Landslide survivors say they have been neglected

GERALD MATEMBU

Early this year, residents of Buwandyambi ward in Namisindwa town council in Namisindwa district woke up to ugly scenes after a  sudden shift in land mass left several houses and social facilities razed down.

The incident was triggered by an eminent crack that formed in  11  villages living several families homeless and others under risk.

"The soil sunk suddenly following a heavy down pour and people's houses started collapsing", said Stephen Wepukhulu, the Mangoye LC2 in Buwandyambi Ward.

Several months down the road, the victims are still in uncertainty as they continue to live under fear.

Wepukhulu said their patience was anchored on the pledge of the state minister for Disaster Preparedness, Musa Ecweru, who visited the area in May.

"We had a meeting with the disaster minister at this very place and he pledged to immediately take our plea to the speaker of parliament but there has been no response. We don't know what to do"

Some of the victims whose houses were razed down have returned to the condemned areas for lack of an alternative.

"My house is in a sorry state but I was forced to return to due to the poor conditions at my host's house, I am worried that my house could collapse any time," said Juliet Nabukonde, one of the survivors

Maria Musabi, a widow has been living in a house belonging to a good Samaritan on request of the area LC after her home was completely destroyed.

She is not sure of where to go after the owners asked her to vacate it.  She was allowed to occupy the house for two weeks awaiting the return of the owner who currently resides in Mbale town.

"The owner of the house has asked me to live but I have no where to go, I have no relatives," Musabi said.

In a meeting with district authorities, the survivors registered their dissatisfaction to what they termed as abandonment by government.

Wanambwa Sole Lusabe, a local leader, said government's silence reminds them of the broken promises of resettlement in 2011 when they suffered a similar tragedy.

"Assessment was done and some people were asked to temporarily vacate the place pending resettlement but nothing happened," Wanambwa said.

They appealed to government to resettle them locally on individual basis and in small groups in phases to ease the process.

District authorities told The Nile Post that reports have been submitted to the line ministry and they are equally waiting for a response to that effect.