Patson Baraire
17 August 2007
Rukungiri — THE National Environment Management Authority has given a Rukungiri pastor up to August 28 to move his church out of Nyakibale wetlands.
Pastor Elisha Kakwerere heads the Rukungiri Community Church located in the town. According to an August 7 environmental restoration order signed by the Executive Director of Nema, Dr Aryamanya Mugisha, Mr Kakwerere was told to immediately stop all illegal activities in the wetland.
"Remove all the murrum and stones you have dumped in the wetlands and dispose them in a safe manner and place without degrading any other component of the environment and restore the wetlands as near as possible to its original state," the order reads in part.
Dr Mugisha's order followed a report from environmental inspectors that implicated Mr Kakwerere in degrading the wetlands since July.
The July 27 report to the District Environment Officer, Mr Rukwago Saverino, said the church was built in the River Nyakibale Protection Zone yet the river is the main source of water for the surrounding communities and their livestock.
However, Pastor Kakwerere told Daily Monitor that Rukungiri Town Council approved his building plan and as such, he did not break any law.
He later showed journalists a July 23 approval letter signed by the Rukungiri town clerk, town engineer and the town health inspector allowing him to set up a church, Bible school and Clinic on the three-acre piece of land.
However, when pressed to produce an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report, the pastor said he was not aware it was a necessary requirement.
"The town council authorities did not ask for a [an EIA] report nor did they indicate that the land in question was in the wetlands," he said.
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