Mbarara — WARID Telecommunications Ltd has succumbed to the Nema demands to have an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for each of its masts being set up across the country to boost its telephone services.

National Environment Management Authority (Nema) in November stopped the construction of telephone masts on learning that the company was violating the environment watchdog's mandatory regulation that demands the company to have EIA report for each mast.

"Concerns [about mast constructions] were coming from all the districts. That's why we had to embark on stopping them because they never had EIA reports for what they were doing," the western region Nema focal person, Mr Jeconeous Musingwire said on Monday.

"Following Nema's action, assessment for the 14 mast sites mainly in Mbarara Municipality has been done. The reports are under the review process. All stakeholders; residents, municipal councils, local government leadership and all the relevant departments can come to this office [Nema] and look at the reports," Mr Musingwire said.

The company was erecting over 14 masts in Mbarara Municipality.

On November 14, two company employees were arrested from Kakoba Division by Mbarara Municipal Council authorities. They were charged with erecting illegal structures.