In an effort to combat the endangering environment the National Environmental Management Authority (NEM) have put in place stringent penalties on perpetrators. Those who breach the Environmental law will be fined between UGX 3 to 1 billion or a maximum of 15 years imprisonment.
The administrative express penalties scheme will commence in March 2023 where the non compliant to the environmental laws will be required to pay to the state monetary penalties.
While addressing journalist at Uganda media center in Kampala the NEMA executive director Akankwasa.. said that the administrative Express penalties scheme are intended to deter non compliance of the environmental laws.
“The administrative Express penalties are derived from the Environmental Act of 2019 section 174 (5) and it requires that those who breach the laws are charged fines in form of currency points of face prosecution and if convicted can be subjected to imprisonment to a maximum of 15 years”. Dr.Akankwasa said.
He adds, ” He who pollutes the environment must clean it up .There NEMA will use the fines from those who breach the law to clean the environment”.
In the new environmental regulations, the de-graders for instance of the wetlands will be required to pay a maximum fine of UGX 1 billion for an individual or face a jail sentence of 15 years Failure to carry out environmental and social impact assessment for projects will also attract a similar fine of UGX1 billion or a maximum of 15 years imprisonment while corporate bodies like factories are liable to pay a fine not exceed 6 billion or face jail for 15 years.
Corporate entities are also mandatory required to conduct an environmental audit every year and to display the certificate of approval and failure to comply,it attracts a penalty of 1 billion or 15 years imprisonment.
Waste management like littering of garbage, throwing of plastic bottles, maize cobs on roadsides, in drainage channels and rivers will attract a maximum fine of 6 million and the penalty depends on gravity the breach.
Factories producing plastics and polythene products below 3 microns face closure and a penalty of UGX 100 million while factories which pollute the environment through emission of toxic gases and other waste materials will be charge a fine of 6 billion.
The playing centers such as churches and mosques that emits noise in excess of the permissible levels will be attract an invoice to a maximum of UGX 10 million.
By George Bukenya