Landslide destroys crops, homes in Namisindwa district

A landslide has destroyed crops and damaged homes in Nabukelema cell, Nambewo ward, Magale Town Council. 

The landslide, which occurred on Thursday afternoon, left many homes partially submerged as that part of the country continues to experience heavy rainfall. 

There have been no reports of life lost so far. 

Nabukelema falls in Namisindwa district which is prone to landslides. 

The Elgon region district in eastern Uganda ranked high on the 2018 Office of the Prime Minister risk assessment. Plans had been mooted to relocate the more than 1000 households that are settled in the Namisindwa. 

The plan unveiled in 2018 was expected to take two years. Families would be moved in batches of 100 households per phase. They would be resettled in Bunambutye. 

However, to this day, only 24 families are now to have been successfully relocated. 

Rogers Woliama, district councilor representing Magale Town Council, says the number of settlers has since shot beyond the initial 1000 households. 

Until this landslide, Magale town council was not thought to be as at high a risk as Bupoto, Namisindwa town council, Mukoto, Tsekulululu, Bukokho, Bumbo. 

Area leaders have suggested that the Office of the Prime Minister work out a compensation module that will allow households to resettle themselves away from the disaster prone areas. 

The leaders are afraid that the government resettlement programme pace is not fast enough and could lead the loss of more lives as more landslides occur. 

The last major landslide claimed an estimated 60 people in Bududa. Thirty bodies of the victims were recovered during the 2019 operation.