Katakwi RDC directs police to arrest wetland encroachers

KATAKWI– The Katakwi Resident District Commissioner [RDC] Godfrey Katamba has directed the police to arrest and prosecute in courts of law people cultivating in wetlands.

This comes as a section of members of the public refused to stop cultivating rice in wetlands despite repeated warnings by the district environment department.

In September, last year, Katakwi district through the department of environment embarked on an exercise to demarcate wetlands across the district.

Simon Okello, the district Environment Officer said, the demarcation exercise has been carried out in eight [8] main wetlands locations.

He explained that the threat being imposed on wetlands by human activities has forced them to demarcate all the boundaries between the farming land and wetlands.

According to Okello, the demarcation exercise involves retracing wetland boundaries and planting mark stones.

The areas where wetlands have already been demarcated include Kapujan, Katakwi, Akoboi, and Angodingodi sub-counties.

But to his dismay, he [Okello] said, a section of the farmers who agreed to stop their heinous activity last year during the demarcation exercise last year have reclaimed a section of the wetlands.

“Some of the farmers who had agreed to vacate wetlands during demarcation exercise last year, have refused to leave and continued to grow rice in wetlands, which is a sign of defiance, stated Okello.

He named Elanya-Akiru wetland in Apuuton village, Aliakamer parish of Katakwi sub-county as one of the wetlands which was demarcated but farmers have continued growing rice in it.

Okello pinned James Oleo and Michael Opio, renowned business gurus alias “GOAL MAN”, the former aspirant for Ngariam County Parliamentary seat in the 2021 general polls as defiant farmers who have continued to grow rice on Elanya-Akiru wetland.

“The duo have so far ploughed eight acres of rice in Elanya-Akiru wetland,” he said.

Meanwhile, the accused encroachers said they were forced to go back to the wetlands due to lack of land for farming.

“We don’t have enough land yet we have children to pay school fees. I ask the district leadership to allow us to grow rice and other crops in the wetland because we have limited land for cultivation,” James Oleo, one of the encroachers of Elanya-Akiru wetland said.

On the other hand, Michael Opio, faulted the district leaders for being selective while enforcing laws on environment protection.

He wondered why the district Environment Officer [Simon Okello] and other district leaders are focusing on Elanya-Akiru wetland only yet people in other areas are left to cultivate wetlands without any limitation.

“I’m meant to think that the move to stop me and others from cultivating the wetland is politically motivated,” Opio said.

However, while responding to the accusations by Opio, the Katakwi RDC Rt. Maj. Godfrey Katamba reaffirmed their neutrality, explaining that there is no rich or poor and political status in environmental conservation as all are under one law.

“A large chunk of the wetlands in Katakwi district have been converted into an agricultural area and I want to tell whoever has encroached on the wetland to vacate with immediate effect or else risk being arrested and prosecuted in the courts of law,” he warned.

He further cautioned against political interference when it comes time to arrest the wetland encroachers including the big shots in the district.

“The problem is, when we start enforcing the law to remove people from the wetlands, some politicians will start saying they are our voters,” Rt. Maj. Katamba said

According to him, people who build or cultivate in wetlands, should be taken to prison and abandoned by their families and friends.

“We have already started experiencing adverse weather changes and it will be a disservice to the community if we just look on as people destroy the environment,” said Rt. Maj. Katamba.

Meanwhile, the acting Katakwi District Police Commander [DPC] Robert Oken reaffirmed their committee as Uganda Police Force to support the move by the district to restore wetlands.

He said with such defiance, being exhibited by some people who claim to be above others; police will have no option but to apply full force of the law.

Oken observed that the Environmental Patrol Police unit has been empowered to enforce laws governing the environment and we promise to leave no stone unturned.

“We were lenient and didn’t arrest them [encroachers].However, this time around we are going to arrest and prosecute them,” said Oken, the acting DPC Katakwi.

However, he didn’t specify when the operation against the encroachers would begin.

Statistics from the district environment department indicate that 98 percent of wetlands in the district have been degraded through human activities such as farming, house construction and sand mining.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Water and Environment statistics depict that Uganda has lost more than 30 percent of the wetlands in the last 24 years.

The Environmental Laws.

Section 36 of the National Environment Act, provides protection of wetlands and prohibits reclamation, erection of illegal structures and empowers authorities to demolish any structure that is established in, on, under or above any wetland.

The Act also empowers local leaders in the district to manage wetlands within their jurisdiction and ensure that their boundaries are clearly demarcated.

https://thecooperator.news/population-growth-threatening-sustainable-land-use-in-teso-sub-region/

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