20 Families Face Eviction From Nyakambu Wetland

At least 20 families in Sheema district are in trouble for encroaching on and degrading Nyakambu wetland.

 

Local leaders in Nyakambu parish Masheruka in Sub County claim that the said families have ignored several warnings to stop degrading the wetland.

 

The leaders have now petitioned National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to take an immediate action against the encroachers by forcing them to vacate the wetland for it to rejuvenate.

 

James Ndabahwerize, the Nyakambu LC1 chairperson, says they started chasing encroachers out of the wetland 10 years ago, long before Bushenyi was split but their efforts failed to yield fruits. The wider Bushenyi district was split into Rubirizi, Sheema, Buhweju and Bushenyi districts.

 

Ndabahwerize says the local leaders have resorted to petitioning NEMA after seeing the situation worsening. Ndabahwerize said the activities of some selfish individuals have denied over 200 residents clean water since Nyakambu wetland acts like a catchment area.

  

A team from NEMA and the Ministry of Water and Environment were last week shocked on seeing the state of Nyakambu wetland. It was discovered that the wetland’s eco-system has been totally weakened by human activities. Wide and deep trenches have been created in the wetland to direct water to run freely.

 

The situation has worsened in the current dry season where another part of the wetland has been uprooted to pave way for farming.

 

Mugizi Tarasisiyo and Paul Turibarungi, who are among the encroachers, have vowed not to leave the wetland unless government compensates them for their land.  

 

Joconeous Musingwire, the South Western region NEMA focal person, says the mentioned people are taking advantage of the dry season to clear the wetland.

Musingwire says as NEMA they are soon going to evict all encroachers on Nyakambu wetland which is the main source of water for River Rwizi. The river that supplies water to the districts of Sheema, Mbarara, and Isingiro before joining River Kagera and into Lake Victoria.