Environment
Uganda’s Sand Rush: The Dirty Business That Won’t Go Away
By William Lubuulwa
If there is one thing that Uganda’s construction boom has made crystal clear, it is that sand is the new gold. From the towering skyscrapers of Kampala to the mushrooming estates in Wakiso, Mbarara, Mbale, Arua, and the like, sand is the magic dust that holds our dreams together – literally. But behind this golden industry lies a dark and cloudy world of illegal sand mining, where ruthless operators, crude tools, and shadowy deals are turning our country’s lakes, rivers, and wetlands into battered war zones.
Despite relentless efforts by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to educate the public, conduct crackdowns, and present suspects to court, the illegal trade remains as stubborn as a tick on a cow’s back.
Lawbreakers keep digging – many times in broad daylight – while enforcement officers chase them down like cat-and-mouse. I vividly recall a day in Nasiita-Nabyerongosa, along the banks of the River Katonga, when our armed enforcers found themselves in a dramatic pursuit of three illegal sand miners. The chase unfolded deep within the papyrus swamp, stretching on for over an hour before the trio of foreign origin was finally apprehended. The real challenge began after the arrest – neither the captors nor the escapees could understand each other’s language, adding an unexpected twist to the encounter. But both the fleeing team and the muddied chasers knew that the arrest had been finally effected.
Where the Illegal Sand Miners Roam
If you take a drive through Lwera on the Kampala – Masaka Highway, you might mistake the landscape for a wasteland. What was once a vibrant wetland is now a cratered disaster, thanks to the merciless sand miners who have scooped out tonnes of sandy soil, leaving gaping holes behind.
Katosi, once a peaceful fishing community, is also swimming in the destruction. In Buikwe, and Entebbe, illegal miners have turned rivers and lakes into their private gold mines, using heavy dredgers that chew up the waterbeds like a monster from a horror science film.
NEMA, with its ever-vigilant officers, has banned applications from new sand miners, revoked licences from those who were violating guidelines, and moved to halt all unlicensed activities in several places around the country. The Authority has also made several arrests, netting both local risk-takers and foreign adventurers. But while some culprits end up in the dock, pay fines and pledge to reform, others slip through legal loopholes faster than a fish escaping a broken net, and mysteriously vanish into the larger world before justice can fully sink its teeth into them.
Ugly Side of the Golden Rush
At first glance, it is easy to dismiss sand mining as just another business – after all, how much damage can a bit of illegal mining looking for some resource really do? My answer is that such seemingly simple acts lead to a very big environmental mess! Unregulated mining along riverbanks and lake shores leads to massive erosion, swallowing up farmland, displacing communities, and turning once-thriving ecosystems into lifeless deserts. For instance, fishermen in Lake Victoria have watched helplessly as fish breeding grounds are destroyed, leading to dwindling catches and later inflated pricing. Some sections of the Nile, Katonga, and other rivers are now death traps, with deep pits left behind by miners, causing drowning incidents that never come to the media.
Then there’s the destruction of roads and bridges. When you see potholes appearing overnight on highways near mining sites, don’t blame witchcraft. Praise the unprecedented excavations happening right under the watchful eyes of all of us.
Enforcement and Ungodly Deals
Cracking down on illegal sand mining is no walk in the park. Some people operate under the cover of rightfully registered businesses, making it hard to tell legal mining from illegal activities. That said, we must remember that NEMA stopped issuing of certificates of approvals for activities in wetlands starting 2nd September, 2021. And bad practice, as we know it, attracts the long arm of the law.
Every arrest, every fine, and every confiscated excavator or wheel loader sparks a time-consuming ripple effect of court proceedings or out-of-court dispute resolution negotiations, where brown envelopes might strangely shape the flow of the conversations. Those with deep pockets might walk away to freedom like a proud he-goat that has just finished its husband duties. Such happenings might paint enforcement agencies in bad light because the public, always eager to see justice served, ends up disillusioned when they see the same culprits back in business days after their arrest.
The bigger problem is that many sophisticated sand dealers form shadowy networks that bribe their way past local leaders. The deals ensure that every magulukkumi of sand dredged out of a river or mined in unorthodox ways is well ‘blessed’ as it enters the market. Community leaders are supposed to be the eyes and ears of the law, especially where NEMA is not, and therefore, once they are compromised, enforcement is already dented.
Sand Trading Can Be Cleaned Up
Despite the insanity, there is hope. A well-regulated sand mining industry can still thrive without reducing Uganda’s wetlands and rivers to dry skeletons. The first step is to ensure that sand mining is only done in designated areas, with strict environmental impact assessments before any shovels hit the ground.
NEMA, together with local governments, should tighten licensing procedures and introduce real-time monitoring systems, perhaps using drones or satellite surveillance, to track illegal mining hotspots. Big monies, therefore, must be given to NEMA to help the Authority duty its work, better.
Community involvement is also key; when locals understand that unregulated mining is robbing them of their future, they will be more willing to report illegal activities rather than silently watch their land disappear.
Investing in alternative building materials can also ease pressure on sand demand. Technologies such as compressed earth blocks, recycled construction waste, and even synthetic sand can help reduce the current pressures.
Above all, the legal system must grow sharper teeth. For instance, I am yet to see or hear of convicts of wetland abuse inconvenienced with the maximum fine of UGX600 million as the National Environment Act Cap 181, directs. The current court incisors are no longer sharp enough to cut into the flesh of illegal sand miners disturbing the peace of our wetlands. Simple fines alone won’t do. Repeat offenders should face asset seizures and longer jail terms. For the foreign players treating Uganda like a free-for-all playground, fast deportation without a chance of return to our pearl should be on the table.
Sand Mining for the Future
The battle against illegal sand mining is a fight for Uganda’s environmental survival. It is a fight for all. While construction is crucial, it shouldn’t come at the cost of destroyed ecosystems and displaced communities. If all stakeholders: Government agencies, local leaders, business operators, communities, you and me, work together, Uganda can still build its future without burying its natural heritage under piles of messed-up sand. After all, what good is a mansion in the city if the wetlands and waterbodies have dried up, and we have no ngege or mpuuta?
Mr. Lubuulwa is the Senior Public Relations Officer at NEMA.
