LUWEERO —President Yoweri Museveni has directed all concerned authorities to ensure that people whom he said have invaded wetlands in Luweero District leave with immediate effect.
Museveni who was in Luweero district on Friday evening where he launched four factories belonging to Indiana businessmen Balaji said
that wetlands are of great importance to the man and that they should not be invaded.
“Let us not destroy our environment, which has lots of other negative spill-over effects,” the President said.
Mr. Museveni blamed the current massive flooding in different parts of the country on environmental degradation.
Over the last 15 years, however, Uganda has lost over 30% of the wetlands. The declining capacity for wetlands to provide critical ecosystem services has resulted; increased flooding (damage to infrastructure, lives), Reduced productivity, Silting of water bodies – effect on fisheries and increased water treatment costs for the national water supply agency.
Meanwhile, the factories which included Premier Distilleries, SR Afro Chicks & Breeders and Atis Biscuits & Mineral Water are all under Balaji Group EA Ltd.
According to records, combined, the Balaji Group of Companies employs close to 3,000 people, uses 90% of locally-procured raw materials and pays annual tax of over UGX10 billion.
Some of their products are exported to regional markets.
“I thank investors like the Balaji Group for not only setting up factories here and creating opportunities for our people, but also helping wake up our people to appreciate entrepreneurship,” the president said.
Museveni said he was impressed by their investments especially SR Afro Chicks & Breeders in Yandwe, Luweero, with a total production capacity of one million eggs a day plus related poultry by-products.
Museveni said they will help the country to solve the problem of importing chicken feed from Kenya.
