Bududa residents deserve better

The last Thursday landslides in Bududa have caused deaths and countless injuries and illnesses.

Much as I thank the Office of Prime Minister and the humanitarian agencies for the good work they are doing for the people of Bududa, I still believe that there is more that needs to be done for the people of the district and beyond.

This is not the first time landslides have occurred in the district. While I believe that we cannot stop natural disasters, my take is that we still need to educate residents about the risky environment they are living in as well as equip them with adequate disaster preparedness to information and mitigating measures so as to avoid loss of lives and destruction of property.

It is true that people are naturally vulnerable, but the level of vulnerability increases when we cannot predict and prepare for uncertainties.

And this is a failure attributed to the government that has failed to be proactive and reacts only after a tragedy has occurred. With all the technological advancements, it is possible to predict natural disasters well in advance. Weather satellites orbiting the Earth and early warning systems installed at key locations are doing wonders to keep citizens safe in countries that have installed them. Uganda too can afford them, the people of Bududa and all Ugandans deserve them.

From the look of things, our government appears to be careless and takes life for granted. Otherwise, why doesn’t our government act responsibly, pro-actively as well as reset its priorities right? The government is mandated to ensure the safety of all Ugandans and their property.

We have the requisite infrastructure and resources to be able to predict any natural disaster that might strike our nation. Unfortunately, the focus of the majority of our people is on trivial issues. It is bad to have a government that many citizens do not seem to trust.

Many people accuse government officials of grabbing their land. It is the reason why people don’t want to vacate the affected areas . I urge the government to clean up their earlier mess to focus on realities Ugandans face.

As I said earlier, it is not the infrastructure and means we lack but the proper attitude to disasters. Therefore, the government should set their attitude right to control loss of thousands of Ugandans to such calamities. We want to be proud of being in the pearl of Africa. And as Ugandans, we deserve it.
Brighton Aryampa.
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