By Spy Uganda
Kampala: National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has been exposed for reportedly taking big hips of money, inexchange for Kimbejja wetlands that has finally been given to a city business man to replace it with swanky apartments.
Few months back, TheSpy Uganda exclusively reported about how a one Robert Kiwanuka, a filthy rich clearing and forwarding agent had invaded Kimbejja Wetlands, in Kirundambaata, Kiira Division in Wakiso District by setting up apartment buildings, after destroying wetland.
Kiwanuka had commenced construction of storied structures in part of Nsooba wetland system that drains the suburbs of Naalya, Najeera, Kira, Namugongo and Kyaliwajjala.
He had fenced off the area and drainage channels had been dug to divert water. Unencumbered dumping of stones, gravel, murram and soil were taking place at the site, actions that are detrimental to wetland systems and the environment.
READ ALSO: City Businessman Replaces Kimbejja Wetland With Swanky Apartments
After, our story went viral exposing how NEMA was snoring at work as all the above were happening, they came out and issued a restoration order to the developer and ordered him to stop all construction plans on the wetland.
A restoration order is a curative tool of environment management that instructs a person who has caused environmental damage to restore the damaged area to the position it was before the damage occurred.
The order was directing Robert Kiwanuka to immediately vacate the wetland and stop any further dumping of foreign material in the wetland. It was also instructing him to demolish all illegal structures that had been erected and dispose of any resulting debris in a manner that will not threaten the environment.
Further, Kiwanuka was tasked to restore the degraded part of the wetland to its original state.
But instead of the above, according to our Spy who visited the area recently, the tycoon paid millions of money in bribery to NEMA top dogs in exchange for the wetlands destruction and as we report this, Kiwanuka without interruption, has already roofed his mega apartments, almost ready for occupancy.
It’s worth noting that wetlands are an important part of Uganda’s ecosystem because they are a habitat for some species, perform hydrological functions such as regulation of water quality, reduces downstream soil erosion and aid in flood control by storing excess water during heavy rains. But despite these important ecological functions, wetlands have been targeted by untouchable mafias for settlement, agriculture and other developments in the eyes of NEMA.
Mind you, this is the agency Ugandans entrusted with the mandate of; coordinating, monitoring, regulating and supervising environmental management in the country and the tax payer pays the workers handsomely to do that job. Talk about a monstrous headmaster given girls to protect at school but instead feasts on them!
Tycoon Kiwanuka Responds As To Why He Ignored NEMA Restoration Order
Our spy eavesdropped Mr Kiwanuka via phone call talking to a friend over the same where he vehemently vowed to go on with his developments come rain or sunshine. “After injecting millions of money here and you just come swinging your trousers on my site with so called restoration orders?! Do they know how much money I have put here? I will die with someone here,” Kiwanuka was heard on phone warning field NEMA staff after he reportedly ‘settled’ top dogs in office.
Watch the space for more updates on this environmental saga!
