Landslide survivors ask govt to re-open closed schools

Residents of Nametsi Parish in Bududu District who were affected by the massive 2010 landslides want government to re-open their schools and health centre, which were closed eight years ago.
The government closed Nametsi Health Centre IV and three government-aided primary schools, Nametsi, Tunwutsi and Kitsatsa after it emerged the institutions were in landslide prone area.

The severe landslides also left at least 365 people dead and scores displaced. Mr Robert Wambette, 70, a resident of Tunwasi Village, says since the landslides occurred, government has not come to their rescue.
“I cry every day for the wasted future of our children because many of them dropped out of school. The few who persisted when the landslide occurred have also quit due to the long distances,” he says.
“The person who helps us to write a letter in this area is the village secretary, who has also grown old. This is something to worry about as elders in this community,” Mr Wambetta adds.

He says despite writing numerous letters to the district officials nothing has been done.
The only nearby primary school, Bukalasi, where government recommended parents to relocate their children is 10kms away.

In 2015, the residents after waiting for the government intervention in vain, turned the earth- moving equipment that was used in the rescue operations and later abandoned at the site, into a makeshift primary school.
“We thought that this could be used as a school to teach our young children who could not afford walking long distances but we also failed due logistical challenges,” Mr Stephen Musuto, another resident, says.

Mr Musuto says the Education and Health ministries should inform government on urgency and why it is necessary to reconsider opening the facilities.
“The only health centre in this area was also closed and currently we move long distances to access services and medication especially during night which is very tiresome,” he adds. Mr James Tito, another resident, blames the poor performance in the district on the closure of the schools.
“We feel isolated. We are in our own world. We should be informed if we are no longer citizens of this country,” Mr Musuto says.

Bududa is among the districts that performed poorly in the recently released Primary Living Examinations and Uganda Certificate of Education exams.
Mr John Baptist Nambeshe, the Member of Parliament for Manjiya County, while serving as the district chairperson then, said as a local government, they [district] had conducted a landslide survey and found that schools in question were in “safe areas”.
“After the survey, we concluded as a district that schools should be reopened,” he said.

Mr John Watila, the district chairperson, says the continued closure of the schools is affecting the community members.
“We have tried to communicate to the concerned authorities about the issue but we have not yet received any reply but the truth is, the continued closure is affecting the community,” he says.
The Lustekhe County MP, Mr Godfrey Watenga, promised to follow up the matter with the Office of the Prime Minister.
“Its high time government considered the plight of the people in Nametsi,” he says.

The Bududa chief administrative officer, Mr Fredric Semogerere, says they are waiting for the council resolution to write to the ministries over the matter.
“There are many people who have resettled in the area but we will follow the, structures before doing anything he says.
The State minister for disaster preparedness, Mr Musa Ecweru, told Daily Monitor that the government has no plans of rescinding its decision.
He added that most of the children in the area have been relocated to safer nearby schools, something, which the residents refute.

GOVT STAND
Although the residents insist that they are greatly affected by the closure of the facilities, Mr Ecweru says they are not reconsidering their decision since the facilities are in a landslide prone area.

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