Communities in Bukakata Sub-county, Masaka District, are protesting continued commercial sand mining in the area, citing environmental degradation and threats to their livelihoods. In 2023, two sand mining companies expanded their operations from Lwera Wetland in Kalungu District and deployed heavy machinery in Mazigo, Ssenero and Nansere wetlands, which are adjacent to landing sites along the Lake Victoria shoreline.
The communities accuse the companies of causing extensive environmental damage and contaminating nearby water sources and landing sites, threatening hundreds of residents who depend on fishing and other wetland-related activities for their livelihoods.
Residents, together with leaders of the Alliance for Environmental Conservation Uganda (AFECU), a local community-based organisation, on Monday raided the quarry to protest against the ongoing sand excavation activities.
William Wasswa, the AFECU Executive Director, says that, in addition to publicly expressing their dissatisfaction with the mining companies, they have also resolved to petition the Minister for Water and Environment to intervene and regulate the activities to prevent further degradation of the wetlands.
Wasswa says the sand is being extracted using heavy machinery, leaving behind wide and deep pits that pose a danger to residents and livestock that graze in the wetlands.
He says the affected wetlands form part of the water catchment area of Lake Birinzi, a direct extension of Lake Victoria, that needs to be jealously protected from degradation.
In a petition, AFECU says extensive sand extraction releases sediments into Lake Victoria, affecting water quality, destroying fish breeding grounds and potentially increasing water treatment costs for communities that depend on the lake.
The petition also warns that extensive extraction of sand destabilizes shorelines, resulting in erosion, loss of arable land and destruction of property, particularly during the rainy season.
Wasswa also alleges that the Bukakata Sub-county leadership had previously halted commercial sand mining in the wetlands pending a comprehensive Environmental and Social Impact Assessment. However, he says the miners defied the directive and resumed their operations with impunity.
Joseph Jjuuko, the Chairperson of the Bukakata Sub-county Area Land Committee, has also questioned the authenticity of land titles covering the areas where the mining is taking place.
Jjuuko says their committee has never approved allocations of land within the wetland. He wants the Minister for Water and Environment to investigate the circumstances under which the mining companies obtained their licences without approvals from local authorities.
He says inadequate supervision of the operations has allowed the miners to disregard the social and environmental consequences of their activities, which has disrupted natural water flows by blocking streams, contributing to flooding in nearby settlements.
Lawrence Ssempala, a resident of Ssenero Village, says residents have repeatedly demanded the suspension of the mining activities because of their adverse effects on the wetland ecosystem.
He says, instead of stopping the activities, the operators have continued expanding their operations, with labourers recently becoming hostile towards the community in retaliation for their complaints, thereby calling upon the Minister of Energy to intervene in the situation.
Rose Nakyejjwe, the Masaka District Senior Environment Officer, says the district in June suspended the operations of the sand mining companies to allow for a review of their operating licences and an independent Environmental and Social Impact Assessment of their activities.
Nabadda says the district, together with the Environment Police Unit, plans to visit the mining sites to assess the extent of environmental damage and determine the appropriate administrative action. “We are going to assess the situation and will accordingly submit the report to the relevant authorities for action,” she says.
According to her, the disputed sand mining activities are being carried out by QQ Company Limited, which originally secured operation permits in Lwera Wetland from the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA). However, one of the company managers who spoke to this reporter on phone declined to comment about the complaints raised against their operations, arguing that they are not accountable to the media-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
