Asst Commissioner Wetland Management Department orders for the cancellation of all land titles issued for land in wetlands

The Assistant Commissioner in Wetland Management Department in the Ministry of water and the Environment Mr Joseph Ongolo has ordered for the cancellation of all land titles issued for land in the wetlands by district Land Board.

He said the directive is intended to stop environmental degradation that is on increase in the district.

This followed a petition dated December 4, 2016 signed by eight councilors headed by the chairperson committee of Environment   Mr Bernard Mbayo addressed to the speaker of parliament and the clerk to the Natural Resources committee of parliament implicating thirteen factories in Jinja which have heavily   encroached on wetlands, illegal expansion into lake area and discharge of industrial waste into wetlands and lake.

Ongolo who was addressing investors and local authorities at Jinja District headquarters during a meeting chaired by Jinja RDC Mr John Rex Aachilla ,  attributed the increased cases of wetland encroachment, to the district land board which issue land titles  in wetland areas to investors.

Written by David Kugonza