'We Permitted Them To Clear Boundaries'- NEMA Clarifies On Alleged Environmental Degradation At Speke Resort Munyonyo

In a bid to address flooding of Speke Resort Munyonyo Hotel gardens due to increased water levels from Lake Victoria, the National Environment Management Authority has granted Ruparelia Group management leeway to level and redesign its gardens.

According to the approved plan, National Environment Management Authority has given Ruparelia Group leeway to replant grass that was removed from the same area.

In a statement released on July 18, 2023, NEMA acknowledged granting approval to the Ruparelia Group to revamp the affected area, which had been impacted by the rise in water levels of the Victoria basin from 2019.

“This video of Speke Resort Munyonyo’s works was trending on social media yesterday. As you might be aware, Uganda will host the Non-Aligned Movement & G-77 Conferences next year. Venue: Munyonyo Common Wealth Resort, as such the compound is being raised to prevent flooding of the gardens. The approval given required management to replant grass that was removed from the same area,” an official statement from NEMA reads.

NEMA also emphasised that the law allows the government to carry out projects (in the interest of public good) on public lands such as roads, railway lines, and marinas, among others in wetlands, provided they adhere to the conditions given by NEMA.

“Also, please recall that the law gives Government permission to build projects (in the interest of public good) on public lands e.g roads, railway lines, marinas etc in wetlands provided they follow conditions given by NEMA,” NEMA concludes.

https://twitter.com/nemaug/status/1681334222827421696?s=20

The development of the Convention Centre in Munyonyo is a 50-50 joint venture between the tycoon and the government under the Uganda Development Corporation (UDC).

During a media tour around the area, the hotel Proprietor Sudhir Ruparelia noted that in order to protect the affected land, they had to upgrade it and replant grass around it.

**Sudhir Ruparelia conducting a media tour around Speke Resort Munyonyo**

Ruparelia Group has hence invested heavily in levelling the ground to stop future flooding incidence.

Uganda is preparing to host the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)& G-77 Conferences in 2024, at Munyonyo Common Wealth Resort as such the compound was soggy and required some upgrading to prevent flooding.

NAM is an international conference consisting of 120 countries which are not formally aligned with big major power blocs. The first conference took place in September 1961 in Belgrade Yugoslavia.

The Speke Resort Convention Center works, which is expected to host the conferences in January 2024 is ongoing at Munyonyo Kampala Uganda.

Meanwhile, Dr Sudhir Ruparelia said the Construction of the one-of-a-kind 4400-seater Speke Resort Convention Centre is on schedule and will be completed in time for the 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement to be held in January 2024 in Kampala, Uganda.