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Uganda: Police to Watch Over Environment
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New Vision (Kampala)
30 April 2008
Posted to the web 1 May 2008
Gerald Tenywa
Kampala
A SPECIAL unit is to be created within the Police Force to protect the environment, the water and environment minister has said.
Maria Mutagamba noted yesterday that the degradation of the environment was on the rise across the country.
"We have been relying on the goodwill of people to protect the environment, but this has not worked. An environment Police will be ready by the end of this year."
Mutagamba said she had discussed the proposal with the internal affairs minister and the idea was being developed further to pave way for a Cabinet paper on the issue.
The minister was speaking at a ceremony in Kampala to launch a two-month campaign dubbed 'Waste Wise' to collect and recycle waste like polythene bags (buveera).
The drive under the theme Together we make the Pearl of Africa pure once again is led by the Uganda Revenue Authority. Celtel Uganda and the National Environment Management Authority have also funded the campaign.
"I hope this effort, which is being driven by private sector, will succeed and it is important to review and expand it after two months," said Mutagamba.
This comes amid complaints over the pollution of Lake Victoria, which is attributed to poor waste disposal, unregulated release of industrial effluent, destruction of tree cover and rampant encroachment on wetlands that shield the lake from contamination.
The minister urged the activists to follow the waste management principle of reducing, re-using and recycling which would change the attitudes of the waste generators.
"I have written to the finance ministry to convene a meeting of environment ministers from Kenya and Tanzania to review the ban we imposed on 30 microns of buveera last year and the tax of 120%."
Many Ugandans see the ban as a failed attempt at addressing the problem of plastics.
Environmentalists have referred to it as "a mere statement of intent."
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URA commissioner general Allen Kagina said the effort would raise social consciousness.
"What will fix the problem of buveera in this country is a change of attitude by every individual."
Never-Again-Ministries will collect waste in the city centre while Omega industries will do the recycling.
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