Govt offers Shs10m per family to relocate from landslide-prone Bududa
President Museveni tours some of the areas that were affected by the landslides in 2022. PHOTO/FILE/PPU
What you need to know:
- Government says there was a delay in the disbursement of the money "because people had to be given financial literacy and guidelines."
At least 1,000 households in Uganda's Elgon sub-region are set to receive Shs10million each from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) to relocate from the landslide prone area and other high-risk mountainous areas with slopes exceeding 30 degrees above sea level.
The most vulnerable beneficiaries have been mapped out in the eastern districts of Bududa, Manafwa, Namisindwa and Sironko, and the Shs10billion project is set to kick off Friday. The non-conditional cash relief will be sent via bank accounts.
“OPM received Shs10billion from the finance ministry to resettle the people who were affected by landslides,” Lillian Aber, the newly appointed State Minister for Relief and Disaster Preparedness announced in Kampala on Tuesday.
“There was a delay in the disbursement of this money because people had to be given financial literacy and guidelines,” she added.
Aber urged locals against misusing the money, denouncing over 4, 000 beneficiaries who previously received Shs7million each to relocate but abused the money because “it had no conditions.”
“After giving them money, we want to see how they will be transported and relocated. We don’t want to give them money, and they misuse it, and we see the issue of landslides,” she said.
In 2021, at least 3,620 families were displaced in eastern Uganda, majority in the Elgon sub-region.
So far, the government has only been able to relocate just 250 families permanently in Bulambuli District.
Meantime, Aber also asked the Ministry of Finance to prioritize allocating funds to the disaster ministry to enable her office to swiftly respond to natural emergencies in the country.
"We cannot afford to wait for another tragedy to strike. By taking proactive measures and involving the community, we aim to create a safer environment for the people of Bududa,” she observed.
Background
Following the March 2010 landslides that buried more than 300 people and swept across three villages, the landslide vulnerability assessment conducted by parliament in 2012 established that over 100,000 families across the Elgon sub-region were living in high-risk areas, with the majority in Bududa District.
About 40 percent of Bududa is in the Mt Elgon national park region, experiencing rainfall above 1500mm, with two peaks within a year, hence the high levels of precipitation and surface runoff leading to mudslides and flash floods.
In light of Bududa's history of devastating landslides, with the tragic events of March 2010 claiming over 100 lives, and another landslide in August 2022 leaving 50 households damaged and more than 300 people homeless, information minister Chris Baryomunsi noted that this decision is a critical step towards ensuring the safety and well-being of the residents.
