Three individuals responsible for wetland degradation in Ibanda district have committed to removing all soil they dumped in the Kirimirire wetland along the Ibanda-Mbarara road or face arrest by April 1, 2025.

This agreement was reached during a meeting convened at the wetland, attended by the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), District Police Commander (DPC), Mayor, Town Clerk, District Internal Security Officer (DISO), environmental officers from both the district and municipal levels and the degraders themselves.

The individuals involved in this degradation include Muzamiru Bateyo, Godwin Tusiime along with his wife Mary Birungi. The RDC expressed frustration over their attempts to evade legal consequences and warned of the potential for their re-arrest, alongside the environment officer, for their lack of compliance.

According to  Godfrey Mbetegyereize, the RDC emphasized the importance of adhering to the president’s directive on wetland restoration. The Town Clerk of Ibanda Municipal Council, Authman Ssebaduka expressed dissatisfaction with the municipal team's slow pace in implementing necessary orders.

Robert Tumwesigye, the municipal environment officer, noted that many developers fail to seek guidance from the technical team, leading to such environmental issues.

Muzamiru Bateyo expressed regret for his actions, attributing them to a lack of technical guidance and committed to following the order moving forward. Meanwhile, Godwin Tusiime and Mary Birungi, represented by James Ariho, pledged that they would remove the soil or face legal action by the April 2025 deadline.