“On 19h January 2025, our client, in the execution of his duties, inspected a suspected dumping/degradation of the environment contrary to Section 55 of the National Environment Act Cap 181, Laws of Uganda that restricts the use of wetlands. Upon further inquiry, he found that the degradation was being orchestrated by Mrs. Arın Muhairwe, Deputy Inspector General of Government, who admitted to owning the land,” the letter obtained by our reporters reads in part.
Anne Twinomugisha Muhairwe, the Deputy Inspector General of
Government is under the spotlight for alleged environmental degradation, abuse of power,
and torture following an incident involving Alex Katungi, a police officer from the environmental police unit.
In a complaint addressed to Inspector General of Government Beti Olive Kamya, Katungi's lawyers, Mwesigwa Rukutana & Co. Advocates, outlined allegations stemming from an incident on January 19, 2025. “On 19h January 2025, our client, in the execution of his duties, inspected a suspected dumping/degradation of the environment contrary to
Section 55 of the National Environment Act Cap 181, Laws of Uganda that
restricts the use of wetlands. Upon further inquiry, he found that the degradation
was being orchestrated by Mrs. Arın Muhairwe, Deputy Inspector General of
Government, who admitted to owning the land,” the letter obtained by our
reporters reads in part.
Despite the ongoing environmental violation, the Deputy IGG allegedly
confronted Katungi, verbally abusing and intimidating him, and ordering him to
leave the site. It is claimed that Muhairwe threatened Katungi, stating that
she only fears the President, the First Lady, and the President's brother, General Caleb Akandwanaho (Salim
Saleh).
Fearful for his safety, Katungi left the scene and reported the
incident to his supervisor, Commissioner of Police Enock Abaine. A formal
complaint was filed at Kajjansi Police Station under Reference Number SD
65/20/01/25. The following day, January 20, Muhairwe allegedly contacted Katungi, inviting
him to her office.
Upon his arrival, he was confronted by former convicts
linked to environmental crimes. According to the letter, Muhairwe accused
Katungi of assaulting these individuals and then coerced him into paying UGX
3,000,000 (three million Ugandan shillings) as damages to her son, Ronald
Asiimwe, who is allegedly managing the site.
“Our client...was also further made to kneel, raise his hands, and forced to
apologize to her said son – Ronald Asiimwe – while she was recording him, and
threatened to share the recording on social media.” The letter, which was also
copied to the Minister of Internal Affairs, the IGP, and the ED of NEMA,
further claims.
Furthermore, it is alleged that Muhairwe pressured Katungi to halt his
investigations and withdraw the case filed against her at Kajjansi Police
Station, threatening that failure to comply would result in his
"prosecution" and dismissal from the Police.
According to Katungi's lawyers, these actions—ranging from abuse of power and
harassment to environmental degradation—have sparked concerns about impunity
within the Inspectorate of Government. To address this, they have appealed to
the Inspector General of Government to take prompt action, calling for an end
to the harassment and reminding Muhairwe that no one is above the law. By the time of filing this story, our reporters had not received responses from
the accused official or the IGG's office.
When contacted, Naomi Namara
Karekaho, the Corporate Communications Manager at the National Environment
Management Authority (NEMA), stated that she was unaware of the matter. “We have not received any formal complaint to
that effect. This is the first time we are encountering the issue,” she noted
in a message to our reporter.
Our reporters also reached out
to several other individuals at NEMA and officers from the Police Environmental Protection Unit regarding the matter involving the Deputy IGG. All of them
could not comment on this specific issue, but, they generally acknowledged that
enforcing environmental laws often subjects them to resistance from individuals
in positions of power or those with strong connections to influential figures.
“The rich and politically connected individuals believe they are above the law
and can degrade the environment as they please. If you dare confront them on
their property, they might be rough,” one individual said. The responses from individuals highlighted a pressing concern that has been raised over time by the public regarding the selective
enforcement of environmental laws.
While the poor and marginalized are often
evicted, sometimes brutally, from wetlands and other ecologically sensitive
areas, the wealthy and influential continue to degrade the environment with
little consequence.
In a social media campaign
titled #UgandaWetlandExhibition, led by Agora Discourse—a
digital public square advocating for human rights, public accountability, and social
justice—members of the public shared posts highlighting prominent businesses
and influential individuals responsible for degrading wetlands and the
environment under the watch of environmental authorities.
The campaign drew
attention to the perceived double standards, as the poor and underprivileged
were evicted from wetlands while powerful entities remained untouched. The campaign followed the brutal
evictions of individuals who had settled and claimed portions of the Lubigi
wetland system.