The Standards, Utilities and Wildlife Court in Kampala has convicted and fined Southern Range Nyanza Limited (NYTIL) Shs 180 million after the company pleaded guilty to illegally discharging industrial effluent onto neighbouring land and into a section of the River Nile.
The River Nile is a critical national resource that supports water supply, fisheries, agriculture, hydropower generation, biodiversity conservation, and the livelihoods of millions of Ugandans. Its protection remains central to environmental sustainability and national development.
NYTIL was charged with unlawfully discharging pollutants into the environment, in violation of Uganda’s environmental laws and regulatory standards.
Acting on its mandate to enforce environmental compliance, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) conducted investigations, collected evidence of illegal effluent discharge into neighbouring land and the River Nile, and instituted prosecution before court.
Court heard that between April 2024 and November 2025, the company discharged industrial effluent from its facility in Buikwe District onto neighbouring land and into a section of the River Nile, without meeting the required environmental standards.
On Tuesday, 2 June 2026, Chief Magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu convicted the company upon its guilty plea and imposed a fine of Shs 180 million. The court also ordered NYTIL to restore the affected land and the polluted section of the River Nile within 30 days.
The court further directed NEMA to supervise the restoration exercise and submit a compliance report to ensure full environmental recovery.
NEMA welcomed the ruling, stating that it reinforces the importance of environmental compliance and the principle that polluters must take responsibility for restoring degraded ecosystems.
