Uganda goes to the polls next week. And on the eve of these elections, as campaign trucks cough their last fumes, posters cling to every available tree, and politicians promise so many “undoable” things. Politely at first. Then loudly. But if the environment had a vote, it would already have spoiled its ballot out of frustration.

We Need to Talk

Dear aspirants, you have promised free Wi-Fi in villages without electricity. You have promised to increase workers’ salaries, to end poverty, to build schools, to equip hospitals, to fix the roads, and you have promised heaven on earth. May we now discuss the small matter of protecting Uganda’s environment? 

We forget that our environment faces mounting challenges driven by deforestation, wetland encroachment, pollution, climate change, and weak enforcement of environmental laws. Rapid population growth, unplanned urbanisation, and short-term economic interests continue to place heavy pressure on natural resources, while climate extremes such as floods, droughts, and landslides are becoming more frequent and severe. 

Although policies and institutions exist, gaps in coordination, political will, and public awareness limit their effectiveness. Addressing these challenges requires consistent enforcement, responsible leadership, and collective action that recognises environmental protection as essential to livelihoods, health, and national development.

And every election season, Uganda loses more trees than some candidates lose patience during debates. Campaign posters are nailed to trees, stapled to trees, hugged by trees, and then the same candidates hold rallies under those trees, thanking God for the shade. Trees, however, are not registered voters. They cannot clap. They just quietly disappear.

Manifestos are Green, Reality is Brown

Manifestos this season are impressively green. Green economy. Green growth. Green jobs. Green Uganda. One would think chlorophyll itself wrote them. Yet outside the manifesto pages, wetlands are being filled faster than people gather at campaign rallies, rivers are changing colour like political allegiance, and hills are being shaved clean like recruits on polling day. The environment would like to know: Is ‘green’ a policy position or just a colour?

Campaign Convoys vs. the Ozone Layer 

Campaign convoys now come with more vehicles than a UN summit. Sirens scream, engines roar, and the carbon footprint could qualify for a parliamentary seat on its own. By the time a candidate reaches the podium to promise climate action, the atmosphere has already taken a hit. Then the environment wonders if low-carbon development means “we will think about it after elections.”

And every candidate loves wetlands, especially in speeches. But on the ground, wetlands are treated like political opponents: drained, encroached on, and silenced. Wetlands are accused of “blocking development,” yet when floods arrive and roads disappear, the same wetlands are blamed for “misbehaving.” Dear leaders, wetlands are not stubborn. They are just tired of being ignored.

Party Colours for Climate Change?

Floods do not ask for party cards. Droughts do not attend rallies. Landslides do not respect the Electoral Commission’s timetable. Climate change campaigns relentlessly, day and night, without posters, rallies, or allowances, and it keeps winning. The environment would like to remind voters and candidates alike: You can rig and win an election, but you cannot rig rainfall.

A Small Request Before the Ballots Open

Today, the environment is not asking for grand speeches or emergency manifestos. It asks only for modest, practical commitments: to stop treating nature as a campaign resource, to enforce the environmental laws already in place, to recognise that development without environmental sense is merely disaster financed by a budget, and to remember, after the votes are counted, to remove campaign posters from trees and public spaces. These small acts would speak louder than any promise shouted from a rally podium. The environment does not want to be an MP nor does it want to be Lord Mayor. It only wants to survive the next five years, and more, or eternally.

Final Appeal from Mother Nature

Dear Uganda, as you vote for leaders, remember that the environment is the only constituency you cannot relocate, silence, or bribe. Ignore it, and it will campaign against all of us with floods, heatwaves, food shortages, and power cuts. So continue to campaign responsibly, and when next week comes, vote wisely. And please, leave at least a few trees standing to shade the next election.

Mr. Lubuulwa is the Senior Public Relations Officer at NEMA.