From Bududa to the promised land
Oct 08, 2010
THE Internally Displaced People of Bududa district have finally been resettled in the promised land. But the exercise did not escape the trappings of adequate preparations or lack of it. <b>Frederick Womakuyu</b> was there from the beginning to the end.
THE Internally Displaced People of Bududa district have finally been resettled in the promised land. But the exercise did not escape the trappings of adequate preparations or lack of it. Frederick Womakuyu was there from the beginning to the end.
On March 1, 2010, over 350 people were killed by a devastating landslide in the villages of Nametsi, Kubewo and Tunutsi in Bududa district. Only 117 bodies were recovered.
About 8,000 survivors in nine villages were also displaced and settled temporarily at Buluncheke camp, where they have been staying for the last six months. However, they were not happy because they were doing nothing constructive; apart from sitting idle from morning to evening.
The Government eventually finalised plans to resettle them in Kiryandongo district in western Uganda.
On Wednesday, 406 people from 89 households were the first batch of the IDPs to be ferried to the promised land for the rest of their lives. The Government has purchased over 10 square miles of land for the IDPs.
Each household in this group was allocated 2.5 acres of land. A football pitch is about 2 acres large.
The rest of the IDPs will be resettled in groups of about 400 people after every two weeks, until the Bududa camp is cleared.
According to the plan, the IDPs who will not get land in Kiryandongo will be resettled in Kiruhuura, Ntungamo and Sembabule districts, all in western Uganda.
The journey
As early as 4:00am, the IDPs were in high spirit parking their belongings. Many had heard about the fertile soils in Kiryandongo and wanted to see it for themselves.
All the people Saturday Vision interviewed were excited about the ‘promised’ land. No one wanted to remain and they fought to register for the long journey.
Rashid Matage, 15, said the people who opposed relocation were those not affected by the landslide. “I have no home and I must go to Kiryandongo,†he said.
People started boarding the five Savannah coaches at about 10:00am. Later, the buses set off with bus loads of IDPs, lorries of property, an ambulance and vehicles belonging to officials. But the journey took longer than expected as four of the buses kept breaking down. Many people had never travelled by bus. Some became sick and started vomiting while others developed fevers.
Just before leaving Manafwa district for Mbale, one bus coughed to a halt. The people were furious and demanded for another bus but the operators assured them it was a simple mechanical fault that could be rectified.
But they were impatient and some threatened to walk to Kiryandongo. Grace Sambura, 56, said she had suffered enough in the camp. “I am not used to depending on food handouts. They make us appear like beggars. I want Independence Day to find me in Kiryandongo, on my own plot of land,†she said.
When the mechanical fault was rectified the journey resumed and everyone was happy again. But it wasn’t for long. Before we could leave Mbale for Soroti, another bus broke down and the convoy had to stop again.
The people started murmuring in anxiety and demanded to be treated better. But the officials from the disaster preparedness ministry calmed them down and gave them water and biscuits.
Soon, the convoy took off again at a slow pace much to the anger of IDPs. However, others took this as an opportunity to observe the places they had never been to before.
Mary Negesa, 63, kept asking an official to tell her whenever they crossed to another district. She said she had never gone beyond Bududa.
Unfortuantely, another bus broke down in Otuboi, Kaberamaido district.
The frustration was interrupted by one sick boy who collapsed and had to be treated in the ambulance. Doctors said he was suffering from measles.
Another girl, who was less than five years old and a young man were treated for suspected malaria.
People also demanded for lunch but the officials in charge of the convoy promised them food on arrival at Kiryandongo. The men and children protested and had to be calmed down by the officials.
The convoy snaked on from Kaberamaido to Lira amidst the heavy downpour. People asked to stop a bit to stretch and move around but officials explained that this was the last town to Kiryandongo district.
Kiryandongo district
As the convoy snaked into Bweyale, the rain intensified and an old man attributed this to the blessings of God welcoming them to the ‘Promised Land’.
On reaching the narrow road to the exact spot where the IDPs were to settle, the sight of gardens of fresh maize stirred up more excitement. Soon they started discussing the fertility of the soils in the area with approval.
However, the road to the site was in such a sorry state and was impassable. A Fuso truck had gotten stuck and blocked the road.
The tired IDPs were frustrated as night had started to fall. With little or no energy to complain, they sat back in their seats and waited for their fate.
One of the smaller vehicles in which some officials were travelling, managed to squeeze past the truck. They drove to the settlement site to get help from the army and the Police.
Meanwhile, the officer in charge of the convoy requested Maj. Gen. Oketta, the head of the resettlement operations, to take over from her, but he refused, saying he could only take over after all the IDPs had arrived at the site.
For almost 30 minutes, with the IDPs stuck on the road at night, about 5km from the site, nothing could be done.
It was only after the officer in charge of the convoy called the Minister of State for disaster preparedness, Musa Ecweru, that Maj. Gen. Oketta agreed to take over.
He mobilised about five Land Cruisers to accompany him to the site where the buses had been blocked.
