Bududa resettlement: First phase to cater for 900 households

By Stephen Kalema

Cabinet has ordered for the immediate resettlement of all survivors of the Bududa landslides to government land in Bulamburi.
This follows the  landslide that occurred last week in Bukalasi sub county where over 42 people lost their lives. Many more are still feared missing while property and a school were destroyed.

While speaking to journalists on Tuesday, State Minister for Relief and Disaster Preparedness, Musa Echweru said. “The cabinet has passed a resolution to start resettlement of the affected people in Bududa. We are going to first move 900 households. In total, 6,300 people will be moved to 2,868-hectares government land in Bulambuli.”

According to Echweru, each household is to receive 30 iron sheets, 50 bags of cement, 20,000 bricks, 10 tones of sand, roofing timbers, two doors and four windows to build permanent house. In total all the 900 household will 27,000 iron sheets, 45000 bags of cement 18m of bricks.
The Ministry of Finance has put aside over Shs32.75billion to cater for relocation.
Echweru also confirmed that in the next financial year, government will resettle 10,000 people from high risky areas of landslides to safer location.

Over 100,000 people live under risks. Trees will be planted in the land vacated.

“I know rich people will follow these people persuading them to sale this land  (2.5 hectares each) to them but this will not be possible. We are going to put a caveat on this land,” the minister said.
Why did take so long to relocate?

Government has put a blame to political leaders from Bugisu region who ‘opposed the relocation with a view that they would lose voters’.
However, according to local leaders in Bugisu even local people were not willing to leave their ancestral land because of culture.