Kampala — Wakiso District Woman Representative Hon. Betty Ethel Naluyima has used the ongoing parliamentary session to demand urgent government action on critical environmental and service-delivery concerns affecting residents of Wakiso District.
Speaking during the ongoing sitting of Parliament, Naluyima questioned the Ministry of Water and Environment over what she described as inconsistencies in the enforcement of regulations governing wetlands and their reclamation.
The legislator pointed to cases in Wakiso where parts of a lake have reportedly been reclaimed and developed, saying the matter has already been brought to the attention of relevant authorities. She questioned why enforcement appears to differ from one community to another and called for fairness and consistency in the application of environmental laws.
“Why are we having segregation as far as the reclamation is concerned?” Naluyima asked, urging the responsible authorities to ensure that environmental regulations are applied equally without discrimination.
The Wakiso MP also raised concern over the cost of residential water, arguing that the current charge of Shs 4,300 per unit is too high for many urban households, particularly families with limited incomes.
She appealed to government to reconsider the cost of water for residential consumers, emphasizing the need to make access to clean and safe water more affordable for ordinary Ugandans.
Naluyima further placed the protection of Wakiso’s forest reserves before Parliament, specifically raising concern over Nove (Nonve) Forest Reserve, which she said requires urgent attention from the responsible authorities.
She told the House that her office had already engaged officials over the situation, but expressed concern that the necessary action had not yet been taken. She therefore called upon the responsible minister to personally intervene and ensure that the forest reserve is protected.
Her intervention brings three key Wakiso concerns—fair enforcement of wetland regulations, affordable residential water and protection of forest reserves—directly to the attention of government during the ongoing parliamentary session.
Naluyima urged the responsible ministries to treat the concerns with urgency and provide clear action to address the challenges affecting the people of Wakiso.
