Kampala, Uganda — The Ministry of Water and Environment is to evict over 170,000 people from Lake Victoria shores and wetlands across Uganda.

Addressing the media on Monday, Alfred Okot Okidi, the Permanent Secretary said that the eviction exercise stems from a presidential directive of April 21st that all individuals who have settled or working in protected zones such as lakes, wetlands, forest reserves should be forcefully evicted across the country.

Lake Victoria water levels have been rising since October 2019 due to heavy rains and increased direct inflows from 23 rivers into the lake.

The direct river inflows are due to the gross encroachment on the lake shores, forests and catchment areas such as Lwera wetland where sand mining has resulted in several open pits, silting of the lake which increased the pace of river runoff into the lake.

Okidi adds that an Inter-ministerial committee has been set up to manage the issues relating to the rising water levels of the lake.