The jailing of Rose Namuddu, an elderly woman accused of returning to the Lubigi wetland, has placed the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) under scrutiny for what critics label selective environmentalism.
In Uganda's escalating effort to save its wetlands, a stark divide in enforcement has sparked public outrage, particularly on social media.
The jailing of Rose Namuddu, an elderly woman accused of returning to the Lubigi wetland, has placed the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) under scrutiny for what critics label selective environmentalism.
Namuddu spent two months in prison after her home in the Lubigi wetland was demolished during a NEMA operation in October 2024.
Her alleged crime? Remaining amid the rubble of her former house.
While NEMA insists it is upholding environmental laws, human rights defenders argue that the agency disproportionately targets the poor while sparing wealthy encroachers who degrade wetlands without consequence.
Selective Enforcement or Environmental Justice?
NEMA's actions have drawn sharp criticism from AGORA, a digital platform advocating human rights and social justice.
The organization accuses NEMA of turning a blind eye to influential individuals and businesses encroaching on wetlands.
"We urge you to use the same energy and eloquence to explain the degradation of other wetlands by the wealthy," said Dr Jimmy Spire Ssentongo, a human rights campaigner and scholar.
Dr Ssentongo has pledged to assist NEMA by identifying affluent wetland degraders, providing photographic evidence, and confirming that these areas are indeed wetlands. He further challenged the authority:
"Then we will wait to see if there will be some wealthy Namuddus. If some investors will become Namuddus. We shall wait for your polished English to explain their cases as eloquently as you explain the cases of the poor."
NEMA defended its October 2024 operation in Lubigi, during which 24 individuals were arrested for reoccupying the wetland.
The agency claims that multiple warnings were issued and that those who voluntarily vacated could have benefited from a presidential amnesty.
However, accusations of selective enforcement persist. Critics point to factories in Bwaise, a fuel station in Nansana, and luxury apartments in Wakiso District that remain untouched despite encroaching on wetlands.
Akankwasah Barirega, NEMA's executive director, defended these exemptions during a television interview in June 2024.
He explained that Section 55 of the National Environment Act permits certain structures in wetlands if they meet sustainable development criteria and pass environmental impact assessments.
"Evicting such developments could cause financial loss and harm the economy," Akankwasah argued.
Yet, even within government ranks, voices like Balaam Barugahara, State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, have criticized NEMA's approach. Barugahara expressed regret for Namuddu's plight, acknowledging systemic failures by both NEMA and local authorities.
"The inaction of NEMA and agencies like KCCA, allowing settlements in sensitive ecosystems over the years, is a clear failure," he said.
Barugahara committed UGX 1 million toward Namuddu's resettlement, a gesture aligning with an AGORA-led fundraising drive to secure titled land and a home for her. Yet, his critique of NEMA and KCCA underscores contradictions within the very government he serves.
Namuddu's story reflects a broader issue of neglect and inconsistent policies. While her case has drawn attention, it highlights the vulnerability of Uganda's poorest communities to both environmental degradation and its enforcement.
Balancing Conservation and Equity
The Lubigi wetland is vital for filtering water and reducing flooding in Kampala. Encroachment threatens its ecological and economic roles, yet efforts to protect it have disproportionately burdened the poor.
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President Museveni's amnesty for those voluntarily vacating wetlands has been criticized for benefiting only those with the means to relocate.
Meanwhile, wetlands host commercial developments and luxury housing projects that rarely face prosecution.
Human rights advocates argue that Uganda's environmental laws, though necessary, must be enforced equitably.
"Have you answered whether these elderly and vulnerable people you sent to prison are the only ones in wetlands?" asked Agather Atuhaire, another AGORA leader.
The controversy surrounding Namuddu's case has become a rallying cry for fairness. As Uganda fights to preserve its wetlands, it must also protect its sense of justice, ensuring that enforcement spares neither the powerful nor the powerless.
The world now watches to see if Uganda will embrace an equitable approach or if justice will continue to trickle down unevenly, leaving the most vulnerable to bear the greatest burden.
