NEMA chief denies targeting poor in wetland evictions

The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) Executive Director Dr. Akankwasah Barirega has responded to allegations that NEMA exclusively evicted the poor during the Lubigi wetland restoration process.

Speaking to KFM, Akankwasah clarified that the poor constitute a minority in Uganda, not the majority. He emphasized that those labeled as “poor” who are destroying the environment are not truly impoverished. A genuinely poor person, he argued, would not have the resources to build in a wetland. However, he stressed the importance of environmental protection for everyone.

“Let’s not hide behind poverty to destroy the environment,” he said.

He made the remarks on Thursday during an engagement with editors and journalists on reporting wetland degradation and waste management at Hotel 360 in Ndejje-Namasuba.

Written by Barbra Anyait