Govt moves to restore degraded R. Nile

________________ The Government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Water and Environment, has officially launched the multi-sectoral Kalagala-Itanda Falls Conservation and Protection Project (KIFCP) to restore degraded ecosystems, boost tourism and protect the River Nile corridor across 19 districts. The project, worth sh186b and fully funded by the Government of Uganda, will be implemented over the next four years. It aims to improve ecosystem functionality along the Nile from an estimated 10.5% to 95%, restoring degraded riverbanks, forest reserves and fish breeding grounds. Speaking during the inception meeting held at Bilkon Hotel in Jinja city on July 30, 2026, key Ministry officials, district local government leaders and environmental experts outlined the scope of the project, which will initially focus on Jinja city, Buikwe, Kamuli, Kayunga and Jinja districts before rolling out northwards towards the South Sudan border. According to Maureen Anino, the assistant commissioner in the Department of Environment Sector Support Services at the Ministry of Water and Environment, key project targets include gazetting and demarcating 2,400 kilometres of a 100-metre buffer zone on both banks of the River Nile as a Special Conservation Area; restoring 8,200 hectares of degraded riverbanks and 5,300 hectares of degraded fish breeding areas; and replanting and enforcing protection over adjacent Central Forest Reserves (CFRs), including Mabira, Kalagala Falls, Nile Bank, Namavundu and Namasagali.