Advocates for Natural Resources and Development, an advocacy organisation, have blamed government for licensing quack Chinese investors who have invested in mineral extraction activities that have caused environment destruction and affected surface rights of people whose land falls within licensed areas. This was revealed during a training of judicial officials at the Judicial Training Institute (JTI) in Kampala yesterday to equip them with knowledge on how to dispense justice in cases relating to extractive activities and environment.

Mr Frank Tumusiime, who represented Advocates for Natural Resources and Development, said there is a tendency by some Chinese companies in Uganda not to follow established environmental standards. “The regulator is to blame for this; they let in people without any qualification or training in environment management, to act as investors. Most of the time these quack investors have found themselves on the wrong side of mining. The regulations ought to be made tougher on these investors,” he explained.