Illegal sand mining in Lwera threatening Kampala-Masaka highway - Mpigi RDC

The Mpigi Resident District Commissioner, Sarah Kaweesi Nannono, has directed security and environmental authorities to intensify operations against illegal sand mining in Lwera Wetland after concerns that the practice is threatening the ongoing Kampala-Masaka Highway upgrade project.

The directive was issued on Saturday during an inspection visit to Lwera wetland after officials from China Communications Construction Company, the contractor working on the highway in the Lwera section, raised alarm over rampant sand extraction near the road.

According to the contractor, uncontrolled excavation is accelerating environmental degradation and could compromise the stability of sections of the road infrastructure, potentially resulting in costly damage and losses to government.

“The level of destruction we have witnessed here is alarming. We cannot allow a few individuals to jeopardize a critical national project and cause losses to taxpayers through illegal sand mining,” Ms Nannono said.

She instructed the National Environment Management Authority, the District Environment Office, Uganda Police Force, local leaders and other relevant agencies to strengthen enforcement efforts and ensure all illegal sand mining activities are immediately stopped.

“Protecting our environment and public infrastructure is a shared responsibility. All responsible agencies must work together to enforce the law and safeguard this important national investment,” she added.

Ms Nannono also appealed to communities living around the wetland to support government efforts aimed at conserving the environment and protecting key infrastructure projects for future generations.

The latest intervention comes amid ongoing efforts by Nema and other government agencies to curb illegal sand mining in the ecologically sensitive Lwera wetland system.

Earlier this year, Nema, working alongside the Environment Protection Force, the Environmental Protection Police Unit and other security agencies, conducted enforcement operations in Mpigi and Kalungu districts.

The operations led to the arrest of several suspects and the impounding of equipment allegedly used in illegal sand mining activities.

Despite the crackdown, authorities say some operators have continued extracting sand from parts of the wetland, raising renewed concerns among environmental regulators and infrastructure developers.

A representative of CCCC warned that continued degradation of the wetland poses a direct risk to the road project and called for stricter enforcement of environmental laws to protect both the ecosystem and public infrastructure.

Stretching across Mpigi, Kalungu and neighbouring districts along the Kampala–Masaka Highway, Lwera Wetland is one of Uganda’s most significant wetland ecosystems. It plays a vital role in water regulation, biodiversity conservation and environmental protection.

However, the wetland has for years been subjected to both commercial and artisanal sand mining. Environmental experts caution that uncontrolled extraction can alter natural water channels, create dangerous excavation pits and weaken the wetland’s ability to support surrounding ecosystems and infrastructure.

In recent years, government agencies have intensified restoration efforts in degraded sections of the wetland while stepping up enforcement measures against illegal sand mining as part of broader environmental conservation initiatives.l

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