KAMPALA – Kampala Lord Mayor Ronald Balimwezo has attributed the recent controversial wetland restoration operations conducted by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to failures by previous city leaders to implement agreed measures aimed at protecting both the environment and affected communities.
The operations, which targeted wetlands across Kampala, left hundreds of residents displaced and businesses destroyed in areas including Lubigi, Kawaala, Kasubi and Busabala.
Addressing journalists at City Hall, Balimwezo revealed that more than a year ago, KCCA and NEMA agreed to establish a joint committee to coordinate wetland enforcement activities, demarcate wetland boundaries and engage affected communities before any evictions were carried out.
According to the Lord Mayor, the committee was expected to include the Lord Mayor as chairperson, Kampala Members of Parliament, division mayors and other stakeholders.
However, it was never constituted, leaving NEMA to proceed with enforcement activities without the agreed coordination framework.
“We reviewed the circumstances surrounding these operations and discovered that resolutions agreed upon more than a year ago were never implemented. The committee that was supposed to guide wetland restoration and community engagement was never established,” Balimwezo said.
He explained that delays arose after Resident City Commissioners (RCCs) and their deputies requested representation on the committee. Although the Solicitor General later provided guidance allowing the process to proceed, no further action was taken.
The latest wetland restoration operations sparked widespread public outcry after demolition teams moved into several settlements and commercial areas, destroying structures that authorities said had been illegally established within protected wetlands.
In Kasubi and Kawaala, residential houses, rental units and roadside businesses were demolished as NEMA enforced wetland protection regulations.
Similar scenes unfolded in Busabala, where homes and commercial structures located in wetland zones were pulled down, leaving many families displaced and counting losses.
Residents in the affected areas accused authorities of failing to provide adequate notice and meaningful consultation before carrying out the demolitions.
Balimwezo criticised the manner in which the operations were conducted, arguing that local leaders and communities should have been fully involved before enforcement measures were implemented.
“Environmental protection is important, but it must be implemented in a coordinated and humane manner. Communities and local leaders must be engaged, and people who have suffered losses deserve consideration and compensation,” he said.
The Lord Mayor's remarks come shortly after NEMA announced a 30-day grace period for individuals and businesses occupying wetlands to voluntarily vacate before enforcement operations resume.
The suspension applies to several wetland systems and encroachment hotspots, including Lubigi, Namuwongo, Luzira, Bugolobi, Kansanga, Ggaba, Katogo and Munyonyo.
Balimwezo said the current KCCA leadership intends to use the grace period to establish the long-awaited committee and put in place mechanisms to ensure future environmental enforcement exercises are conducted in a more orderly, consultative and transparent manner.
KCCA leaders have also called on government to assess the losses incurred by affected residents and business owners and consider compensation for those displaced during the restoration exercise.
The wetland restoration campaign forms part of broader government efforts to reclaim degraded wetlands that environmental authorities say are critical for flood control, water filtration, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience.