KAGADI: Physical wetland demarcation starts this week

KAGADI, UGANDA: The Ministry of Water and Environment in collaboration with the Kagadi District Local government will on Wednesday kickoff the Physical Wetland demarcation exercise geared towards curbing the further encroachment and sustainable protection of wetlands in the district

Representatives from the Ministry alongside various Kigadi district stakeholders yesterday (Monday) afternoon held the HONDWA physical wetland demarcation preparatory meeting at Kigadi Community Hall in Kagadi town council in which they resolved to commence the demarcation exercise on Wednesday (tomorrow) this week.

Mr Daniel Businge the senior Wetlands Officer from the Ministry of Water and Environment says the meeting was geared at equipping the stakeholders with a sensitization message to deliver to the local communities about the forthcoming exercise.

Mr Businge said after the sensitization exercise, they will immediately embark on the physical wetland demarcation of HONDWA Wetland which covers parts of Kagadi and Muhorro sub-counties so as to preserve wetlands in the area.

He added that while creating the boundaries 100 meters and 30 meters will respectively be cut off from every person’s plot neighbouring a wetland following the national wetlands, river banks and Lakeshores Management Act.

Businge asked members of the general public not to be hoodwinked of ‘no gazetted wetlands’, asserting that the law on the protection of wetlands is very clear.

“We are urging the local community to co-ordinative during this exercise so as to avoid interference,” he said, adding; “We are very much aware of some who want to intervene in this exercise, the law is there to guide us and we shall have security personnel to arrest who will turn against the law.”

Meanwhile, the Kigadi Deputy RDC Mr Benjamin Tumusiime, leading the district leadership promised maximum support and cooperation towards the Ministry of Water and Environment in implementing the wetland demarcation exercise.

Magezi Jamada, the chairperson Kagadi district Production and Natural Resources committee called upon community members to be compliant, promising that the exercise will peacefully be implemented and that none of their property or plantations will be destroyed.

This development comes up after last year’s presidential directive to evict all wetland encroachers in the country.

It should be noted, in 2017 the same exercise was carried out by the ministry officials on various wetlands in Hoima district, however non of the affected persons complied as some of the demarcation pillars were uprooted by the neighbours and some still use the demarcated land for their economic activities.