Museveni cautions wetland encroachers

President Museveni has directed those seeking to encroach on wetlands and forest reserves to vacate as soon as possible before they are forcefully evicted.

Museveni made the remarks in Yandwe village in Luweero while commissioning SR Afro Chicks and Breeders Limited a poultry farm belonging to Indian investors.

His comments came after the village chairperson appealed to him to Intervene in a land dispute between locals and the National Forestry Authority noting that about 726 people were forced off their land.

The president said Lumansi wetlands is being degraded by the locals which is a great effect in the environment.

Museveni said: “I have seen people encroaching on Lumansi [wetland] to grow yams and potatoes. That is a big mistake. They should get out of that wetlands. No one should claim and no one can deceive me that they were there before because I know those wetlands. No one who was there before.”

He directed Luweero Resident District Commissioner and the Chief Administrative Officer to ensure that encroachers vacate wetlands and forest reserves with immediate effect.

“If I come and find people still in the wetlands, I will fire those district leaders including the RDC and the CAO,”he said

President Museveni applauded Indians for investing in Uganda. He castigated former president Idi Amin for expelling Asians in 1972.

Phoebe Namulindwa, the Luweero RDC, said many people living in wetlands should be educated about the dangers of destroying wetlands.

SR Afro Chicks and Breeders Limited is a 102 hectare poultry farm which has been operating in Luwero since 2014.

The farm has the capacity to produce one million eggs per day for local and regional markets on East Africa.

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