Working under the heavy downpour, they pushed the Fuso truck out of the way. But when the lead bus attempted to move ahead, it also got stuck. Seeing what had happend, the other bus drivers refused to continue to the site.
Officials requested the IDPs to get out of the buses and walk the 5km to the site but they refused, saying they were hungry, tired and exhausted.
Officials then put all the children in the Land Cruisers and took them for dinner. They came back for pregnant women and told the rest to walk or sleep out in the cold, wet night. They reluctantly accepted. Unfortunately, during the trek, some fell in the mud due to the slippery road, while others got lost in the wilderness.
Site not ready
There was more drama at the site. Although there was food, there were no beddings and the tents were wet because of the heavy rain.
The women and children were separated from the men and packed them in a tiny room to sleep on the tarpaulins with only blankets to cover them. The men were sent to classrooms at a nearby primary school without any beddings or blankets. Many decided to chat for the rest of the night.
The next day
As soon as dawn broke, most of the IDPs started moving about, surveying the land. Every one Saturday Vision spoke to expressed satisfaction. They said the fertile land had washed off the disappointment they had the previous night.
Siraje Wamagalya, 20, said he was hopeful life would be better because the land was bigger and more fertile and the weather appeared similar to that of Bududa. “We lost everything during the landslide but I believe for every disaster there is an opportunity. I thank the Government for giving us fertile land,†he exclaimed.
Junit Grace, 39, said she was ready for work. “We shall cultivate this land and rise from the ashes,†she vowed. She said her family of 15 children had never owned more than a quarter an acre of land.
The population density of Bududa district is one of the highest in Uganda. According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, on average 1,059 people live in every square kilometre in Bududa. This is seven times the national average of 161 persons per square kilometre. At least over 10 families occupy an acre of land. The scarcity of land and hilly terrain of Bududa make Kiryandongo a Canan in all ways.
The Government allocated each of the families 2.5 acres of land and also gave them a temporary tent for settlement.
Government to build houses
Ecweru said the Government would build for the people permanent two bedroomed houses. He also showed the people a local primary school; 15 metres from the site where their children would study from. There is also a secondary school 5km from the site.
Ecweru also asked Oketta to show the people Panyandol Health Centre III, that is 4km away where they should get treatment from.
The Government is also providing safe water in tanks for the people until a borehole is drilled at the site in a month’s time.
Ecweru also promised that the road to the site would be rehabilitated.
The IDPs, who had sued the Government for not keeping their promise of resettling them soon, are now planning to withdraw the case. Ecweru said the delay was because Government had not got a large and free piece of land to resettle them.
“There were also some greedy politicians who wanted to sell to us very expensive land that is not ideal for you. In fact some of these people promised to give me 30% of the money if I agreed but I refused because it was not right,†he explained.
On March 1, 2010, over 350 people were killed by a devastating landslide in the villages of Nametsi, Kubewo and Tunutsi in Bududa district. Only 117 bodies were recovered.
About 8,000 survivors in nine villages were also displaced and settled temporarily at Buluncheke camp, where they have been staying for the last six months. However, they were not happy because they were doing nothing constructive; apart from sitting idle from morning to evening.
The Government eventually finalised plans to resettle them in Kiryandongo district in western Uganda.
On Wednesday, 406 people from 89 households were the first batch of the IDPs to be ferried to the promised land for the rest of their lives. The Government has purchased over 10 square miles of land for the IDPs.
Each household in this group was allocated 2.5 acres of land. A football pitch is about 2 acres large.
The rest of the IDPs will be resettled in groups of about 400 people after every two weeks, until the Bududa camp is cleared.
According to the plan, the IDPs who will not get land in Kiryandongo will be resettled in Kiruhuura, Ntungamo and Sembabule districts, all in western Uganda.
The journey
As early as 4:00am, the IDPs were in high spirit parking their belongings. Many had heard about the fertile soils in Kiryandongo and wanted to see it for themselves.
All the people Saturday Vision interviewed were excited about the ‘promised’ land. No one wanted to remain and they fought to register for the long journey.
Rashid Matage, 15, said the people who opposed relocation were those not affected by the landslide. “I have no home and I must go to Kiryandongo,†he said.
People started boarding the five Savannah coaches at about 10:00am. Later, the buses set off with bus loads of IDPs, lorries of property, an ambulance and vehicles belonging to officials. But the journey took longer than expected as four of the buses kept breaking down. Many people had never travelled by bus. Some became sick and started vomiting while others developed fevers.
Just before leaving Manafwa district for Mbale, one bus coughed to a halt. The people were furious and demanded for another bus but the operators assured them it was a simple mechanical fault that could be rectified.
But they were impatient and some threatened to walk to Kiryandongo. Grace Sambura, 56, said she had suffered enough in the camp. “I am not used to depending on food handouts. They make us appear like beggars. I want Independence Day to find me in Kiryandongo, on my own plot of land,†she said.
When the mechanical fault was rectified the journey resumed and everyone was happy again. But it wasn’t for long. Before we could leave Mbale for Soroti, another bus broke down and the convoy had to stop again.
