Oweyegha Afunaduula
Presidential pronouncements can become law immediately. In the past, during the reign of President Amin, they would easily be converted into decrees.
A decree is an official, formal order or decision issued by a person in authority such as a judge or ruler or government body, having the force of law, settling legal rights, or mandating an action, such as a presidential decree. It is a conclusive determination, making it more significant than a simple order and often appealable.
On the 5th of August 2025, President Tibuhaburwa declared that indigenous fishermen would take the lead in protecting the lakes, assisted by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in the State House’s “Indigenous Fishermen to take the Lead in Protecting the Lake”.
Two days ago, the UPDF announced the dissolution of the Landing Sites Committees and the Fisheries Protection Unit. According to UPDF the President and Commander-in-Chief, Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Museveni, directed Presidential Advisor Special Operations, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to immediately dissolve Landing sites committees on all the lakes in Uganda on account of the controversies surrounding them among the fishermen. Accordingly, Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding, Deputy UPDF Inspector-General, and Major General Richard Otto, the Chief Defence Intelligence and Security, were tasked with overseeing the formation of the new committees
Therefore, with the recent presidential intervention in the militarized freshwater management in Uganda, where new freshwater management committees ( or landing sites committees) are being formed, nothing has really changed: the military is in charge. It is just shifting military officers while maintaining the status quo regarding the military management of our freshwaters. This is what motivated me to write the article “The Military Management of Lake Victoria in the 21st Century ( Oweyegha-Afunaduula, 2925).
We are going to continue having the freshwater management under the military, just as the whole society of Uganda is under the governance of the military with the civilians playing second fiddle to the military chiefs.
It is still “coercive environmentalism” in Uganda in the 21st Century, with the power and authority of the military over our freshwater lakes rising supersonically while that of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry continue to plummet meteorically.
What will change is that the new fishing communities will have fisherfolk represented the management committees. However, the situation remains the same: the fisherfolk will make noise to the military, not to themselves, like they did before the freshwaters were militarized. It means the “killing” of the traditional-cultural practices in Uganda is in top gear.
It is possible the changes are being made to blindfold the people into believing that the power in Kampala has been listening to their cries over their harassment and torture by the military. It is true the lady who has been in charge of the militarisation of the freshwaters has been too authoritarian. However, the gun legacy will continue to hover over the heads of the fisherfolk. No more freedom of the fisherfolk to obtain protein from the freshwaters or to fight poverty through their time-tested linkage to the lakes.
Therefore, if you asked me whether the fisherfolk should celebrate the new changes in the management of the freshwaters of Uganda I would say No because nothing substantial has changed. What should be celebrated is the total de-militarisation of the freshwater environment and our society. All that is happening is the military capture of our freshwaters as part of the continuing military capture of our civic spaces. It is a military squeeze of freedom and justice out of these spaces!
Fishing with the gun hovering over your head is not freedom. Besides, the military people will continue to become rich as the fisherfolk continue to sink into the abyss of poverty. Militarisation of the freshwater civic spaces is not a virtue but a vice. It does not add value to good governance because it renders the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries a paper tiger since the military has taken away it’s power and authority over the lakes and fisheries.
For God and My Country.
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I am a retired lecturer of zoological and environmental sciences at Makerere University. I love writing and sharing information.
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