
During a community awareness event at the Katabi town council headquarters focused on wetland conservation, organized by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), residents expressed concerns about the depletion of natural resources by the wealthy.
The conservation initiative attracted participants from over six villages, including Kabaale, Kitubulu, Kitala, Mpala, and Lyamutundwe, with the goal of providing local leaders and residents with the knowledge and tools necessary to safeguard their environment, particularly Lake Victoria and its surrounding ecosystem.
Hassan Yusuf Chandia, the deputy chairperson of Kitubulu Ward, voiced his worries that without intervention from higher authorities, affluent individuals would continue to damage wetlands and forests, which are vital for food production and subsistence farming.
“The wealthy want to build in the Kitubulu forest and refilling wetlands , while farmers rely on the same ecosystems for food production ,” Chandia noted.
Nicholas Mugabe, NEMA’s representative in Katabi, acknowledged the issue of wealthy individuals encroaching on wetlands and often intimidating locals and officials into silence. He urged residents to speak out against environmental destruction.
The residents expressed their gratitude to NEMA for this engagement, the first of its kind in Katabi town council, stating that it was timely as they are currently facing challenges with developers allegedly authorized by the National Forestry Authority to develop the Kitubulu Central Forest Reserve.