President Yoweri Museveni has advised people occupying wetlands to vacate peacefully.
The President said this while closing the 3rd Annual Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) conference at Speke Resort Munyonyo.
“Regarding the environment, the people living in wetlands should vacate peacefully,” President Museveni said.
The president also directed the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) to work with local governments to enforce regulations against encroachment on the wetlands.
According to the president, if NEMA manages to enforce against encroachment, then ugly scenes like those in Lubigi Wetland will be diverted.
President Museveni also blamed the rampant corruption in government institutions for the massive encroachment of wetlands.
“The biggest problem we have now is corruption. This corruption is not happening on the moon, it’s happening in the district, sub-county, and constituency. I have opened a war on the corrupt, so, make sure that you are not in my gun sight. We cannot let our people down,” President Museveni said.
It’s barely two weeks since NEMA demolished houses in Lubigi Wetland. This exercise saw families in Ganda-Nasere village, Wakiso Subcounty in Wakiso District lose their homes.
According to the 2023 SDGs report, the number of people living below the poverty level has reduced by half. President Museveni noted that the SDGs can only be achieved if society goes through social economic transformation.
According to the president, to undergo a transformation, Uganda needs world-class infrastructure. He hinted at the railway and roads construction that the government has embarked on.
Additionally, President Museveni pledged the completion of the rural electrification program. Similarly, programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM) have contributed to the halving of Uganda’s poverty rate.
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