Smart Robert Mugabe.
The Rukungiri Resident District Commissioner Steven Nsubuga Bewayo has ordered farmers from Burama and Kakindo cells in Kakindo Parish, Bugangari SubCounty, Rukungiri district who encroached on Kakindo wetland to vacate the gazzetted area within only one week.
He was launching the construction of a Water project estimated to cost over shillings 1 billion in Kakindo Cell along Kakindo Wetland intended to supply water for irrigation in the area as an alternative way of supporting farmers who were evicted.
Steven Bewayo asked the residents to embrace the activity and gave them one week to harvest their crop and leave before next week
The Rukungiri chairperson LC5 Kyomukama Geoffrey asked the residents to respect a presidential directive on wetland conservation and challenged them to plan and use the water project to grow quality and quantity food crops.
The Assistant Commissioner in the Ministry of Water and Environment Barugahare Vicent revealed that wetlands are increasingly disappearing noting that in 1994, wetland coverage in Uganda was at 16% which reduced to 8% in 2005
He said the government forecasts that there will be 0% coverage by 2050 and asked people to embrace efforts to restore wetlands for the future of our country.
The Bugangari chairperson LC3 Byamukama Juston asked residents to embrace the program for its future benefits and implored the implementers not to focus on a specific area but cover the major wetlands within the district.
Others present were Chief Administrative officer Masokoyi Wasswa, District Secretary for Production, Natural resources and Marketing Byarugaba Micheal, District Water officer Twekwatse Deus, Gomborora Chief Bugangari Sub County Byarugaba Prosper among others.