NEMA Says It Won’t Compensate Lubigi Wetland Encrocahers

The National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) will not compensate residents displaced by the Lubigi wetland enforcement.

This revelation was made as NEMA’s management interfaced with MPs on Parliament’s Committee of Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) on Tuesday, 25th June.

The MPs, led by Chairperson Medard Ssegona, had called upon NEMA to compensate all residents who had legally occupied Lubigi wetland.

However, NEMA’s Legal Affairs Officer, Sarah Naigaga, rejected the calls by the MPs. Naigaga noted that the settlers contravened Section 26 of the National Environmental Act. She said that under this law, all residents who established houses in Lubigi wetland are offenders. Therefore, they aren’t entitled to any form of compensation.

NEMA has recently embarked on nationwide evictions of persons encroaching on wetlands. Their latest evictions were about a fortnight ago in Lubigi Wetland.

The law deems all households issued with restoration orders as offenders. For that reason, we have deemed restoration as an enforcement action and as an enforcement tool. It doesn’t derive interest or title of the areas restored to NEMA but rather works to protect the environment for the common good of all. These include those affected by the resolution.

explained Naigaga.

NEMA double standards

Nakaseke Central MP Allan Mayanja also questioned what he called the selective application of the law.

NEMA has been under the spotlight over the evictions in Lubigi Wetland. This is because not all occupants of the wetlands were evicted.

This exercise saw families in Ganda-Nasere village, Wakiso Subcounty in Wakiso District lose their homes. The operation by NEMA raised concerns of double standards as a Stabex fuel station and police post were left standing.

However, according to NEMA, Stabex followed the right procedure by setting up on dry land. The NEMA officials also noted that the government studies the implications of a development on the ecosystem before okaying it.

It is with this background that Hon Mayanja tasked NEMA to avail a list of some infrastructure that met the criteria.

Busiro East MP Medard Ssegona also tasked NEMA to provide an update on the Lubigi evictions. He specifically wanted the authority to avail a list and number of persons that have so far been evicted in that ongoing exercise.

According to Ssegona, the comprehensive list should indicate the time the affected persons had been in that area.Ssegona was also tough on the board, wondering why NEMA allowed people to construct in those spaces and then came in at the 11th hour to do the demolition.