NILE POISONERS BUSTED! NEMA Crushes Nytil As Court Slaps Company With Sh180m Fine Over River Nile Pollution
Nytil main gate. Inset is Oil spill
The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has scored a major victory in the fight against environmental destruction after Southern Range Nyanza Limited (NYTIL) was convicted and fined UGX 180 million for illegally polluting the River Nile and neighbouring land in Buikwe District.
The ruling, delivered by Her Worship Gladys Kamasanyu, Chief Magistrate of the Standards, Utilities and Wildlife Court, sent a strong warning to industries treating Uganda’s environment like a dumping ground.
In Criminal Case No. SUW 118/2026, NYTIL pleaded guilty to unlawfully discharging industrial effluent into the environment, contrary to Uganda’s environmental laws and standards. The conviction followed investigations by NEMA inspectors who gathered evidence showing that the company had been releasing industrial waste from its facility onto neighbouring land and into a section of the River Nile.
Court heard that between April 2024 and November 2025, the company discharged industrial effluent without meeting the prescribed environmental standards, contaminating land and a section of the world’s longest river.
The River Nile is one of Uganda’s most critical natural resources, supporting water supply, agriculture, fisheries, hydropower generation, biodiversity and the livelihoods of millions of people. Environmental experts have repeatedly warned that continued pollution of the river threatens both ecosystems and communities that depend on its waters.
In a ruling that left environmental activists celebrating, Her Worship Kamasanyu not only fined NYTIL UGX 180 million but also ordered the company to restore the damaged land and polluted section of the River Nile within 30 days.
The court further directed NEMA to closely supervise the restoration exercise and file a compliance report to ensure the company follows through on its obligations.
The judgment marks a significant triumph for NEMA, which investigated, prosecuted and successfully secured the conviction under its mandate to enforce environmental laws. The authority welcomed the ruling, saying it reinforces the principle that polluters must pay for the damage they cause and take responsibility for restoring degraded ecosystems.
The case also shines a spotlight on Section 163 of the National Environment Act, Cap. 181, which prohibits the discharge of pollutants contrary to prescribed standards and empowers courts to impose penalties and restoration orders at the expense of offenders.
For NYTIL, the conviction comes as a costly lesson that environmental violations can no longer be brushed aside. For NEMA, it is another powerful statement that the era of polluting Uganda’s precious natural resources without consequences is steadily coming to an end.
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