By Ben Musanje
Newly appointed Minister for Water and Environment, Retired Major General Kahinda Otafiire, has thrown his full weight behind ongoing enforcement operations against encroachers in wetlands, declaring that all illegal structures found in protected wetland areas should be removed as part of efforts to safeguard Uganda’s water sources and environmental future.
Speaking during his inaugural address at the Ministry of Water and Environment headquarters in Luzira after taking over from Sam Cheptoris, Otafiire urged officials from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), including Executive Director Dr. Barirega Akankwasa, to continue implementing wetland restoration measures without fear.
The minister said wetlands were created by nature to perform critical ecological functions and should not be occupied by human settlements.
“I had people saying, you are breaking people’s houses. Only fish, frogs, crocodiles and otters have a license by nature to live in wetlands. If you are none of these, what are you doing in the wetlands?” Otafiire said.
He maintained that wetlands belong to wildlife and serve an important role in filtering water before it enters lakes and other water bodies.
“Please make sure, continue with that work. That was good work. I’m not going to stop you. Make sure everybody who has no license to be in a wetland gets out of the wetland,” he said.
The minister linked wetland destruction to the increasing cost of water treatment, noting that Kampala’s water supply has shifted further away because pollution has affected traditional water collection points.
He recalled that in the past, water was collected from Ggaba and treatment costs were lower. However, he said authorities are now increasingly relying on water from Katosi, which requires more infrastructure and energy to transport and treat.
“When you hear we are collecting water from Katosi, it means two things. One is that the water has now become expensive because it has a long way to travel,” he said.
According to Otafiire, pollution of Lake Victoria and destruction of wetlands have contributed to deteriorating water quality.
“The wetlands were filtering the water that goes into the lake. We decided to interfere with the wetlands, therefore exposing the population to poison,” he said.
The minister described pollution of water bodies as unacceptable and pledged his full backing for enforcement actions.
“Nobody has the right to pollute the lake. You have my full support. Go on, break the houses. Go ahead, break the houses. You have my full support,” Otafiire stated.
He argued that individuals who knowingly constructed buildings in wetlands did so at their own risk and should bear the consequences of losing those properties.
“By the time I built them, I knew it was a wetland. If I took the risk of building in a wetland, I should also bear the burden of losing the property,” he said.
Otafiire said restoration of wetlands is necessary to protect both current and future generations.
“We must restore the wetlands to protect our people today and the generations of tomorrow and after tomorrow,” he noted.
Beyond wetlands, the minister also called for restoration of Uganda’s forest cover, saying forests play a vital role in regulating climate and sustaining environmental systems.
“God was not stupid who put forests where they are, letting them grow and regulating climate,” he said.
He concluded by directing ministry officials to intensify efforts aimed at restoring both wetlands and forests across the country.
“So let’s restore the wetlands, restore the forests, work very hard,” Otafiire said. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
