KAMPALA– Buganda Grade one Magistrate Kyoshabire Caroline has sentenced Business woman Josephine Mulungi of Nakiwogo Entebbe Municipality, Wakiso district to 2.3 million shillings fine for illegal sand mining from Lake Victoria.
Mulungi has been convicted on her own guilty plea after she informed court that on several occasions she has been mining sand from Lake Victoria which is said to have caused damage to aquatic life at the same time affecting the quality of waters of the lake.
During Mitigation, the convict asked court to be linient to her because she is a first offender and she was engaged in the mining business because of ignorance and pressing school fees demands.
However the state Prosecutor in the matter , Nantatya Yakuti agreed to the fact that the convict is a first time offender who has not wasted court’s time by under going a full trial but she should be given a detterent sentence because the offense is rampant in the country.
“The effects of such activities are so grave and have affected the country through leading to increased flooding, the sound and oil from the machines used for mining pollute and contaminate the lake.”
The prosecutor added that since some rich people may pollute the environment with the view that they will use their money to escape the law, he asked court incase it finds it necessary for a fine to sentence the convict to a fine of one billion shillings as provided for in the law for count one.
“Having heard both mitigation and aggravating factors, I sentence the convict to a fine of two million shillings fine failure of which she will serve two years jail term. For count two , I sentence her to a fine of five hundred thousand shillings or 3 months imprisonment in default.”
Prosecution informed court that on count one of failure to undertake an environment and Social impact Assessment, on 11th June 2023, Mulungi and others still at large at Katabi Central Village , Katabi town council in Entebbe Municipality failed to under take environmental impact assessment for sand mining activities on Lake Victoria.
That she and other individuals carried out the above activities without Lake shore user permit from National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA).
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