The ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has finally cancelled land titles on sand mining in Lwera wetlands in Mpigi and Kanungu districts.
Government has cancelled all land titles on sand mining in Lwera wetland following a recent recommendation from the parliamentary committee on Natural Resources.
Betty Amongi Ongom, Lands minister on Thursday said that government has agreed to cancel all land titles in Lwera wetlands over illegal sand mining that have depleted the wetland. She was responding to the November 16, 2016 report from the Natural Resources committee that recommended for the cancellation of the titles.
“The Ministry has received a comprehensive list arising out of the Cabinet directive to cancel all titles in wetlands. A roadmap of implementation has been approved. Through the Office of the Commissioner Land Registration, the Ministry has issued notices of cancellation of titles to the registered owners of the affected land titles in the Lwera wetland,” Amongi said.
“After issuance of the notices of cancellation, formal hearings will be conducted where the title holders will be called and immediately thereafter cancellation of their titles will be effected.”
Amongi added that for those land titles which may not be cancelled, the owners will be put to strict compliance of the land use for which the land was meant for as per the guidelines which are being formulated jointly by the Ministries of Energy, Lands, water and environment.
In November 2017, Water and Environment Minister Sam Cheptoris said that government has banned all sand mining activities in Lwera wetland over illegal mininig that saw several Chinese investors and tycoons implicated in the saga.
Sand mining activities have caused severe effects on the environment in Lwera wetland including water pollution, destruction of the vegetation as well as the excavated pits and trenches ruining the beauty of the landscape.
