The National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) has defended the selective demolitions of structures in wetlands, saying that the demolition of some buildings would impose legal liabilities on the Government since these developers acquired lawful permits from several Government agencies to build in wetlands.
While appearing before Parliament’s Committee of Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprises (COSASE) this morning, NEMA officials, led by their Executive Director, Barirega Akwankasah, were asked why factories and companies like Stabex Fuel Station were spared from the ongoing eviction exercise in Lubigi, yet the structures around the building were razed to the ground by NEMA.
In response, Akwankasah said, “There are developments we found in the wetlands. Some of them we issued restoration orders to. A good example is Stabex Fuel Station, which has been talked about in the media. When we issued them restoration orders, they came with documents from other Government agencies, including NEMA, approving their activities some time back. Now, demolishing such a person’s property would attract legal liability to the Government. That is why, when they appealed the restoration orders, we didn’t demolish them.”
The officials once again rejected calls by MPs to compensate the evicted residents who legally occupied Lubigi wetland, saying the law instead requires the encroachers to pay a fine of Shs600 million for the restoration of the Lubigi wetland or have the culprits serve a jail sentence of 12 years.
COSASE is currently probing the Lubigi evictions, which have seen over 200 houses demolished, with NEMA saying the exercise targets the eviction of over 300 houses that were marked as encroaching on the wetland.