The people started murmuring in anxiety and demanded to be treated better. But the officials from the disaster preparedness ministry calmed them down and gave them water and biscuits.
Soon, the convoy took off again at a slow pace much to the anger of IDPs. However, others took this as an opportunity to observe the places they had never been to before.
Mary Negesa, 63, kept asking an official to tell her whenever they crossed to another district. She said she had never gone beyond Bududa.
Unfortuantely, another bus broke down in Otuboi, Kaberamaido district.
The frustration was interrupted by one sick boy who collapsed and had to be treated in the ambulance. Doctors said he was suffering from measles.
Another girl, who was less than five years old and a young man were treated for suspected malaria.
People also demanded for lunch but the officials in charge of the convoy promised them food on arrival at Kiryandongo. The men and children protested and had to be calmed down by the officials.
The convoy snaked on from Kaberamaido to Lira amidst the heavy downpour. People asked to stop a bit to stretch and move around but officials explained that this was the last town to Kiryandongo district.
Kiryandongo district
As the convoy snaked into Bweyale, the rain intensified and an old man attributed this to the blessings of God welcoming them to the ‘Promised Land’.
On reaching the narrow road to the exact spot where the IDPs were to settle, the sight of gardens of fresh maize stirred up more excitement. Soon they started discussing the fertility of the soils in the area with approval.
However, the road to the site was in such a sorry state and was impassable. A Fuso truck had gotten stuck and blocked the road.
The tired IDPs were frustrated as night had started to fall. With little or no energy to complain, they sat back in their seats and waited for their fate.
One of the smaller vehicles in which some officials were travelling, managed to squeeze past the truck. They drove to the settlement site to get help from the army and the Police.
Meanwhile, the officer in charge of the convoy requested Maj. Gen. Oketta, the head of the resettlement operations, to take over from her, but he refused, saying he could only take over after all the IDPs had arrived at the site.
For almost 30 minutes, with the IDPs stuck on the road at night, about 5km from the site, nothing could be done.
It was only after the officer in charge of the convoy called the Minister of State for disaster preparedness, Musa Ecweru, that Maj. Gen. Oketta agreed to take over.
He mobilised about five Land Cruisers to accompany him to the site where the buses had been blocked.
Working under the heavy downpour, they pushed the Fuso truck out of the way. But when the lead bus attempted to move ahead, it also got stuck. Seeing what had happend, the other bus drivers refused to continue to the site.
Officials requested the IDPs to get out of the buses and walk the 5km to the site but they refused, saying they were hungry, tired and exhausted.
Officials then put all the children in the Land Cruisers and took them for dinner. They came back for pregnant women and told the rest to walk or sleep out in the cold, wet night. They reluctantly accepted. Unfortunately, during the trek, some fell in the mud due to the slippery road, while others got lost in the wilderness.
Site not ready
There was more drama at the site. Although there was food, there were no beddings and the tents were wet because of the heavy rain.
The women and children were separated from the men and packed them in a tiny room to sleep on the tarpaulins with only blankets to cover them. The men were sent to classrooms at a nearby primary school without any beddings or blankets. Many decided to chat for the rest of the night.
The next day
As soon as dawn broke, most of the IDPs started moving about, surveying the land. Every one Saturday Vision spoke to expressed satisfaction. They said the fertile land had washed off the disappointment they had the previous night.
Siraje Wamagalya, 20, said he was hopeful life would be better because the land was bigger and more fertile and the weather appeared similar to that of Bududa. “We lost everything during the landslide but I believe for every disaster there is an opportunity. I thank the Government for giving us fertile land,†he exclaimed.
Junit Grace, 39, said she was ready for work. “We shall cultivate this land and rise from the ashes,†she vowed. She said her family of 15 children had never owned more than a quarter an acre of land.
The population density of Bududa district is one of the highest in Uganda. According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, on average 1,059 people live in every square kilometre in Bududa. This is seven times the national average of 161 persons per square kilometre. At least over 10 families occupy an acre of land. The scarcity of land and hilly terrain of Bududa make Kiryandongo a Canan in all ways.
The Government allocated each of the families 2.5 acres of land and also gave them a temporary tent for settlement.
Government to build houses
Ecweru said the Government would build for the people permanent two bedroomed houses. He also showed the people a local primary school; 15 metres from the site where their children would study from. There is also a secondary school 5km from the site.
Ecweru also asked Oketta to show the people Panyandol Health Centre III, that is 4km away where they should get treatment from.
The Government is also providing safe water in tanks for the people until a borehole is drilled at the site in a month’s time.
Ecweru also promised that the road to the site would be rehabilitated.
The IDPs, who had sued the Government for not keeping their promise of resettling them soon, are now planning to withdraw the case. Ecweru said the delay was because Government had not got a large and free piece of land to resettle them.
“There were also some greedy politicians who wanted to sell to us very expensive land that is not ideal for you. In fact some of these people promised to give me 30% of the money if I agreed but I refused because it was not right,†he explained.