Rukungiri launches wetland crackdown, warns encroachers of Shs600m fines and 12-year jail term

What the report says

Rukungiri Municipality has started a three-month campaign to restore damaged wetlands, beginning with work at Nyakibale Wetland in Eastern Division. According to Nile Post, the operation targets people and institutions that have encroached on protected wetland areas through cultivation and other activities, with officials warning of prosecution under environmental laws.

Municipal environment officials said offenders could face fines of up to Shs600 million, prison terms of up to 12 years, or both, depending on court decisions. The exercise was launched by municipal and district officials, including Deputy Resident District Commissioner Wilberforce Ahimbisibwe Ongom, alongside environment, law enforcement and community development teams. Authorities ordered an immediate stop to cultivation in the affected wetland.

Officials said the effort is meant to protect water catchment areas, support water conservation and improve climate resilience. They argued that wetlands are important for filtering water, reducing flooding and supporting biodiversity, though many have been turned into farmland or settlements in Uganda over time.

Local leaders backed the crackdown and said some landowners have been leasing wetland land for farming despite knowing it is protected. They also urged residents to check whether land use has government approval before paying to cultivate in wetlands, and to consider alternative livelihoods that do not damage the environment.