WETLAND WAR RETURNS! NEMA, Police, UPDF Storm Lubigi As Evictions Resume
A fresh showdown has erupted in Kampala after the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) resumed the forceful restoration of the sprawling Lubigi wetland system following the expiry of a grace period that had been given to encroachers to vacate voluntarily.
Backed by the Uganda Police Force, UPDF, the Wetlands Management Department under the Ministry of Water and Environment, and local governments, NEMA, today Thursday 5th May, swung back into action targeting illegal settlers and structures sitting inside one of Kampala’s most critical wetland ecosystems.
Authorities say the operation comes after months of warnings, radio announcements, television campaigns and physical reminders urging residents and developers to peacefully leave the protected wetland in accordance with the National Environment Act, Cap 181.
NEMA says it had earlier suspended the restoration exercise last year to allow affected people enough time to move out without confrontation, but many allegedly ignored the directive and continued occupying the swamp illegally.
Officials insist that settling or constructing in wetlands without a lawful permit is a criminal offence and that Environment Restoration Orders had already been issued after investigations confirmed massive encroachment.
Lubigi wetland, now at the centre of the crackdown, is one of the biggest and most important wetland systems in the Kampala metropolitan area. The vast swamp drains water from Rubaga and Kawempe divisions in Kampala as well as Nabweru Division in Nansana Municipality before emptying into the Mayanja-Kato River system in the Kyoga Basin.
The wetland, stretching across a massive 1,721 hectares, is permanently waterlogged and acts as Kampala’s natural shield against devastating floods that frequently hit low-lying suburbs.
Environmental experts warn that continued destruction of Lubigi could worsen flooding disasters in the city, increase pollution levels and destroy critical biodiversity habitats, including the endangered Grey Crowned Crane, Uganda’s national bird.
NEMA further says the wetland plays a crucial role in filtering polluted water flowing from Nsoba, Bwaise, Nabisasiro, Nalukolongo and Kiwunya wetland systems before it enters major water channels.
Apart from flood control, Lubigi is also credited for groundwater recharge, rainfall formation, air purification and supporting livelihoods through medicinal plants, craft materials and animal fodder.
The latest operation now signals a renewed government determination to reclaim wetlands despite expected resistance from affected residents and developers who have for years expanded settlements deeper into protected swamp areas.
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