NEMA Rejects Request by MPs to Compensate Lubigi Wetland Eviction Victims.

#Law

#Human_Rights

By Parliament Watch.

📸: NEMA demolishing structures built in Lubigi Wetland.

The National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) has rejected calls by Parliament to compensate all residents who has legally occupied Lubigi wetland, saying the current provisions in the law deems all the residents that established houses in Lubigi wetland as offenders who aren’t entitled to any compensation.

The remarks were made by Sarah Naigaga, NEMA, Legal Affairs Officer at NEMA while appearing before Parliament’s Committee of Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) that is currently probing the latest evictions that were carried out in Lubigi wetland in Kampala and Wakiso districts.

“The law deems all households issued with restoration orders offenders. For that reason, we have deemed restoration as an enforcement action and as an enforcement tool and it doesn’t derive interest or title of the areas restored to NEMA but rather works to protect the environment for the common good of all, including those affected by the resolution. We have therefore not made any compensation to the persons affected,” explained Naigaga.

Naigaga informed MPs that the question of compensating the people affected by the restoration exercise begs for the consideration of whether the activities that attracted the restoration were legal and permitted.

Her remarks were in response to a series of questions asked by Medard Sseggona (Busiro East), who also doubles as Chairperson COSASE, who asked the Authority to update Parliament if any of the evicted residents at Lubigi had been compensated and how much had been given to these victims.

“I did request the Clerk to write to the Executive Director of NEAM and the letter was written on 20th June 2024 wherein we asked NEMA to update this Committee on; List and number of persons that have so far been evicted in that ongoing exercise. The time the affected persons had been in that areas. Why did NEMA allow those people to construct those spaces and then came in at the 11th hour to do the demolition? Why were some occupants left out in what may be seen as selective application of the law? Whether the victims have been compensated and how much has been paid out in compensation,” noted Sseggona.

"The functions of the Board are to review and approve policies and strategic plans of the Authority. So this activity of demolishing people’s property, is it under your infrastructure plans and policies? When you see the selective application of the law, you are setting it categorically that some infrastructure in wetlands were established with due process of approval, can we have a list of some of the infrastructure you are talking about?" asked Allan Mayanja (Nakaseke Central).