Barely a week after Parliament unanimously disagreed to give out Murchison falls for the construction of a hydro-power dam, Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga looks determined not to let government destroy the biggest water falls in the country.
Kadaga has signed an online petition meant to block the construction of a dam at the Murchison falls that was initiated by Ugandan activists and tour operators.
“President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni: Save Murchison Falls From Hydro-electric Dam – Sign the Petition!,” Ms Kadaga tweeted after signing the petition on Monday.
The petition has received a massive reaction from people as over 10,000 individuals have signed, out of the required 15,000.
The campaign was initiated by Ugandan activists and tour operators to petition President Museveni and Kadaga in her capacity as Speaker of the August House to block the hydro-power dam construction.
Earlier this month, Cabinet approved a feasibility study to be done along the Murchison Falls to determine the impact of a proposed Hydro-power dam constructed on the falls will have on the environment and the general eco-system of the conserved area.
Newly appointed Justice Minister Ephraim Kamuntu shocked the August House when he revealed that the feasibility study for the proposed dam will be done on Uhuru Falls, a seasonal kind of falls. Kadaga wondered how government can construct a project that needs constant supply of water on seasonal falls hence influencing MPs to disagree with the government’s move.