The State Minister for Environment Dr. Mary Goretti Kitutu has challenged young people to rise up and speak up about the ongoing environmental degradation across the country.
“Youths, please speak loudest because we could be eating into what you are supposed to use,” She lamented instead that: “You are all very silent yet you should be the people making the highest noise.’
Kitutu made the clarion call while speaking to a group of young people during events to mark World Water Week held at the Water Resources Institute in Entebbe last week.
She stressed that the young people should put more focus on environmental concerns than waste time on useless things like betting.
Kitutu reminded them of an earlier pledge some youth had made, of storming parliament whenever unsound laws or policies are passed by government. And yet, she noted, many environmentally unsound policies have been passed but have not triggered anger among the youth to rise up.
She observed that because of the widespread environmental degradation, the country has lost a number of insects, birds and frogs when their habitats have been destroyed.
The minister also suggested that the next World Forest Day will be celebrated by ensuring that everyone plants a tree.
She noted that although the government had decided to implement tree planting on some national days such as March 8 International Women’s day, the activity has largely been overshadowed by the women’s affairs.
As a result, she revealed that cabinet is considering dedicating a special day for tree planting.
“They [cabinet] want a day gazetted for tree planting and we shall fight to see that it is made a public holiday so that everybody is busy planting trees.”
