Government has started the third phase of relocating landslide victims in Bugisu sub region.
The victims are being relocated to Bunambutye Camp in Bulambuli district where over 900 families living in landslide prone areas are expected to be resettled in a phased manner.
In the third phase, the Office of the Prime Minister – OPM has so far completed building 22 housing units in which 22 families will be resettled.
According to officials from the OPM, out of the twenty families to be resettled in this phase, 11 of them are from Bududa district. The group has been living at Bumwaali Primary School.
Titus Muhofa, a Senior Disaster Management officer in the Office of the Prime Minister said that the third phase has started with Bududa district and that the rest of the families will be identified from Manafawa, Sironko, Namisindwa and Buambuli.
He said that they gave priority to the Bududa families that were living in the school to pave way for learning to continue in the school without intervention.
He said the inadequate resources in the OPM has slowed the process of relocating all the targeted people who are living in landslide prone areas.
He said that as the victims are relocated, a husband and wife is given 100,000 each and other basic needs to help them cope with the situation as they begin life in a new area.
Bududa district LCV Vice Chairperson Rachel Martha Nabulo welcomed government’s move of relocating the 11 families which had got stuck at the primary school from the time they suffered the landslide. Nabulo however says the number of people who are in need of relocation is still high.
Peter Masambu, the Bulucheke Sub County LCIII Chairperson said that the government should speed up the relocation exercise because several people remain in danger. He said over 600 in his sub county are living in danger.
Godfrey Wamono and Anna Negesa, some of the victims said the conditions under which they have been living have not been good.
Resettlement of people living in high-risk areas of Mount Elgon region to Bunambutye sub county in Bulambuli district started in May last year where over 100 families were resettled. In February 2020, another 136 families were resettled in the second phase. The total number of houses constructed and completed in the camp has now reached 263 housing units.
