The King of the Bamasaba, the Umukuuka Jude Mike Mudoma has endorsed government’s resettlement plan of his subjects from the landslide prone areas to safer areas in Bugisu sub region.
His Majesty Mudoma made his commitment during a meeting with the Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, at Mbale Resort Hotel on Thursday evening.
During the meeting, Umukuuka pledged his commitment to support the government on the resettlement exercise.
“We have been actually rambling with the ad hoc processes of sorting out the calamities in this region, but this has been a very practical time. I thank the government and the Cabinet, and especially His Excellency, the President, for ensuring that we have acted, because we are getting worried with these coming El Niño rains” he said.
He added, “Now, the money will never be enough, that’s why they put the word only. But the commitment of the government, giving us UGX 18 million, our people are going to get out”.
His Majesty Mudoma, further urged government to work with cultural institutions during the rolling out of government programs, and called for a post transfer management process after the relocation exercise, requesting the government to consider giving more supportive packages to the communities being relocated.
“I want the office of the Prime Minister to follow those very people of yours, these are now your babies, follow them wherever they have gone, and if need be, get a small fee for giving them something, because the money they are going to use the UGX 18 million is maybe to buy land and it gets finished” he said.
He added, “But they must be able to take care of themselves, put a retainer fee, something very small, like as you are giving money to the elderly, for a period of about two to three years. It is going to attract more people to pull away themselves from those disaster areas before even you come”.
During the meeting, Rt Hon Nabbanja said the programme is going to save the government a lot of money through first verifying the actual beneficiaries.
“The approach we have used, we are verifying the eligible, we already have data but according to me, and what we have seen, there was penetration using the local systems here. They were putting people, targeting money. But with this verification, we shall ensure that only eligible households receive this settlement package” she said.
Nabbanja noted that the relocation will bring to end the continued loss of lives during landslides in the Bugisu region.
The meeting was also attended by the state minister in charge of Bunyoro affairs in the office of the Prime Minister Mary Grace Mugasa and the Bulambuli county MP Biara Emmanuel Wepukhulu.
The Kingdom of Bugisu covers the districts of Mbale, Bududa, Manafa , Sironko, Namisindwa and Bulambuli.
Umukuuka Mudoma’s endorsement comes hours after PM Nabbanja warned all leaders in Bugisu sub region, to desist from decampaigning the government programme of relocating people from the landslide prone areas.
She made the remarks while speaking to leaders of Bulambuli district at Bulambuli district headquarters.
Hon Nabbanja is currently in Bugisu sub region on a mission to ensure that people living in landslide enclaves are relocated.
Earlier this month, the Minister for ICT & National Guidance, Hon Justine Lumumba Kasule, revealed that cabinet approved the Office of the Prime Minister to use of UGX 62 billion, to resettle landslide victims in the Mount Elgon Sub Region.
“Cabinet also approved the purchase of 2,217.66 acres of land at an estimated cost of UGX 8.870 billion. The land has been identified and checked to confirm it is suitable for purchase” she said.
Lumumba noted that households choosing land will receive two acres, valued at UGX 8 million, and UGX 10 million to build a house.
“Cabinet approved payments of UGX 18 million each to 1,423 households in areas at very high risk of landslides. Each household will receive UGX 8 million to buy land and UGX 10 million to build a house” she said.
Lumumba revealed that a further 10,558 households in high-risk areas need UGX 190.044 billion for resettlement, whose funding cabinet approved through a supplementary budget.
