Local government leaders from five districts along the River Nile have pledged total support for a major five-year environmental protection initiative aimed at safeguarding the fragile River Nile, Kalagala and Itanda falls ecosystems. The project, the Kalagala and Itanda Falls Conservation and Protection Project (KIFP), will run up to 2031 under the department of Environment Services. Additionally, the project plans to gazette the entire River Nile Protection Buffer zone as a Special Conservation Area. “This marks the beginning of a crucial journey for managing the ecological importance of the River Nile, Kalagala and Itanda falls and their associated catchments,” Anino noted. Maganda sounded a stern warning to illegal sand miners operating along the Nile, directing them to halt operations immediately.