Save River Rwizi: Media tasked to name and shame encroachers
Kashari South MP Capt. JB Tumusiime Bamuturaki has urged the media to name and shame individuals and institutions encroaching on River Rwizi as leaders step up efforts to save the vital water source.
Mbarara City Mayor Robert Kakyebezi (left), Kashari South MP Capt. JB Tumusiime and WWF Uganda Country Director Ivan Tumuhimbise, with others, stretch during the fifth edition of the River Rwizi Marathon at Booma Grounds in Mbarara City on Saturday. [Photo by Fred Turyakira]
________________ WWF Uganda Country Director Ivan Tumuhimbise (left), Dr Callist Tindimugaya, Commissioner for Water Resources Planning and Regulation at the Ministry of Water and Environment, Kashari South MP Capt. JB Tumusiime and MWE Under-Secretary Catherine Nassuna during the fifth edition of the River Rwizi Marathon at Booma Grounds in Mbarara City on Saturday. [Photo by Fred Turyakira]
MBARARA — The Member of Parliament for Kashari South, Capt. JB Tumusiime Bamuturaki has challenged the media to aggressively expose individuals and institutions encroaching on River Rwizi by publishing their names without fear.
During the flag-off ceremony of the 2026 River Rwizi Marathon at Booma Grounds in Mbarara City, MP Tumusiime stressed that public exposure is now a critical tool to halt the destructive human activities driving down the river's water levels.
“We have had so many marathons about saving River Rwizi, but it is absurd that our water levels keep reducing due to encroaching and bad human activities along the riverbanks, such as agriculture, bricklaying, and construction, which cause severe silting,” said Tumusiime, the former chairperson of the River Rwizi Catchment Management Committee.![WWF Uganda Country Director Ivan Tumuhimbise (left), Dr Callist Tindimugaya, Commissioner for Water Resources Planning and Regulation at the Ministry of Water and Environment, Kashari South MP Capt. JB Tumusiime and MWE Under-Secretary Catherine Nassuna during the fifth edition of the River Rwizi Marathon at Booma Grounds in Mbarara City on Saturday. [Photo by Fred Turyakira]](https://newvision-media.s3.amazonaws.com/cms/c958c153-9d4d-43d1-b1f1-657925810123.jpg)
Tumusiime, one of the foundational pioneers of the conservation initiative, noted that the river currently serves 15 districts, originating in Buhweju and flowing through Sheema, Ntungamo, Rwampara, and Mbarara before reaching Isingiro, Kiruhura, and moving to Lake Victoria.
He warned that neglecting the river would paralyse regional growth, making it unsustainably expensive for the government to source backup water from River Kagera.
Reinforcing the call for urgent action, Dr Callist Tindimugaya, the Commissioner for Water Resources Planning and Regulation in the Ministry of Water and Environment, proposed a strategic shift for future marathons to deepen public connection to the cause.
"People are running for River Rwizi, but they have never seen it, so they don’t know what they are running for," Dr Tindimugaya noted. "Next time, let's start the run from the river so everyone can see its actual state and truly understand its importance."
Dr Tindimugaya hailed MP Tumusiime's enduring impact as a champion for the catchment committee, expressing confidence that his legislative presence will secure crucial funding and multi-district mobilisation. The Ministry plans to expand next year's run to scale across 10 districts, aligning with recent directives from President Yoweri Museveni, who expressed grave concerns over the river drying up during his visit to Ruharo. Dr Tindimugaya added that the crisis is national, with similar enforcement runs active for the Mpanga and West Nile river systems.
Progress amidst pollution challenges
Despite the persistent encroachment, private-public partnerships are registering notable success. Ivan Tumuhimbise, the Country Director for the World Wide Fund for Nature Uganda (WWF), revealed that over the last four years, the initiative has successfully restored 12 kilometres of the riverbank and 700 hectares of the catchment area.
To combat plastic pollution, WWF is collaborating with the Ministry to install waste-drop centres behind TASO, Mbarara University, and the Nyamitanga bridge, urging the Mbarara City leadership to establish structured recycling points.
Treat waste or face closure
Njuki Emmanuel, the Head of Corporate Affairs and Regulatory at Nile Breweries Limited (NBL). Njuki threw down a gauntlet to manufacturing companies, demanding that industries become "obsessively compliant" with water standards.
"Industrial waste must never be discharged directly into public water sources. It must be comprehensively treated," Njuki declared, noting that NBL proactively treats and returns all its manufacturing water back to the river cleaner than it was abstracted.
Robert Kakyebezi, the mayor for Mbarara City, said there is no more sleeping and seeing the river drying up because of bad practices of human activities along the river banks.
“President Museveni was in Ruharo recently and was concerned over the drying of the river and urged us to ensure this river is restored. As City, we are ready to sensitise people to get out from the river banks and encourage them to use alternative means of livelihood that are environmentally friendly,” he pledged.
The political, ministerial, and conservation leaders jointly emphasised that saving the river remains an urgent, collective responsibility that cannot leave anyone behind.