Minister explains the delayed resettlement of people living in Bunambutye IDP camps
By;Weswa Ronnie
The Minister of disaster and preparedness Lillian Abar has given answers why the government has delayed to resettle land slide victims who have stayed in IDP camps at Bunambutye in Bulambuli district for now right months.
Last year in December after land slide such killed over 30 people at Buluganya sub county in Bulambuli district, the president of Uganda asked ministry of finance to release 50 billion shillings to resettle people living at risk areas in Bulambuli, Bududa, Mbale ,Manafwa and Namisindwa.
Robin Nambaja the prime minister ordered the respective district to carry their people and resettle them temporarily at Bunambutye resettlement camps in tents as the government plans to give each home 10 million shillings with two arches of land at Bunambutye resettlement area.
In the first phase, 24 families were relocated from different disaster risk areas and were brought in the IDP camps at Bunambutye.
At the second phase again more 97 families were relocated to IDP camps at Bunambutye government resettlement area up to now.
All those families up to now have not been given 10 million with land as promised by the government before removing them from their original homes.
While speaking to hundreds of landslide victims today Sunday at Bunambutye resettlement area, minister Abar says that it’s the district which has delayed to submit names of 24 families for the first phase before wiring money on their accounts and giving them land.
She adds that those 97 families who were in the second phase their settlement may delay due to land conflicts on the land the government wanted to purchase to resettle them on .
The minister says that the government is still looking for the good land within Bugisu to buy and allocated to those 97 families living in IDP camps at Bunambutye government resettlement area.
Gerald Nangoli member of parliament representing Elgon North county in Bulambuli district says that delay resettlement of people has caused lots of challenges like people starting to go back to risk areas.
He says if the government doesn’t take this matter as serious, another serious disaster may kill more people.
Nangoli accused the ministry of disaster and prime minister’s office for not involving local leaders during registration of people who should be executed.
Annet Nandudu the LCV Chairperson of Bulambuli district says that those IDP are too congested which are uncomfortable to people.
She says that this is going to result into sexual abuse , diseases among other problems urging government to expedite the process of compensation and giving people plots.
Davis Mwenyi the commissioner at the ministry of disaster says that they have resettled so far 1660 families from different Bugisu districts at Bunambutye resettlement area.
He says the government is trying what it takes to make sure that no more lives the government should lose during the land slide.
Commissioner says that those original lands of the victims will be taken over by the government to plant trees and will be tuned to the national Park.
Iren Nabulwala the victim at Bunambutye government resettlement area says they are about to go back if they continue seeing no money.
She says acquiring four meals in the day is hard, getting clean water is hard among others.
Sarah Nekesa is also a victim and says that their land and property is worth beyond 10 million shillings The government wants to compensate adding that unless the government gives them money equal to their property, they will not vacate
