NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY
REPORT OF THE RETREAT TO REVIEW THE ANNUAL LEAD
AGENCY REPORT 2019/2020
Water Resources Institute- Entebbe
2020
1. Introduction and Background
National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) is a principal environment
management agency mandated to coordinate, monitor and supervise all activities in the
field of the environment. The mandate of NEMA is executed in coordination with other
government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Among the key functions of
NEMA is to support the integration of environmental concerns in overall national planning
through coordination with the relevant MDAs. Effective execution of this environmental
function is therefore subject to adoption and incorporation of environment concerns into
plans and budgets.
Most of NEMAs functions are integral and realizable within the sector operations
framework. Since 1995, NEMA has put in place a number of mechanisms to support lead
agencies and enable integration of environment concerns. These include mobilization and
sensitization, training and capacity development, joint projects including resource
mobilization and enforcement, among others. There are also several attempts to follow
up budget framework papers to ensure environment management integration by relevant
sectors. Integration however remains difficult to track largely because no tool exists in this
regard. To ensure NEMA executes its mandate, there is need for a tool that can be used to
track and measure progress by sectors of the economy with respect to environment
management integration.
A number of quarterly reports were received from various agencies during the course of
reporting period 2019/2020 and were consolidated into one main report. A two-days
retreat was therefore organized to engage lead agencies in the review of the consolidated
report to provide accurate data before the final document is published.
2. Attendance
In attendance were participants from the National Environment Management Authority
(NEMA) and focal point officers Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries
(MAAIF), Ministry of Works and Transport (MWT), Ministry of Education and Sports
(MES), Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA),
Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), and Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS)
among other lead agencies.
3. Back ground and Rationale
The National Environment Act, N0.5, 2019 section 9 mandates NEMA to require lead
agencies to prepared and submit quarterly reports and issue environmental compliance
certificates. Section 33(9) further stipulates that the Authority shall issue a certificate of
compliance to a lead agency, which effectively executes its functions under the National
Environment Act. The Lead Agency Certificate of Compliance will be based on the plans,
targets and budgets, and subsequent execution. This will be a mechanism for NEMA to
regulate, monitor and coordinate lead agencies towards sustainable environment
management.
The compliance assessment tool had been developed and was awaiting review before it is
operationalized. Furthermore, the draft annual lead agency report had also consolidated
with issues from the different lead agencies and needed to be reviewed with the lead
agencies before it is published.
4. Welcome and Opening remarks
Welcome Remarks
Dr. Muganga George, the Principal Officer Lead Agency Coordination at NEMA, gave the
welcome remarks. He welcomed participants to the retreat and informed that the purpose
of the meeting was to engage every lead agency in the review of the consolidated report.
He noted that in the last zoom meeting few participants were able to raise comments that
would be incorporated into the annual lead agency report.
Highlighting on submission of quarterly reports, he noted the most lead agencies have not
yet submitted their Q1 and Q1 reports for FY2020/21. He therefore requested that all lead
agencies submit their quarterly reports early enough to ease the consolidation process.
Noting the National Environment Act, Dr. Muganga reminded participants that Section
every lead agency must have an environment officer responsible for managing all
environment related issues within his/her institution.
Opening Remarks
In his opening remarks, the Director Policy Planning and Information applauded lead
agencies for the commendable efforts amidst the existing challenges. He informed that it is
the first time that lead agencies are reporting on execution of environment management
to the Authority since the commencement of the National Environment Act, 2019. He
recognized the progress so far reached, noting that at least 75% of the lead agencies did
report, which marks a very good start that will be used as a baseline for the rest of the
reporting years.
He stressed that the annual lead agency report 2019/2020 should have been finalized last
year, but there were a lot challenges from COVID19 that could not enable physical
meetings to be convened.
He further informed that the Annual lead agency reports should aid preparation of the
National State of Environment Report. He therefore urged lead agency representatives to
provide accurate data
Highlighting about compliance assessment, the Director stressed that lead agencies shall
also be assessed against participation in meetings and reporting on environment
management to the Authority.
The Director concluded his remarks with a pledge to present the report to top management
once it is reviewed to the final.
5. Summary of key issues in the Consolidated Lead Agency Report.
A snapshot of the key issues extracted from the main draft report was presented with a
view of highlighting the scope, statistics on the themes and giving the noticed challenges
and recommendations that were noticed during the process of developing this annual lead
agency report.
