NEMA Operations Safeguard Environment-UHRC

The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has expressed pleasure in the ongoing eviction operations by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), citing them as crucial protectors of both the environment and human rights simultaneously. The commission’s appreciative stance comes at a time when a section of the Ugandan society is accusing NEMA of depriving people of several rights, especially that of proper housing through its operations.

This position was also supported by the third Deputy Prime Minister, Rukia Nakadama, saying that what NEMA is doing only requires support and guidance rather than condemnation. “NEMA has played its part. What is missing is all of us joining forces to work with them. People need to know that their rights have limits and come with obligations as well,” Nakadama stated, adding that Ugandans should stop behaving recklessly while hiding behind human rights.

Presiding over the commemoration of World Human Rights Day, the Deputy Prime Minister further noted that many Ugandans are fond of sabotaging operations by environmental protection agencies like NEMA and the National Forestry Authority (NFA), which demoralizes the officers there and causes them to become complacent, leading to further environmental degradation as people encroach on what would be prohibited areas.

Nakadama emphasized that Ugandans should embrace alternative sources of energy, especially solar, at a time when the government has just rolled out the price subsidy program on clean energy equipment. To her, this is a sure way to protect biodiversity because it would relieve it of consumption pressures. “We should change our culture from biomass fuel to clean energy solutions to relieve our biodiversity of degradation. Very soon, our oil will be out, and we will now be able to use locally produced LPG, which will be cheaper.”

This year’s national theme for International Human Rights Day was “Reducing Inequalities in the Enforcement of Environmental Rights and in the Mitigation of the Impact of Environmental Degradation in Uganda.” The theme aims to highlight the significance of strengthening the observance of human rights at all levels of environmental protection in the country.

Cognizant of the severe impacts environmental disasters have had on Ugandans' human rights, Mariam Wangadya, the UHRC Chairperson, pointed out that the commission is in total support of whatever NEMA is doing because this is intended to save Ugandans from human rights violations induced by environmental disruptions. “Currently, one of the biggest drivers of human rights violations in the country is environmental degradation, which has led to catastrophic incidences that have affected human rights in different ways,” she said.

The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) reports that environmental forces have severely impacted human lives, with recent disasters highlighting the urgency of mitigation efforts. In August and September 2024, districts like Ntoroko, Kasese, Bundibugyo, and Bunyagabu experienced severe flooding, storms, and a landfill collapse in Kiteezi, Kampala. These events affected 44,469 individuals across 8,678 households, with 25,422 people displaced. Children under 18 accounted for 48% of those affected, while women made up 56%. Tragically, 34 lives were lost in the Kiteezi disaster.

UHRC’s 2022 Annual Report underscored similar patterns, citing 1,600 famine-related deaths in Karamoja, 49 deaths from flooding in Mbale, and multiple cases of missing persons after floods in Bundibugyo and Rakai. Recent floods in the West Nile Region and Kampala have also disrupted transportation and livelihoods. Poor urban planning, wetland encroachment, and improper road construction exacerbate flooding in Kampala, while disputes over infrastructure development, such as the Nakivubo Channel controversy, continue to impact vulnerable communities.

Oil exploration activities in Buliisa, Hoima, and Kikuube districts have brought additional challenges. From May 2023 to July 2024, the Natural Resources Governance Project recorded 80 human rights incidents, 13% of which were environmental violations, including flooding, noise, and waste mismanagement. Poorly implemented response measures have left displaced women and girls vulnerable to gender-based violence, including economic and psychological abuse.

While the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) has taken steps to address these challenges, UHRC calls for a more gender-responsive approach that prioritizes the physical safety and rights of women and girls in affected areas. The growing frequency and severity of these disasters highlight the urgent need for comprehensive planning and environmental protection measures to safeguard Ugandans' lives and livelihoods.