The Resident District Commissioner for Mpigi, Sarah Kaweesi Nannono, has ordered security agencies and environmental regulators to step up efforts to eliminate illegal sand mining in the Lwera wetland, warning that the activity could undermine the ongoing expansion of the Kampala–Masaka Highway.
The directive was issued on Saturday during a field inspection in Lwera following complaints from officials of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), which is undertaking works on the highway section traversing the wetland.
The contractor expressed concern that widespread sand extraction close to the roadway is causing environmental damage and may weaken the integrity of the road structure.
CCCC officials cautioned that unchecked excavation could destabilise portions of the highway, exposing the government to substantial repair costs and possible losses.
“The destruction taking place in this wetland is deeply worrying. We cannot stand by as a handful of people put a major national infrastructure project at risk and burden taxpayers with avoidable losses arising from illegal sand mining,” Ms Nannono said.
She directed the National Environment Management Authority (Nema), the District Environment Office, the Uganda Police Force, local authorities and other agencies to intensify enforcement operations and ensure that all unlawful sand mining activities cease immediately.
“Safeguarding our natural resources and public investments requires collective action. All mandated institutions must coordinate efforts to uphold environmental laws and protect this strategic national asset,” she said.
The RDC further urged communities living near the wetland to cooperate with government initiatives aimed at conserving the ecosystem and preserving critical infrastructure for future generations.
The renewed crackdown comes as Nema and other state agencies continue campaigns to curb illegal extraction in the environmentally sensitive Lwera wetland. Earlier this year, joint operations involving the Environment Protection Force, the Environmental Protection Police Unit and security personnel targeted illegal mining activities in Mpigi and Kalungu districts, leading to arrests and the seizure of equipment suspected to have been used in the trade.
Despite those interventions, authorities say some miners have resumed operations in parts of the wetland, prompting fresh concerns from environmental watchdogs and road contractors.
A CCCC representative warned that continued degradation of the wetland presents a serious threat to the highway project and appealed for stricter implementation of environmental regulations to protect both the ecosystem and public infrastructure.
Spanning parts of Mpigi, Kalungu and neighbouring districts along the Kampala–Masaka Highway corridor, the Lwera wetland is among Uganda’s most important wetland systems. It supports biodiversity, regulates water flow and provides critical ecological services.
Environmental specialists have long cautioned that indiscriminate sand extraction can disrupt natural drainage patterns, leave behind hazardous pits and diminish the wetland’s capacity to sustain surrounding habitats and infrastructure.
Government agencies have in recent years increased restoration activities in degraded sections of the wetland while strengthening enforcement against illegal sand mining under broader conservation efforts.
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