Parliament's Natural Resources committee has this afternoon suspended any activities of sand mining by ten more companies in the districts of Kalungu, Mpigi and Wakiso.
The affected companies include He Sha Duo Company Limited, Zhong Industries Limited, Mango Tree Group Limited and Lukaya Sand Dealers; all owned by Chinese Investors, Seroma Limited owned by Robert Ssekidde, Capital Estates owned by John Sebalamu, Sim Construction Limited owned by Movit proprietor Simpson Birungi, Tesco Industries, owned by Drake Lubega, Aka & Bino Fish Farming project- owned by Moses Twinomugisha, and another site in the names of Abomugisha Peter.
The committee chairperson Alex Byarugaba Bakunda also faulted the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) for not halting the activities earlier. NEMA was also accused of failing the country by letting foreigners (Chinese) degrade her environment.
Meanwhile, the mentioned companies were separately excavating sand from Lwera wetland, Katonga wetland system and parts of Lake Victoria.
The move comes just a day after the same committee directed Aqua World Uganda Limited, a company owned by Pastor Samuel Kakande of Synagogue Church of All Nations, to stop its sand mining activities in Kamalira Village, Nkozi Sub-county, Mpigi district after the company was accused of mining sand illegally.
Byarugaba says that the committee's directive to the eleven companies is temporary pending the outcome of ongoing investigations into their activities.
He also explains that NEMA will be required to review permits for the mining companies.
“A wetland can be owned legally by any Ugandan, but the activities within that particular wetland as a matter of policy and law are regulated by NEMA. NEMA is duty bound to carryout regular visits to ensure that what they guided them to do is exactly what they are doing. To us, NEMAA has failed this country” Byarugaba told the press.
Hon. Herbert Ariko, a member of the committee said the use of natural resources shouldn't be left to abandon and destruction before insisting that Pastor Kakande, Mr Sebalamu and the Chinese involved in sand mining should personally appear before the committee.
He also told the press that if there are any politicians involved in environmental degradation, they will be summoned to the committee & action taken
