A combined force of environment police and National Environmental Managemnet Authority (NEMA) has demolished structures in an ongoing eviction of encroachers on Monday.
The demolishion took place in Kyengeza, Munyonyo market in Makindye Division, Kampala.
As the officials were carrying on with their work, Makindye West Member of Parliament, Allan Ssewanyana was arrested at the scene as he tried to stop them.
Police accused Ssewanyana of inciting violence but the MP insisted to know why the authority was destroying people’s structures without giving them adequate time .
He had also visited the scene to assess the losses suffered by vendors.
“Don’t sit back as police demolishes your structures. And moreover they are acting in a way that we as leaders are not informed,” Mr Ssewanyana said before his arrest.
The vendors said they had been paying for space between Ugx1 million and Ugx 2 million to some local leaders.
On 8th June a letter from the NEMA executive director, Dr Tom Okurut, ordered residents of Sankala Village, Makindye Division, to vacate the wetland with immediate effect.
According to the deputy Commander of the Environmental Police, Kampala Metropolitan, Mr Emmanuel Esabu,the eviction is part of the ongoing operation to clear wetlands of encroachment.
He said more than 10,000 people will be evicted from wetlands in Kampala Metropolitan area by the end of this year.
