Buildings worth millions of shillings in Lukaya wetland, Masaka district have been demolished by the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA).
The building structures including a Church, 15 rental houses and a discotheque were demolished yesterday,in an operation conducted by NEMA with help from the police.
Kakooza Buuza, the proprietor of Real Discotheque was arrested while trying to block the demolition of his building. He is currently held at Lukaya Police station.
Festus Bagoola, the Director of Environmental Monitoring and Compliance in NEMA, said the demolition of the structures was in response to the people's defiance to vacate the wetland.
Bagoola, who headed the operation, said that Lukaya wetland is a major source of water and supplies the whole of Lukaya town's drainage system.
Bagoola said that the people whose buildings have been demolished shall not be compensated. Instead they will be required to pay for the operation costs incurred by NEMA.
Bagoola says that a similar operation will be conducted in Nyendo wetland to get rid of people who have recently occupied the wetland.
