Pain and Accusations as NEMA Wetland Evictions Displace Hundreds in Busabala

Tears, uncertainty, and makeshift shelters now define life for hundreds of families in Busabala, Wakiso District, after a major enforcement operation by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).

The two-day wetland restoration exercise, which began on Tuesday, June 2 and ended on Thursday, June 4, 2026, cleared more than 100 homes covering about 10.3 hectares of the protected Kaliddubi Wetland in Buggu Village, Busabala Parish, Makindye Ssabagabo. The operation has triggered strong anger among affected residents, who accuse NEMA of selective enforcement, alleging that ordinary citizens were targeted while wealthy developers near Lake Victoria were spared.

During the Thursday demolitions, a construction site near Kaazi Resort Beach, adjacent to the cleared wetland area, remained untouched by excavators. The sight fueled further resentment among residents watching their homes reduced to rubble. Many of the displaced acknowledged that their properties were within a designated wetland area but argued that the land was originally dry and habitable when they purchased it years ago.

They claim that large-scale land filling and reclamation activities by powerful investors along Lake Victoria altered natural water flow, gradually turning their settlement into a wetland.

One resident, Augustine Ndayambaze, said he bought his plot in 2011 and built a three-bedroom house on what was then dry land, receiving an eviction notice only in 2023. He blamed nearby investors for the changes, saying poorer residents are being unfairly targeted.

Another resident, Abdul Nasir Kasaagwa, a boda-boda rider and father of three, said he lost a home built with years of savings and appealed for government compensation, saying many families risk falling into desperation.

Others, like Viola Katwesige, a mother of six, are now living in makeshift plastic shelters after losing their homes, while some residents say they are unable to afford rent after losing their livelihoods.

NEMA spokesperson William Lubuulwa rejected claims of selective enforcement, saying the operations are applied uniformly to restore degraded ecosystems. He explained that the spared structure near Kaazi Resort Beach lies on rocky terrain outside the wetland boundary.

He added that the recovery of the 10.3 hectares in Busabala is part of a broader national campaign to protect wetlands and reduce flooding risks, with similar operations ongoing in areas such as Lubigi, Wakiso, Mbale City, and River Rwizi in Mbarara City.