President Museveni has detailed his plan to find a lasting solution for landslide victims in Bugisu, Sebei and Rwenzori sub regions once he retains power in the next term.
Speaking during a rally at Binyiny Primary School Playground in Kween district on Tuesday, Museveni said government has put in place a well elaborate plan that it will follow after the elections to resettle victims of landslides in the three regions.
“We bought some land here. They(Ministry for Disaster Preparedness) have got shs56 billion and looking for more land and it is available in the budget .For each family, we give two acres free and shs10 million cash. That’s is the plan now. We want resettlement away from the danger area,” Museveni said.
This comes in the wake of devastating mudslides triggered by relentless heavy overnight rains that swept through villages in Kween and Bukwo districts, leaving over 20 dead and others homeless.
Speaking on Tuesday, Museveni said that while in Bududa, the locals suggested another idea of resettling the landslide victims and those facing danger in the Mount Elgon area within their home districts which he said is welcome.
“When I was in Bududa, they brought some new idea of resettling them in urban centres of the district. We shall study that because that is what they do in Europe. You hear mountains like Alps and people live in valleys and the mountain used for activities like skiing,” he said.
According to Museveni, after next year’s elections, he would organised delegations from Rwenzori and Elgon areas which are prone to landslides for a benchmarking trip to Europe.
“I want them to see how it is done. We are not the only ones with mountains. They (mountains) need to be developed areas with hotels, shops etc so that when tourists come, they buy from you.”
Warns on Environmental Misuse
Museveni also spared time to lecture the population on the dangers of environmental misuse and how to avoid it.
He likened rivers, lakes, mountains and forests to the body’s blood supply system that he said needs to be kept intact or blood will stop flowing.
“The blood supply in our system is the one which keeps us alive. If you damage any part of it you die. Therefore, when we say the boundary should be here, it must be guided by science not opinion or prejudice. If I am cutting my nails, I don’t have to go deep and if I do, then I start bleeding. It is the science. It is the same with the hair. I can have any style I want but if I go deep in the skin, I bleed,” Museveni advised.
“ It is not a question of what we want but what nature wants. Without these mountains like the Elgon, Rwenzori, Kigezi highlands, the country may be like a desert. When I am travelling, I always ask my pilot where we are.”
He gave an example of Karamoja which he said is on the same latitude as West Nile, but said the latter receives more rainfall.
“West Nile gets two times the amount of rain Karamoja gets. This is because of swamps in South Sudan and the forests in DRC. This matter of politics and cheap popularity is very dangerous. All these things were are doing are because of what God has brought together.”
He said previously, cases of landslides were not common because the population was still small and had not encroached on the natural resources as is the case now.
In the past population was small, now God and NRM have multiplied it. What you call districts now were sub counties and the whole population of Sebei was 20,000 but now you are like 500,000. Now that population has grown, we should know what will keep us safe. The rain, the water and environment.”
Museveni also said government will find a lasting solution to the population which has encroached on the Mt. Elgon Forest encroachment catchment areas which has created conflicts between the locals and Uganda Wildlife Authority.
He said government will compensate those who were evicted from the catchment areas.
“I have no problem giving you more and more money because you are going to keep it here and not taking it to America. “
Museveni however condemned the beating of the locals by UWA officials during their eviction from the forest.
