Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, says the regime is bound to make a regrettable mistake if the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) persists in evicting people who settled in wetlands.

Bobi said on Friday that he has learned that the environmental regulatory body intends to evict residents in Nabweru and Kasokoso and that if it does so, the regime will be at risk of ‘creating a crisis that they might regret’.

“We hear that NEMA intends to conduct a similar operation in Kasokoso and Nabweru, among other areas. If it has not learned from its mistakes in Lubigi, then the regime risks creating a crisis that they might regret,” he said.

He expressed concern and condemned the recent evictions done by NEMA in Lubigi, saying that the victims should have been allocated land elsewhere or compensated prior to the evictions.

“Whether NEMA has a point or not, it should have executed the evictions in a humane way that considers the dignity and financial status of the victims. At the bare minimum, the victims should have been allocated land somewhere else or at least compensated before being forced off the land that many had occupied long before this government even came to power,” he added.

His concern comes at a time when residents in Bwaise, Nabweru, and Kasokoso are in fear of being evicted by NEMA. The regulatory body is said to have marked off some of the buildings it intends to evict. Last month, the body had a meeting with the Lord Mayor to discuss the way forward.

NEMA, however, said it will not compromise when it comes to people who are settling in the wetlands. The evictions are part of their activities aimed at protecting and preserving the environment.

Last month, the Buganda Land Board said in a statement on social media that they have always warned people with land in wetlands to seek approval from NEMA before setting up structures on their land. The post was in response to criticism of the board for failing to protect Lubigi residents, yet they have always paid taxes (obusulo) to it.