The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) has launched a relocation initiative targeting approximately 35,000 households in the Elgon Sub-region, offering Shs 18 million per household to help families move from landslide-prone mountainous areas to safer locations.
State Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Hon. Simon Mulongo, said Shs 43 billion has been allocated under President Yoweri Museveni’s directive to facilitate the resettlement programme, emphasising that its primary objective is to save lives, not provide compensation.
The initiative covers vulnerable communities in Bududa, Manafwa, Namisindwa, Sironko, Bulambuli, Mbale District and Mbale City, particularly those living on slopes exceeding 30 degrees.
Minister Mulongo revealed that 92% of residents reached on the first day of the second week of the exercise in Shikholo Village, Bududa District, had accepted the relocation offer. He urged remaining households to register and move to safer areas before the El Niño rains intensify.
He also emphasised the need for financial literacy and accountability to ensure beneficiaries use the funds responsibly to purchase land and establish new homes, recalling cases where previous relocation funds were misused.
Residents, including Kitsamba Abudul, Kibeti Francis, Nandutu Mary and Butali Beatrice, welcomed the initiative and expressed readiness to relocate. However, they appealed to government to consider increasing the Shs 18 million package, saying it may be insufficient to cover land purchases, construction and other resettlement needs.
