By: Ismael Kasooha
KAMPALA
President Yoweri Museveni has directed the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to immediately release funds to handle disasters and relocate people at high risk to safer places.
“I have been directed by His Excellency the President, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to find the money from wherever particularly for moving people and getting the resources to resettle and also look after them. The money will also help in setting up amenities on the land where the people shall be resettled,” said Ramathan Ggoobi, the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury.
Ggoobi said that Finance has begun the process to release sh50bn immediately so that the government can respond to the disasters.
He said that in total the government needs 125bn to handle disasters both in Elgon and Rwenzori sub regions so that lives are not lost anymore because of disasters.
Ggoobi was speaking during an emergency meeting convened by the Prime Minister of Uganda Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kampala.
Nabbanja briefed the meeting that the President had directed her to ensure that disasters are handled as an emergency as soon as possible.
This comes at a time when the death toll in the Bulambuli landslide has risen to 28 people with search efforts intensifying by the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF), Uganda Red Cross Society and residents.
The President has directed Dr. Doreen Agaba, Head of Uganda Space Programme to produce satellite images of the affected area showing how the area was before, during and after the incident.
“We shall produce the satellite images within 24 hours to help in handling the disaster and have accurate data,” said Agaba.
The Prime Minister said the government has decided to relocate all people in disaster prone areas in Elgon and Rwenzori as a must.
“There are no more negotiations on relocation because we don’t want to lose more lives as a result of landslides,” said Nabbanja.
She said that the government is now in the process of procuring land where to settle people affected immediately.
Nabbanja said that each household shall be given 2 acres of land and 10 million shillings and the land they have been occupying will be planted with trees and handed over to the Ministry of Tourism Wildlife and Antiquities.
“The President has guided that both Elgon and Rwenzori mountains be turned into national parks to reduce disasters in future and forested,” said Nabbanja.
The Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Hillary Onek said that they have identified land measuring to 10,000 acres to immediately resettle the affected people.
Onek said that they will feed the resettled people for at least 6 months as they plant their own food.
It was agreed that the area where these people will be settled should have a physical plan to avoid a slum-like settlement.
“As we resettle these people the Ministry of Lands should ensure that the area is planned well and ensure places of social services like schools, health centers and worship centers are reserved,” said Nabbanja.
The Mount Elgon region in Uganda has a history of landslides, with some of the most devastating occurring in the Bududa District such as in 1997–1999 landslides killed 48 people and displaced 10,000; in 2010 a landslide triggered by heavy rains buried three villages, killing over 400 people and displacing 5,000 and in 2018 a landslide killed more than 40 people.
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