The Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources has started a probe into the alleged extracting of sand from wetlands and illegal fishing on the country’s waters bodies by investors.
The allegations were brought before the house on Thursday afternoon by 2 MPs who included; Hon.Agaba Abasi the Kitagwenda County MP and Florence Namayanja,the Bukoto East MP who said that many of wetlands are being depleted while government is looking on. They said these unchecked practices from the said investors need to be protested because such activities were degrading the environment.
The MPs did not however, mention where the degradation was particularly taking place.
Mukono Municipality MP, Betty Nambooze Bakireke, said that these investors came as water transport investors but only to get into sand mining. She also alleged that some of them were involved in exporting Uganda’s soil abroad.
However, Prime Minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda while responding to the allegations said that government is not aware of any body authorized to export soil.
This prompted the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, and asked the committee to investigate this matter and report to Parliament in October.
