Handle disaster preparedness Bill with urgency it deserves

At the beginning of last month, the Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA) warned Ugandans to brace for a dry spell. The weatherman in its February forecast predicted that most parts of the country would experience dry weather conditions, with the country expected to be much warmer than average.

This, the authority warned, could reduce pastures for animals; result in potential water resource depletion, aggravate human-wildlife conflicts and agricultural challenges; and there was a heightened risk of malaria outbreaks due to favourable conditions for mosquito breeding.

Before that, in August last year, UNMA issued an alert, warning Ugandans to brace themselves for heavy rainfall in the months of September to December. 

In warning, the authority appealed to decision makers and the general public to develop preparedness and response actions to manage the likely impacts associated with El Nino phenomenon.

As we have seen, be it rain or dry spell, Uganda’s weather patterns always lead to disaster. During last year’s March-May rainy season alone, at least 16 people were killed in Kisoro, Rubanda and Rukiga districts by mudslides, while more than 600 people from at least 10 villages in Ntoroko District were rendered homeless after River Semliki burst its banks.

And the story of severe draught in areas such as Karamoja sub-region is one that is told annually, leaving in its wake hundreds of deaths of both humans and animals.

Yet we do not seem to learn from our past. Until last year, Uganda did not have a relief budget and depended largely on the goodwill of donors and humanitarian groups. 

Meeting in Kampala this week, a section of lawmakers, especially those hailing from areas that are prone to disasters, tasked officials from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) to speed up the process of mooting the Disaster Risk Management Bill.

According to the framers, the Bill will, among others, address issues of averting disaster as well as quick response by putting all required mechanisms in place.

Speaking at the consultative meeting on the ongoing formulation of the said Bill, between the OPM, Uganda Red Cross Society and civil society organisations, the Members of Parliament accused some government officials of turning disasters into a business.

Although OPM officials say the Bill is now at Cabinet stage, this has dragged on for far too long. 

In May last year, the Speaker of Parliament proposed that it is high time we created a commission to manage responses to disasters and emergencies as provided for in the Constitution. But not much has been said about this since.

As a country, we need to prepare for disasters before they happen. Government should process the disaster preparedness Bill with the urgency it deserves.