KAMPALA- Seven Chinese Nationals each ordered to pay a court fine of Ugx 280 million in default to serve a 3 years imprisonment term for drilling Sand from Lwera Wetland without a license.
They have been fined by Standards, Utilities and Wildlife Court Chief Magistrate, Gladys Kamasanyu after they pleaded guilty on charges of disturbing a wetland by drilling sand from Lwera Wetland in Lukaya ; Kalungu district.
The group was arrested on July, 8th, 2024 and arraigned before the Standards, Utilities and Wild life court in Makindye. All the convicted Chinese are residents of Kamuwanga village, Magezi -Kizungu parish in Lukaya Town Council.
While sentencing them, Chief Magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu held that there is a need to send a stern warning against those abusing wetlands, a growing problem that needs to be addressed.
She noted that “The convicts, being first-time offenders who were employed to carry out the drilling in the wetland, having pleaded guilty thereby not wasting court’s time, will not be sentenced to the maximum sentence. However, there is a need to protect the wetlands and also help them to reform.”
Breaking down the sentence, the trial chief magistrate ordered each convict to pay a fine of Ugx 30 million, in default three years imprisonment, in count one of disturbing a wetland by drilling. In count two of conspiracy, each convict is to pay a fine of Ugx 10 Million, in default one year in jail.
