Who Is Waterkeeper, Godfrey Kitimbo, Kyoga Nile Waterkeeper
By: Thomas Hynes
Godfrey Kitimbo is the Kyoga Nile Waterkeeper in Uganda. He was born and raised along the NIle River in Jinja, Uganda. His parents were raised nearby alongside Lake Kyoga in a community that depended on the fresh water source for fishing, farming, transportation, and drinking water. Godfrey’s deep-rooted connection to this ecosystem, along with his background in environmental and community development work, inspired him to take a more active role in protecting it.
Lake Kyoga is Uganda’s second largest freshwater lake by area. It serves a population of over 700,000 people across 10 districts. It is partially filled by a tributary of the Nile River and outflows to Lake Victoria and Lake Albert, two of the Great Lakes of Africa. Lake Kyoga is relatively shallow. Parts are completely covered with water lilies, papyrus and water hyacinth.
As lovely as that sounds, all is not well with Lake Kyoga. From an early age, this was apparent to Godfrey, who witnessed both the beauty of the water resources and the threats they faced, including pollution, overfishing, and climate-related disruptions.
In 2017, Godfrey directed his concern and his lifelong love for local waters into action by joining Waterkeeper Alliance. A year later, while attending the Waterkeeper Alliance Global Conference in Buffalo, NY, Godfrey decided to expand his jurisdiction – and organization’s name – to include the Nile River, since the iconic river was sadly responsible for much of the lake’s pollution.
“Becoming a Waterkeeper was a natural step in my passion for community advocacy and environmental justice,” says Godfrey. “I joined the movement to amplify the voices of local communities whose livelihoods depend on clean water. The journey has been both rewarding and challenging, from educating youth and mobilizing community clean-ups to confronting powerful polluters. But through it all, it’s the resilience of the people and the life-giving spirit of the River Nile and Lake Kyoga that keep me going.”
Factories and agriculture currently pose the biggest threats to local clean water. The factories prioritize their financial bottom line and don’t feel the need to treat their water before discharging it back into the ecosystem. Weak environmental laws further this paradigm by providing little incentive for these operations to act responsibly. Farmers also opt to optimize their operations in order to survive economically. This means farming close to the shore and spraying crops with pesticides that run off directly to the water.
“I conduct water testing around the rivers. I take measurements of pH, concentrations, and give this information to the national environmental protection program in Uganda,” says Godrey. “We also tell the factories to treat the effluence before they go to the river, but they are often only concerned with maximizing profit.”
Lack of awareness is another challenge. Though, Godfrey sees this as an opportunity. As Kyoga Nile Waterkeeper, he has appeared on radio shows to discuss the dangers of pollution, launched public education campaigns, formed local partnerships to tackle illegal dumping, and organized community clean-up days. Godfrey also works with schools along the river and lake to help train young people to protect their waterways and better appreciate their rights to clean water.
“We are trying to educate the young people to grow up knowing that pollution is bad, that water is a sacred resource. It’s a right, not a privilege,” says Godfrey. “My guiding principle is that community empowerment and education are the foundations of sustainable change. Protecting our waterways means protecting the health, dignity, and future of the people who depend on them.”
Godfrey hopes to see a future where the Kyoga Nile ecosystem is restored and resilient, where clean water flows freely, biodiversity is protected, and local communities are empowered and self-reliant. He also hopes to build a strong network of young environmental leaders who will continue the fight for clean water for generations to come. He would also like to see stronger environmental enforcement, farmers who plant a bit further away from the shore, and more tree plantings. Ideally, he would also love more funding in order to hire more staff to adequately patrol and monitor the entirety of his jurisdiction.
While Godfrey may not have people working for him, he is by no means alone. Since joining Waterkeeper Alliance, he has been trained on how to conduct water quality testing. At the 2018 conference, a fellow Waterkeeper – Hartwell Carson, the former French Broad Riverkeeper and current Clean Waters Director at MountainTrue – even helped Godfrey get a patrol boat. This example of international collaboration between Waterkeeper groups has helped Godfrey conduct his daily work, but also kept him inspired for the long term.
“Our work isn’t just about conservation, it’s about health, food security, and climate resilience. I want people to know that even small actions matter, and that everyone can play a role whether it’s by reducing plastic use, supporting local environmental groups, or advocating for better policies,” says Godfrey. “By standing with us, you’re standing up for communities, ecosystems, and future generations.”