KAMPALA– Deputy Speaker Tayebwa has defended Government’s move not to compensate all former residents of Lubigi wetland, saying that resettlement and compensation for evicted people should only be done for only lawful practices, other than individuals who encroach on wetlands.
Tayebwa’s remarks were in response to demands made by Ronald Balimwezo (Nakawa East) who called for the compensation and resettlement of the former residents of Lubigi wetland, citing delays by National Environment and Management Authority (NEMA) to officially gazette wetlands.
According to Hon Balimwezo, the delays left loopholes for people to settle in the wetlands as they didn’t know the boundaries.
“When we talk about compensation, resettlement, this isn’t money which comes from the pocket of the President as an individual, it would be money that we pass here. We need to ensure that we compensate for only lawful practices. If you have any issue to do with people being in wetlands, I don’t know how you will”.
National Environment Management Authority (Nema) recently said government will not compensate people evicted from wetlands because they are “disturbing the peace” of the environment.
“A schedule will be made to hear their petitions in order to conclude their appeals. It’s only then that a final decision will be taken on whether they will be evicted or not. But this is not going to be uniform decision. Government will not compensate people who are disturbing the peace of the wetlands,” Mr William Lubuulwa, Nema’s senior public relations officer said.
It should be remembered that on July 18, police were deployed at Nema offices in Kampala to calm down hundreds of wetland eviction affected persons in the ongoing Kampala metropolitan. The people were protesting Nema’s actions.
