Lubigi Wetland Encroachers Must Not Prevail

The Observer (Kampala)

Editorial

18 May 2011

editorial

Police have dislodged hundreds of people who last week descended on Lubigi wetland, along the northern bypass, and started parceling it out amongst themselves, apparently to turn it into a market.

The massive encroachment was timed to coincide with President Museveni’s swearing in last Thursday. The minister of Water and Environment, Maria Mutagamba, who visited on Friday, had to be whisked away as the encroachers charged at her.

The minister told the press on Tuesday that “big shots” are behind the encroachment, and vowed to evict the culprits. Gladly, she has kept her word. Police yesterday took control of the wetland amid tight security.

It is very disturbing that such an important wetland, one of the few left in Kampala, is at risk of total destruction. The encroachers are said to be mainly veterans and their boldness means they believe they can get away with it because of their political proximity to the ruling establishment.

Indeed there are several precedents, among them Namanve forest quite recently, and near Wandegeya some time back. In both cases, individuals said to be veterans took matters in their own hands and successfully grabbed public land. The government has previously reacted to such incidents in a lacklustre manner, sending the wrong message that grabbing wetlands or forests is tolerable. Largely, this has been attributed to politicking.

If we really care about our environment, we must divorce its protection from petty politics. Damage to the environment doesn’t become any less just because the guilty party is a ruling party supporter! Leaders can’t afford to keep a blind eye to the destruction of the environment because they fear to antagonise voters.

That is why we fully support minister Mutagamba’s determination to protect Lubigi’s integrity and hope she has the backing of the whole government. The encroachers might be poor and landless, but eking a living by destroying the environment can only exacerbate their predicament.

Besides, encouraging people to seize public property at will is like promoting lawlessness. No matter the pressures, let the government put its foot down and preserve Lubigi wetland.

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