By Naome Namusoke/ KMA UPDATES
The Ministry of Water and Environment has issued a detailed statement explaining the cause of the foul smell currently being experienced around parts of Lake Victoria, particularly the Inner Murchison Bay, attributing it to persistent pollution, nutrient overload, and algal blooms intensified by dry season conditions.
Lake Victoria and its basin support over 45 million people, serving as a critical source of drinking water, transport, hydropower, biodiversity, climate regulation, and trade. In Uganda, key sections of the lake such as the Inner Murchison Bay (IMB), Kitubulu and Nakiwogo bays in Entebbe, and Napoleon Gulf in Jinja are among the most heavily utilised. The Inner Murchison Bay, which is shallow at less than 10 metres deep and sheltered from the open lake, has been particularly affected.
According to the Ministry, these bays receive heavy pollution loads from multiple sources, including surface runoff carrying silt, plastic and human waste, municipal wastewater from surrounding urban areas, industrial effluent, and runoff from agricultural fields. The situation has been worsened by the degradation of wetlands around the lake, which previously acted as natural filters by trapping nutrients and suspended organic matter before water entered the open lake.
To monitor the lake’s health, the Ministry operates a Water Quality Monitoring Network comprising 23 monitoring stations in the Inner Murchison Bay and 10 stations in Entebbe Bay. Data collected quarterly from this network is used to inform policy decisions and guide remedial actions for sustainable lake management. Findings from these studies show a persistent rise in nutrient concentrations particularly nitrogen and phosphorus in the bays, especially the Inner Murchison Bay. These nutrients promote excessive algal growth, leading to frequent algal blooms.
The Ministry explained that the dry season and high temperatures experienced over the past month triggered mixing in the bays, accelerating algal blooms. When the algae die and decompose, they consume oxygen and release gases such as hydrogen sulphide and ammonia, which are responsible for the strong foul smell and unpleasant odours being reported. This process also reduces oxygen levels in the water, posing a serious threat to aquatic life and potentially causing fish kills. Decomposing algae further release absorbed nutrients back into the water, perpetuating a cycle of new algal growth. The stench has been most severe around Inner Murchison Bay in Luzira and parts of Entebbe.
In response, the Ministry says several interventions are already underway. Degraded wetlands around the lake and its catchment are being restored to improve natural filtration of waste and wastewater before it enters the lake. Enforcement of the 200-metre buffer zone around the lake has been prioritised to intercept pollutants and protect the shoreline. Regular water quality monitoring and analysis continue to provide accurate data for informed decision-making.
Industries within the lake’s catchment are being mobilised and supported to adopt cleaner production techniques aimed at minimising wastewater generation, encouraging recycling and reuse, and reducing effluent discharge into the lake ecosystem. Additionally, enforcement of conditions attached to effluent discharge permits issued to industries and municipal treatment plants has been scaled up to ensure compliance with environmental standards. The Ministry is also intensifying awareness campaigns among stakeholders and communities around the lake to promote collective responsibility for pollution control.
However, the Ministry acknowledged that more needs to be done. Solid waste management around the lake and its catchment must be prioritised to reduce nutrient inflows. Environmentally friendly land use and agricultural practices need to be promoted to minimise pollution from non-point sources. All industries in the catchment should fully adopt cleaner production methods, while enforcement of effluent discharge regulations must be further strengthened. Urban authorities have also been urged to tighten enforcement of environmental and public health regulations to limit waste entering the lake. Public awareness efforts, the Ministry noted, must be scaled up to foster a stronger sense of ownership in protecting Lake Victoria.
In conclusion, the Ministry emphasised that algal blooms are now a constant occurrence in the bays around Lake Victoria due to increased pollution loading. Addressing the problem will require coordinated action among local communities, government ministries and agencies, urban authorities, and environmental organisations.
“The crusade to protect the environment and save our valued Lake Victoria requires the input of every Ugandan,” the Ministry stated, calling for collective responsibility to restore and maintain the lake’s ecological balance.
