Govt urged to check settlement in hilly regions
Oct 17, 2018
45 people died as the latest deadly mudslides hit Bududa villages
In the wake of the deadly Bududa mudslides, government has been asked to come up with new settlement patterns and human development that is conscious of the inherent challenges of hilly or mountainous areas across the country.
Calling for national prayers to be hold to intercede for the souls of those who perished in Thursday's landslides, the Uganda People's Congress (UPC) insisted that building in hilly or mountainous regions ought to be guided purposely to avoid any other serious threat in future.
Addressing journalists during the party's weekly press briefing at Uganda House, Michael Osinde the party spokesperson, said: "We have relaxed on this, as bulldozers just clear hills without serious thought."
According to the Prime Minister's office, 45 people died as the latest deadly mudslides hit Bududa villages.
Over 140 houses were washed into low beds in the 11 villages, displacing over 800 people. Several crop gardens were also destroyed.
Odinda said it is more dangerous because wealthy people dug up hills such as Buziga, Kireka, Naguru, Sseguku, Namulanda and Bugembe-Wanyange among others to erect powerful mansions without effective scrutiny by government.
"On the issue of relocating the people, UPC is concerned about the big question of land ownership.
The government should come up with a clear policy that gives an open picture of who owns the land they are vacating and the one they are being relocated to for the purposes of public trust. Otherwise the efforts to relocate them may be in vain," he said.
The 2010 landslides that wrecked Nametsi village in Bududa district left over 150 people dead and this prompted government to embark on population relocation arrangements.
Land measuring 2868 acres was bought in Bulambuli district for the relocation.