Officers from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) on Sunday arrested prominent businessman Magan Patel, the founder of the MMP Group, over allegations of illegal wetland encroachment in Bugembe, Jinja City.
NEMA enforcement officers accuse Patel of unlawfully filling part of the Bugembe wetland with soil, an act that contravenes Uganda’s environmental protection laws.
Patel heads the MMP Group, a diversified Ugandan conglomerate with interests spanning agriculture, oil processing, soap manufacturing, and household consumer goods. One of its flagship companies, Nile Agro Industries, operates in Jinja and is among the country’s leading industrial enterprises.
The arrest has drawn renewed attention to environmental compliance among major industrial players, amid growing concern over the rapid loss of wetlands across the country.
Environmental activists and conservation groups have repeatedly warned that continued wetland degradation threatens water resources, biodiversity, and climate resilience, while also criticising authorities for what they describe as inconsistent enforcement of environmental regulations.
NEMA said the action against Patel is part of a wider crackdown on illegal wetland activities, regardless of the status of those involved, as the authority seeks to protect Uganda’s fragile ecosystems.
Investigations into the alleged encroachment are ongoing.
