Govt constructs houses for Bududa victims

Govt constructs houses for resettled Bududa mudslide victims in Kiryadongo

 By Ayiga Ondoga

Government has constructed houses for the Bududa mudslide victims in Kiryadongo Panyadoli Resettlement Camp.
A total of 101, three- roomed houses have already been completed and occupied by the victim out of the 602, Dr. Stephen Mallinga, the Relief and Disaster Preparedness minister has said.

Another 100 houses will be constructed this financial year for some of the remaining families.
The minister hailed the Bududa mudslide victims for their hardwork and productiveness in agricultural activities in the resettlement camp at Panyadoli, Kiryadongo district.

“I’m very glad because you people are hardworking in the agricultural activities, where you have grown large gardens of maize, sweet potatoes, beans and sorghum. These will improve your living standard through getting additional income from the sales,” Malinga stated.

The minister was inspecting the houses being constructed by the Prime Minister’s office for the Bududa mudslide victims at Panyadoli Resettlement Camp, in Kiryadongo district, Thursday.

He was conducted around the camp by the LC5 chairman, Ben Moru, RDC, Patrick Kawamara, camp commandant, Robert Baryamwesiga and disaster officer, Cyprian Dhikusooka among others.

While assuring the district leaders, Malinga said, “These people have just started their productive activities. Soon, they will start growing tomatoes, cabbage, carrot, irish and onion because these are their farming crops.”

He urged the district leaders to provide a very peacefull environment for the victims to settle down and be productive.
Mallinga appealed to victims to respect the local people especially the King of Bunyoro, who gave them the land for the resettlement.

The minister warned the people against erratic sexual behouvor which could lead them to contract the deadly disease, HIV/AIDS in their congested camp.

“if you don’t control yourselves, you will be finished in this camp by HIV/AIDS especially those who drink and become sexually reckless by running after women and women also chasing after men. Incase, you want a woman to marry, please test before you start sleeping together,” Malinga warned.

He conveyed the government promise of providing two tractors to the camp for the victims to open their farmland in future.
“Cattle keepers should be kept away from the peoples gardens for the seek of co-existing in the area with local people because we want people to be productive and generate income for their households,” Mallinga quipped.

Patrick Kawamara, the resident district commissioner (RDC) urged the government and the local councils to device proper plans for managing disasters in future.

“Since these (Bududa victims) have shown their productiveness and government has given them land for settling, they should also benefit from other government programmes like NAADS and NUSAF because they said, they are not going back to Bududa,” Kawamara said.

Moru appealed to the government to expediate the construction process so that the remaing settlers could have decent environment for living.

He urged for government consideration of constructing latrines to avoid disease outbreak in the camp, which Malinga answered by saying every family will soon get latrine slabs to build their own facilities.