By Weswa Ronnie
Emmanuel Obbo, the Archbishop of Tororo Catholic Archdiocese, has asked government to expedite the process of resettling people living in disaster risk areas in the Bugisu region as rains prepare to come.
According to meteorological authorities, the Elgon region is going to receive high rainfall, commonly known as El Nino, in the month of October, which has brought fears of landslides in the region.
While speaking to hundreds of Christians on Sunday during a mass wedding function at St. Kaloli Lwanga Kikuyu Catholic Church under Muyembe Catholic Parish located at Simu Sub-county in Bulambuli District, the Archbishop said government had aimed at relocating all people living in risk areas but the program has failed to progress yet rains are about to come.
He says government had plans to compensate people in mapped areas and then they themselves look for land elsewhere to settle and leave their original land to Uganda Wildlife Authority for tree planting.
Obbo asked Members of Parliament in the Bugisu region to take this matter seriously by reminding government, otherwise hundreds may lose their lives when rains come.
Sarah Wekomba Nambozo, the Woman Member of Parliament representing Bulambuli District, says she recently reminded government on the floor of Parliament about resettling the remaining people in disaster risk areas.
Wekomba adds that she reminded government about the poor conditions that people who were relocated to Bunambutye Government Resettlement Area for Phase III are going through, such as lacking water, schools, health facilities among others, but as leaders they are still waiting for a response.
She urged people in disaster risk sub-counties like Buluganya, Bumasobo, Namisuni, among others, to relocate and stay with their relatives who are in safe places before the rains come, because what government is saying might be true.
Mudimi Nyasio Wamakuyu, the legislator representing Elgon County in Bulambuli District, confirmed to the Archbishop that government would have relocated those people long ago as planned, but there were land conflicts at Bunambutye land which government wanted to buy to settle the victims.
He says government has come up with a decision of giving 10 million shillings to each family mapped in disaster risk areas to move to a safe place and later giving them an additional five million, totaling 15 million shillings, before the rains come.
Some of the Christians who are also living in diaster risk areas they are ready to move if government compensate them but not ready to leave their land to government .
Still at the same function, the Archbishop used the opportunity to officially hand over St Kaloli Lwanga Kikuyu Catholic Church funded Secondary Seed School, where the land was donated by Mudimi, the area Member of Parliament.
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