President Museveni has warned residents of the Mount Elgon region to take disaster risks seriously, citing landslide-prone settlements and deforestation, while pledging renewed government action to protect vulnerable communities.
Speaking at a rally in Bulambuli District, the President emphasized the urgent need for disaster preparedness and environmental conservation on Mount Elgon. He warned that continued settlement on fragile slopes has repeatedly led to loss of lives in the region.
“Deforestation on Mount Elgon is worsening soil instability and water run-off. It is like undressing one’s mother,” Museveni said, urging communities to restore tree cover and strengthen local enforcement to protect the mountain ecosystem, which he described as the region’s “life source.”
The President was welcomed by Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among, Eastern Region NRM Vice Chairperson Calvin Echodu, and Party Secretary General Richard Todwong.
Earlier, NRM Bulambuli Chairperson Paul Kimamati presented a memorandum highlighting gaps in disaster response, delayed resettlement of landslide victims, and infrastructure challenges.
Museveni pledged continued support for relocating landslide-affected families, compensating communities hit by cattle raids in the 1980s, and reinforcing highland roads using cobblestone technology to reduce erosion risks.
As climate pressures intensify across Mount Elgon, the President’s message in Bulambuli underscored environmental protection and community safety—issues expected to shape his engagements across the Bugisu sub-region.