Cabinet has issued a directive to the lands ministry to cancel all land tittles in wetlands, central forest reserves, wild life reserves and any ecological tourist areas.

Lands minister, Betty Amongi

The minister for lands, Betty Amongi, told the parliamentary committee on natural resources on Thursday that the move will help the ministry to control environmental sensitive areas including rivers, natural ponds and forest reserves for the common good of citizens of Uganda.

Amongi says that no leaseholds should be given out on such protected natural resources and that she directed the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to issue the ministry of lands with an atlas of wetlands to make it easy for them to identify them.

“Some people need to be reminded that these are wetlands and forest reserves so that they stop their encroachments on restricted areas. There is a lot of encroachments going on these areas in many parts of this country and this spells doom if not checked in time,” Amongi charged, before adding, “NEMA should avail an atlas of wetlands to the ministry of lands so that we check this behavior”.

The Kinawataka wetland in Kireka, a Kampala suburb, which has been encroached on by unknown people.

The committee chairperson, Alex Byarugaba says that following the MP’s visit they have discovered that people are holding land tittles of the protected areas which is posing a big threat to the environment.