People who are illegally residing around water bodies have been given a one-week ultimatum to vacate these places or else have them forcefully evicted, Beatrice Anywar (pictured), the Minister of State for Environment, has said.
Anywar issued the ultimatum in response to concerns by MPs over the increased flooding of different water bodies across the country, following heavy down pour, leaving water levels increased.
Anywar says that all those people who are occupying water banks, protection zones and wetlands should leave immediately as their lives are at risk and says that those who fail will be evicted forcefully by government.
“If you’re in a wetland, protected zone along water banks of our water bodies, please do the best and leave. However, if you don’t leave voluntarily, as Government effective next week, we shall go out to the points talk to people. Those who feel they need an extra force to go, to save lives of Ugandans, there are those who don’t listen, we shall use reasonable force to ensure that those who are wrongfully in the wetlands are evicted,” Anywar said.
However, Janepher Engunyu (Buvuma Woman MP) advised the government to find ways of helping the affected people instead of forcefully evicting them, saying that water levels have gone beyond the 200 meters set by National Environmental Management Authority.
It’s not known how Anywar will implement the said evictions given the fact that President Museveni halted evictions of people on any land during the Coronovirus pandemic and barred any courts to issue eviction orders.
