Wetlands in Lira City are slowly disappearing, with Okole wetland now at a critical turning point.
Environmentalists warn that without urgent high-level administrative oversight, developer greed combined with official corruption will cause irreversible environmental damage and a public health catastrophe for city residents.
The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) recently stopped an alleged illegal encroachment and degradation of Okole Wetland in Lira City. NEMA said if not halted, the ecological damage could trigger immediate flooding and long-term public health risks for surrounding communities.
But stopping the destruction was not easy, according to an Enforcement Officer with the Environmental Police. A joint team from Environmental Police and NEMA was first deployed to the affected area and established that significant degradation was happening near the Front Page section in Lira City West Division, where a stream feeds into the main Okole Wetland.
The source said a prominent developer was found backfilling the wetland without legal approval, despite official maps confirming the area’s protected status.
‘This human activity had physically restricted the water system; a culvert was installed that squeezes the stream, obstructing natural flow toward the Jinja Camp area,’ she told this publication on May 30, 2026.
Media was used to raise public concern and force institutional action, bypassing potential local compromises. Findings were also escalated to NEMA’s executive director and other directors who appeared unaware of ‘sleeping’ or ‘compromised officers’ on the ground. The contradiction between city-issued building approvals and NEMA’s environmental protections was investigated.
The source said it took months to stop the developer because of a systemic ‘blame game’ between the Lira City environment officer’s office and NEMA, with each claiming the other was responsible for enforcement.
‘There are strong allegations that developers are using tokens or bribes to silence officials after submitting mere Terms of Reference, which do not constitute legal permission to begin work,’ she added. ‘Even when the Executive Director of NEMA rejects a proposal – as was the case with a rejected effluent treatment plan for one factory constructed in wetland in Lira City East Division – developers continue their activities illegally while stakeholders remain silent.’
A NEMA official in Kampala explained that destroying the wetland ecosystem has direct consequences for Lira residents. By raising land levels through backfilling, developers divert water into lower-income areas, increasing flood risk. ‘Additionally, the loss of the wetland’s natural filtration capacity, combined with the direct discharge of acidic effluent waste, is contaminating the local water supply,’ she said. ‘This contamination is linked to long-term health crises, including rising rates of cancer and throat infections among community members who rely on these streams.’
Mr Paskwale Kerudong, team leader for the Upper Nile Water Management Zone at the Ministry of Water and Environment, said the major challenge is the conflict between immediate community livelihoods and long-term resource sustainability.
In Ogur Sub-county, commercial sand mining has damaged riverbanks, causing soil erosion and downstream water pollution that affects community health. In Ewal, Lira City East Division, wetland encroachment for agriculture involves draining water, which lowers water tables and dries up springs and boreholes.
‘The purpose of cultivating wetlands is to derive production from agricultural products, and support the livelihoods of the communities. The similarity in these two systems are the same, people are trying to reach out to the resources to support their livelihoods,’ Mr Kerudong said.
‘But in the contrast of the resource, it is actually also destroying the other resource – the water resource – which is also vital for their livelihood. So, the understanding of the two largely lacks in the community, that much as I’m driven by my income demand to get money from the natural environment, my impact on the other resource is completely ignored.’
Not all is lost. Under a Shs5.4 billion initiative led by Join for Water, stakeholders will tackle wetland encroachment and soil degradation in Aswa I and Aswa II sub-catchments. Mr Kerudong said the project’s vision is sustainably managed sub-catchments where locals thrive with access to environmental resources.
‘The project emphasises a mindset change regarding environmental stewardship. The goal is to educate the community on sustainable usage – ensuring resources are available today without compromising the needs of future generations,’ he said.
‘The initiative advocates for alternative livelihood activities that do not require draining wetlands, such as harvesting medicinal herbs or materials for crafts like mats and bags. By adopting these methods, communities can maintain their income while preserving the integrity of the water system.’