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In November, the Ministry of Water and Environment ordered all residents who constructed houses in the wetland to demolish the structures and halt any other human activity. However, it sparked off disagreements between the ministry and the residents.

In 2015, Dr. Jimmy Omony dragged the municipality to court for encroaching and opening a community access road through his forest land in Corner Alango, Pandwong Division.

In his June 12th letter addressed to Mpigi Chief Administrative Officer, Ssekweyama claims that part of the hospital land measuring 6 acres located on block 94 Mawokota was part of the Mailo Hold in the names of Matayo Mpanga Kidimbo, one of the clan elders.

Also, it has been established NEMA early last year halted all activities that were taking place in the area. However, none of the people ordered to stop human activities on the land have since refused.

Lillian Nakaweesi, the Buvuma Resident District Commissioner, says the level of encroachment on the forest reserves is alarming.

The Chairperson Ssese Islands Tourism Development Association, Joyce Kikomeko opposes the degazettment of the forest reserve since it preserves many tourism sites including the Henry Stanley and John Speke sites.

Over the years, there has been an unprecedented increase in pollution and encroachment on its banks. Construction of permanent houses, car washing bays, sand mining, brick-laying and crop production activities have led to silting of the river bed.

Jubia Forest Reserve is located in Bukakata Sub County, Masaka district. Buddu County, a cultural administrative unit of Buganda Kingdom has cleared part of this forest reserve to construct a sub county headquarters for Bukakata.

She says this has frustrated many of their efforts since they are also supposed to use police to do enforcement in places where people have failed to heed to their directives to vacate the wetlands they have illegally occupied

Ruth Namanya, a mother of six says the settlement commandant Bosco Sentamu forcefully evicted them from their homes they had occupied for 40 years.

Of the 72 square kilometres that existed in 1987, only 11% were still in existence when a survey to map wetlands resumed in 2008.

Environmentalists are accusing Rakai district leaders and Water Minister, Maria Mutagamba, of sabotaging and frustrating their campaign to restore and reclaim destroyed wetlands in the district.

65-year-old man in Hoima attacked by a group of chimpanzees. Peasant farmer in Kasese killed by a rampaging buffalo. Uganda Wildlife Authority has no response.