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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Government has admitted the delayed relocation of the people from disaster prone areas in Bududa district.
The Disaster Preparedness Minister, Musa Ecweru told residents of Napsohi village in Bushika sub county in Bududa district on Monday that government has received information that people in disaster prone areas are willing to relocate but the construction of houses in Bunambutye resettlement is very slow.
He contends that the current system of government constructing houses for landslide victims may not be effective enough to address the recurrent problem of landslides.
He says the proposal by local leaders to pay off the affected people to relocate on their own will be efficient to expedite the relocation.
Ecweru’s statement comes a few days after Bududa district leaders raised concern about the delayed relocation of the landslide victims. They faulted the Office of the Prime Minister for taking too long to resettle the affected people.
The State Health Minister, Sara Opendi said the relocation plan has been moving on at a very slow pace. She also noted that giving the affected people money will expedite their relocation from the landslide prone areas.
Local leaders have welcomed the move, saying had government listened to their advice before buying land in Bulambuli district; they would have resolved the effects of the landslides.
The Luseshe County Member of Parliament, Godfrey Watenga told Uganda Radio Network that as MPs from Bugisu region, they advised government to pay the affected people money so that they can relocate but it didn’t listen to them.
Wilson Watira, the Bududa District LC V chairperson, said that the option of constructing houses for people may take up to 20 years.
The OPM has promised to provide Shillings 500,000 to the families that lost their relatives to help with the burial arrangements.
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