By Spy Uganda
The Ministry of Water and Environment has attributed the foul smell affecting parts of Lake Victoria, particularly Inner Murchison Bay in Kampala and sections of Entebbe, to the decay of algal blooms caused by rising pollution and high nutrient levels in the lake.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the ministry said Lake Victoria and its basin support more than 45 million people across the region, providing water for domestic use, transport, hydropower generation and livelihoods, while sustaining vital ecosystems and economic activity. However, it noted that the most heavily used bays in Uganda are facing increasing environmental stress.
Officials identified Inner Murchison Bay, Kitubulu and Nakiwogo in Entebbe as some of the areas under the greatest pressure, largely due to heavy pollution loads. These include surface runoff carrying silt, plastics and human waste, municipal sewage from surrounding urban areas, industrial effluent and runoff from agricultural fields.
The ministry said the problem has been compounded by the degradation of wetlands that previously acted as natural filters, trapping nutrients and pollutants before water flowed into the open lake.
Data from the Water Quality Monitoring Network, which operates 23 monitoring stations in Inner Murchison Bay and 10 in Entebbe Bay, show steadily rising levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. These nutrients encourage rapid algal growth. When the algae die and decompose, they consume oxygen in the water and release gases such as hydrogen sulphide and ammonia, producing the strong, unpleasant odour reported by residents.
The ministry noted that the stench has been more pronounced in recent weeks due to dry weather and higher temperatures, which accelerate the decomposition process. Low oxygen levels linked to algal decay also pose a threat to aquatic life and could result in fish kills.
To address the situation, the government says it is restoring degraded wetlands around Lake Victoria and within its catchment areas to improve natural filtration of waste. Authorities have also prioritised enforcement of a 200-metre buffer zone along the lake’s shoreline to intercept pollutants before they enter the water.
Regular water quality monitoring is ongoing to guide response measures, while industries operating within the lake’s catchment are being encouraged to adopt cleaner production technologies, recycle and reuse wastewater, and reduce the volume of effluent released into the environment.
The ministry has called on communities, local authorities and businesses around Lake Victoria to play a more active role in reducing pollution, warning that without sustained action, foul smells and ecological damage in the lake’s bays could become more frequent and severe.
