Members of Parliament from Uganda’s Mount Elgon sub-region have renewed calls for the Government to urgently relocate thousands of families living in landslide-prone areas, warning that the anticipated heavy rains could trigger another humanitarian disaster if action is delayed.
The legislators raised the concerns during a plenary sitting, citing widening cracks on the slopes of Mount Elgon and forecasts of above-normal rainfall that have heightened fears of fresh landslides in a region that has suffered repeated disasters over the years.
Sironko District Woman MP Aisha Mafabi told Parliament that communities in her district continue to lose lives, livestock and productive farmland to recurring landslides, despite previous government interventions.
She revealed that at least 1,645 residents in Sironko remain stranded in high-risk areas awaiting relocation.
“The cracks are expanding, and with the expected heavy rains, water will seep into the soil, further weakening the slopes and increasing the likelihood of landslides,” Mafabi said, urging the Government to speed up the resettlement programme before another tragedy occurs.
Responding to the concerns, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to permanently resettle families living on the most dangerous slopes of Mount Elgon, describing relocation as the only sustainable solution.
She said the Government has already relocated about 1,200 people after acquiring land in Kween District but acknowledged that obtaining large tracts of land within the region has become increasingly difficult due to land scarcity and ownership disputes.
To address the challenge, Nabbanja revealed that Cabinet is considering a new policy that would allow affected families to purchase land of their choice using government funding instead of waiting for the Government to acquire land on their behalf.
“We have prepared a Cabinet paper proposing that instead of Government buying land, we provide affected families with funds to purchase two acres each in locations of their choice,” she said.
The Prime Minister added that the Government has already earmarked Shs56 billion to support the relocation programme, saying the proposed approach would accelerate the resettlement process while giving families greater flexibility.
However, legislators questioned the pace of implementation, noting that many displaced families continue to live in difficult conditions years after being evacuated.
Bulambuli County MP John Musila described the situation in temporary settlements as dire, saying many families survive on one meal a day while others have remained separated for years.
Prime Minister Nabbanja defended the decision to decommission temporary camps established after the 2024 Bulambuli landslides, explaining that the camps had become difficult to manage as relief supplies increasingly attracted non-registered beneficiaries.
She maintained that the Government’s priority is to permanently resettle affected households rather than keeping them in long-term emergency camps.
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa directed the Prime Minister to convene a meeting with MPs from the Mount Elgon sub-region to develop a comprehensive roadmap for the relocation programme, reflecting Parliament’s determination to ensure vulnerable communities are moved to safer areas before the next rainy season.
The Mount Elgon region, which includes the districts of Sironko, Bulambuli, Bududa, Manafwa and Namisindwa, has experienced devastating landslides for more than two decades, with disasters repeatedly claiming lives, destroying property and displacing thousands of families.
