Efforts to establish a temporary camp for landslide survivors in Sebei have stalled after a directive from State Minister for Disaster Preparedness, Lillian Aber, clashed with Uganda Wildlife Authority regulations.
Conflicting orders left families stranded, tents erected illegally inside Mount Elgon National Park, and local leaders and authorities in open confrontation, exposing political tensions and bureaucratic confusion amid a humanitarian crisis.
Dozens of displaced people arrived at Kabelyo early Monday, expecting temporary shelter following last week’s deadly landslides.
Instead, they found themselves stuck as the Uganda Wildlife Authority blocked access, citing that the land lay inside Mount Elgon National Park.
Relief agencies, including the Uganda Red Cross, were unable to set up tents or distribute supplies.
Tensions escalated when Kween MP William Chemonges led local leaders in defiance of UWA directives, seizing a Red Cross truck and erecting tents in the park.
Chemonges defended his actions, saying, “As a serious leader allied to the ruling government, I could not allow my people, who have walked all the way from the mountain, to go back.”
Later, a Cabinet directive halted Minister Aber’s plan, relocating survivors to Benet Primary School playground.
Chemonges reportedly ignored this decision, continuing to mobilize residents at the disputed site. UWA eventually demolished the overnight tents, reasserting control of the park.
Criticism has mounted from multiple fronts. Community members accuse UWA of insensitivity, while local leaders blame Minister Aber for issuing instructions without consulting the Ministry of Tourism, which oversees national parks.
With more rains forecast, displaced families remain unsettled, as bureaucratic disputes delay urgent humanitarian relief.