Highlighting the scope, Dr. Muganga noted that the current report will only cover
reporting from lead agencies that are Ministries and departments but not local
governments. He emphasized that local governments are also lead agencies, but their
coordination system has not yet been streamlined.
Among other limitations that were highlighted included;
(i)
Inadequate presentations: Due to COVID 19 lockdown, quarterly meetings for
quarter 3 and 4 were not conducted to have lead agencies presenting their comments
that would be incorporated into the annual report.
(ii)
Inadequate and delayed submission of quarterly reports by lead agencies which
delays consolidation.
(iii) Lack of clear identification of lead agencies.
6. Presentation of the Draft Annual Lead Agency Report
The draft report is a consolidation of all quarterly reports that were submitted by lead
agencies during the reporting year 2019/20. The consolidated report was presented with
a view of reviewing it, by incorporating the comments and updating statistics that were
submitted by each of the lead agencies. The table below submission of reports for the
Annual Lead Agency Report.
Submitted Reports
Ministries
Ministry
Energy
Did Not Submit Reports
Departments
&Agencies
Ministries
of Kampala Capital Ministry
and City
Authority, Local
Planned
submission
for
Departments
&Agencies
of Wetlands
Management
Ministry
Defence
of
and
Mineral
Development,
Ministry
of
Transport and
Works, Ministry
of
Gender
Labour
and
Social
Development,
Ministry
of
Agriculture,
Animal Industry
and
Fisheries,
Ministry
of
Education and
Sports, Ministry
of
Tourism,
Wildlife
and
Antiquities,
Ministry Trade &
Industry
Directorate
of
Water Resources
Management,
Electricity
Regulatory
Authority, Atomic
Energy
Council,
Uganda
Investment
Authority, Uganda
National Bureau
of
Standards,
National Forestry
Authority,
National
Water
&Sewerage
Corporation,
Government,
Ministry of
Internal
Affairs,
Ministry of
Lands,
Housing and
Urban
Development
Petroleum
Authority
of
Uganda, UNMA,
UWA
Department,
Climate
Change
Department,
National
Agriculural
Research
Organisation,
Veteran Affairs,
Government
Analytical
Laboratory,
Office of the
Prime MinisterDisaster
Preparedness
Ministry,
National Bureau
for
NGOs,
Ministry
of
Health, Uganda
Bureau
Of
Statistics,
Minstry
of
Information,
Communication
Technology,
Ministry
of
Science,
Technology and
innovation,
URA,CAA,UCC
The following key issues came up as general recommendations into the Annual Lead
Agency Report
(i)
The cover page picture should be representing all lead agencies including local
governments.
(ii) The calendar year of the report to be improved.
(iii) The need to put a narrative on all lead agencies in the introduction (Section1) of the
report.
(iv) Concerning the reporting standard on inspections and monitoring, lead agencies
should report both number of visits and facilities inspected and/or monitored.
(v) The limitations should also include the impacts of;

Covid 19 restrictions that were set forth by the Ministry of Health; and

Limitations on the flow of funds to government agencies.
(vi) The report to cover environmental issues for Fy 2019/2020, any other issues
experienced during beyond the end of June 2020 should maintained for the next
reporting year.
(vii) A narrative on the themes be included in the overview (Section 3)
(viii) The pictures in the report should be captioned for further use in other reports like the
state of Environment Report.
(ix) There was a need for more information on the extent of spread of waterweed on
other waterbodies other than Lake Kyoga.
(x) Organize the information on livestock, agriculture, and fishing licenses for the next
annual lead agency report.
(xi) Establishment of an application by NEMA for use by all lead agencies
(xii) Enforcement and publicizing of the National Environment Act, 2019.
(xiii) Strengthening EIA related process of sharing documents for review, instant feedback
and sharing of approved certificates
(xiv) Accessing/making use of NEMA Laboratory by Lead agencies.
(xv) All Lead agencies should be staffed with Environmental officers.
7. Action points and way forward(i)
Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development to provide more data on public
education and engagement (3.5).
(ii)
Atomic Energy Agency to provide more information on atomic sources under 3.1.3.
(iii) National Water and Sewerage Cooperation to send information on waste
management (Feacal Sludge Management in Kampala Capital City).
(iv) Lead agencies should submit their quarterly reports for Q1 and Q2 Fy2020/21.