Here is the truth about government land for resettling landslide victims

The media, including Daily Monitor, has been awash with reports, some of them inaccurate, about the land government bought in Bunambutye, Bulambuli District, to resettle people most at risk of landslides on the slopes of Mt Elgon in Bugisu sub-region.
These reports have largely been triggered by the decision by government, under the directive of President Museveni, to promptly relocate the most vulnerable people following the October 11 landslides in Bududa that claimed more than 40 lives, destroyed property and displaced hundreds.

But the move to secure land to resettle the people kicked off several years ago, starting in earnest after the deadly landslides of Nemetsi in 2010, during which more than 100 lives were lost. After that landslide, Cabinet directed three resettlement strategies, namely: Using Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement; resettlement within Bugisu sub-region, and urbanisation in safe locations in villages at risk.

In the first response, 603 households of close to 5,500 people were transferred from Nemetsi to Kiryandongo. I have been to Kiryandongo and found the people who relocated well settled, busy growing crops, running businesses, and fully integrated.
In the second response, 2,868 acres of land was procured in Bunambutye, Bulambuli District for resettlement.

It is this Bunambutye land that has been a subject of a lot speculation, misinformation and in some cases, outright lies, that I wish to correct.
In 2013, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) procured three plots of land in Bunambutye sub-county, Bulambuli District. The land is now being developed for resettlement of the landslide victims.
In undertaking the procurement, OPM was guided by the services of the Chief Government Valuer, the most competent authority and chief adviser of government on valuation. Government, therefore, did not procure “air” and did not incur any financial loss as alleged in various media reports and by some people.

The second major point of concern that has been raised by various people is whether OPM did adequate due diligence and political supervision.
Records indicate that the land was only procured after extensive due diligence and administrative reviews involving PPDA, Ministry of Lands, Uganda Registration Service Bureau (URSB), CIID, DPP, district leaders and the community.

OPM officials visited both the Uganda Land Commission (ULC) and URSB and confirmed the authenticity of the three land titles.
In addition, OPM carried out administrative field visit reviews and political consultations which involved halting the procurement process to allow complainants and district leaders to meet the responsible political leaders of the procurement. I participated in some of these field visits.
The procurement process of the three plots of land took a very long period of time (one year) due to the detailed undertakings of due diligence, administrative and political reviews.

Government is in possession of three land titles in the names of Uganda Land Commission held on behalf of OPM. I have seen the titles and can confirm that they do not have any encumbrances on them.
It is on this land, therefore, that government is going to resettle the people most at risk of landslides in the Bugisu sub-region.

Building materials storage containers and building materials, including cement, sand, aggregate stones have been delivered on site. A power generator has been connected to drive the block-making machines and the water-production well. Surveyors from the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development started re-opening of boundaries of the first 270 units on plot 94. A workshop to update area Members of Parliament, district chairpersons, Chief Administrative Officers and other districts leaders on the progress of the project has been done.

The bio-metric registration based on satellite images of vulnerability to landslides will be used during registration of beneficiaries and the exercise commences this week. Let us all support this exercise and save our brothers and sisters from sure death if no action is taken and taken now.

Mr Mucunguzi is the head of communications in the Office of the Prime minister.