Residents of the Bunambutye Resettlement Area in Elgon's Bulambuli District have raised concerns over an acute water shortage and inadequate social infrastructure, warning that the challenges are undermining the government's efforts to resettle families displaced by landslides.
The complaints are particularly coming from families settled in Phase Five of the government resettlement project, who say all the boreholes serving their section have dried up during the current dry season.
In August 2024, the government relocated 272 people from landslide-prone areas in Lutsekhe Sub-county in Bududa District and Namisuni Sub-county in Bulambuli District to the Kata area in Bunambutye.
However, residents say they are now struggling to access clean water after the three boreholes allocated to their section reportedly stopped producing water.
Joseph Kutosi, the chairperson of Kata Camp, said residents are forced to walk more than 10 kilometres to Phase One of the settlement to fetch water.
"We were brought here for our safety, but we are facing new dangers now. Water is the heartbeat of any household, and we currently have none," one resident said.
Peter Wapolo, another resident, said the water shortage has disrupted family life, with women spending much of the day searching for water while children remain unattended.
He added that the situation has increased tensions within households and made daily life increasingly difficult.
Residents also expressed concern over the lack of basic services, saying roads, schools and health facilities promised under the resettlement programme have not yet been provided.
"It is difficult to stay alive in this era without basic infrastructure, especially when our children's education is hanging in the balance," residents said during a community meeting.
Some residents warned that they may return to their ancestral homes in the landslide-prone areas of Bududa if conditions in the settlement do not improve.
The Woman Member of Parliament for Bulambuli District, Sarah Nambozo Wekomba, visited the settlement last Friday and pledged to present the residents' concerns to the relevant government authorities.
She urged the settlers to remain patient, saying the resettlement programme was intended to protect communities from recurring landslides while government works to address the challenges they face.
Residents are now appealing to the government to rehabilitate the dried-up boreholes and expedite the construction of roads, schools and health facilities to improve living conditions in the settlement.
