KAMPALA — Cabinet has approved Shs62 billion for the resettlement of families living in landslide-prone areas of the Mount Elgon sub-region, with government initially targeting more than 1,400 households in locations classified as being at very high risk.
The Minister for ICT and National Guidance, Justine Lumumba Kasule, said the funds will be implemented through the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) as part of a government programme to move vulnerable communities to safer areas.
The Cabinet decision also provides for the acquisition of 2,217.66 acres of land at an estimated cost of Shs8.870 billion.
According to Lumumba, the land has already been identified and assessed to establish whether it is suitable for the planned resettlement.
“Cabinet also approved the purchase of 2,217.66 acres of land at an estimated cost of Shs8.870 billion. The land has been identified and checked to confirm it is suitable for purchase,” she said.
The first phase of the programme will benefit 1,423 households living in areas classified as being at very high risk of landslides.
Each household will receive Shs18 million in resettlement assistance.
Of this amount, Shs8 million will be used to purchase land, while Shs10 million will support the construction of a house.
The land component will provide each household with two acres.
“Cabinet approved payments of Shs18 million each to 1,423 households in areas at very high risk of landslides. Each household will receive Shs8 million to buy land and Shs10 million to build a house,” Lumumba said.
The arrangement is intended to enable families to leave locations where they face a high likelihood of losing homes, property and livelihoods because of landslides.
The government will provide the land and housing support as part of a permanent resettlement arrangement rather than temporary disaster relief.
The government has identified thousands of other households that remain exposed to landslide risks.
Lumumba said 10,558 households in areas classified as high risk require Shs190.044 billion for resettlement.
Cabinet has approved funding for this additional programme through a supplementary budget.
The figure represents a much larger financial requirement than the initial Shs62 billion allocation and points to the scale of the challenge facing the government as it seeks to relocate communities from vulnerable areas.
The resettlement programme will therefore have to be implemented in phases as government mobilises and releases the necessary resources.
The government will require beneficiaries to permanently leave the land from which they have been relocated.
Lumumba said households receiving resettlement support would be required to vacate their current land and hand it over to government.
“After receiving their resettlement support, the households will be required to leave the affected land and hand it over to Government. The land will become part of the area managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority,” she said.
The requirement is intended to prevent beneficiaries from returning to areas that have been identified as unsafe.
It will also allow government to control future settlement and other activities in the vacated areas.
The land will subsequently fall under the management of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, according to the minister.
The Office of the Prime Minister will coordinate the implementation of the resettlement exercise.
Lumumba said OPM would work with the Internal Security Organisation, local governments and Parish Development Model structures to monitor the proper use of the funds.
The agencies will be involved in overseeing the programme and following up on the beneficiaries after they receive the resettlement support.
The monitoring is expected to help government ensure that the funds allocated for land purchase and house construction are used for their intended purposes.
Local governments will also be important in coordinating the relocation of affected households and supporting the transition to new settlements.
The government’s plan seeks to address the long-term risk faced by communities living in landslide-prone areas of Mount Elgon.
The region has communities living in terrain vulnerable to landslides, making relocation one of the measures government can use to reduce exposure to disasters.
The first phase will provide a direct resettlement package to 1,423 households, but the government still faces the larger task of relocating the 10,558 households classified as being at high risk.
The Shs190.044 billion requirement for the latter group means the programme will require continued government funding beyond the initial Cabinet approval.
For the beneficiaries, the support is expected to provide an opportunity to establish new homes away from dangerous areas.
For government, the challenge will be ensuring that the relocation is orderly, that suitable land is acquired and that public funds are properly accounted for.
The programme also places a long-term responsibility on authorities to prevent renewed settlement in areas from which communities have been moved because of landslide risks.
