Museveni has accused people degrading the environment by encroaching on the banks of water bodies for creating floating islands.
Uganda is currently struggling to get rid of floating islands that have since blocked the turbines of 3 major power plants of Nalubaale, Bujagali, and Kira from supplying the country with power.
A team of officers attached to the Marine unit and engineering brigade of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces -UPDF have been deployed to uproot the floating island which clogged the turbines.
President Museveni alongside Energy and Mineral Development minister Mary Goretti Kitutu made a surprise visit at Nalubaale dam to study the progress and appreciated the UPDF and team partners for a tremendous job.
While addressing the nation on Sunday night, the president noted that the floating vegetation has gardens which is one reason for the disturbance.
‘’ This floating vegetation has yams, cassava….this This is a garden! People had cultivated there and were the ones disturbing that surface’ Museveni said
He warned that encroachers and people who cultivate on the shores of the lake and banks of the River Nile will be chased by the National Environmental Management Authority –NEMA.
‘’NEMA is coming to chase you off because you will bring us problems’’
The President says the water level on lake Victoria has gone up making it the second-highest level since 1964.
He also suggested that more water be released to generate electricity, or alternatively just let it go to avoid an overflow
NEMA, UPDF, National Fisheries Research Institute, UNRA, MAAIF and Ministry of Works have combined efforts to push the moving island from its risk location to the bay near Jinja.
