities will suffer as a result of their mining activities.
Mbabali states in his Monday 11th June letter that omitting to have the EIA and NEMA wetland user permit violates the provisions of National Environment Act and Mining Regulations (2004). He informs Gen Saleh’s OWC secretariat that when warning notices were issued and the company bosses defiantly ignored them, the authorities moved in and carried out several arrests of the company employees that are now facing criminal prosecution. Mbabali assures the OWC bosses that Goodwill Ceramics will never be allowed to operate in his district unless all the legal requirements are fully complied with. For comments on this story, call/text/whatsapp us on 0703164755.
