Bulambuli locals stare at landslides

At least 200 households in Buluganya Parish, Bulambuli District, are at risk of being swept away by looming landslides as the rains continue to pound the hilly area.
 Last week, a landslide hit Masugu Village in Buluganya Sub-county and killed five people, four of them from one family.  It also buried livestock, and crops and displaced hundreds.
The locals dug through the mud using rudimentary tools in search of missing relatives.  One body was recovered last Thursday and four others were recovered the following day including that of a three- year- old girl.
According to the district officials, the landslide also displaced over 100 families, who are currently staying at Masugu Primary School.
Mr Moses Mwayafu, the secretary works and head of the disaster committee in Bulambuli District, said several homes have been marked as uninhabitable. “Those families need to be relocated to safer places before another disaster occurs,” Mr Mwayafu said.
He named the most affected sub-counties as Bumasobo, Sooti, Nabiwutulu, Bulunganya and Bulago.
The school has more than 900 pupils.
Ms Angella Nandudu , the headteacher of Masugu Primary School, said: “We are not opening on Monday (today) for second term because it will be too risky for our pupils and also teachers. A house that was buried (last week) is just a few metres from our school,” she said.
About 1,000 people need to be relocated including 671 children.
Relocation
The displaced people have also sought refuge at Masugu catholic School within Buluganya Sub-county.
Mr James Masuba, a clan leader of the Bamasugu clan, said the government should consider relocating the affected residents to Bunambutye resettlement camp. 
“We are in shock and helpless, we are still waiting for the government to act and support the relatives of the deceased and those who survived and are in hospital,” he said.
The government started the resettlement of landslide victims in Bulambuli in 2019 from mostly the districts of Bududa, Sironko, Bulambuli, Manafwa and Namisindwa.
Close to 300 families, comprising more than 5,000 people have so far been resettled.
Mr Mark Barasa, the vice chairman of Bulambuli District, said: “We have sent an assessment to both the Ministry of Disaster and the Office of the Prime Minister and we are now waiting for a response because the displaced people are in need of shelter and food.”
 Mr Stanley Bayole, the Bulambuli resident district commissioner, said: “Government has got money to relocate the people and it will soon roll out the plan. However, we appeal to the people living in endangered areas to go to safer places for now.” 
The Minister for Karamoja Affairs and also the Woman MP for Manafwa District, Dr Mary Goretti Kitutu, last week urged Give Directly, a non-governmental organisation, to quicken the compensation of people living in disaster-prone areas in the region.
Last August, Give Directly launched a resettlement package of more than Shs31 billion for 4,000 affected families Namisindwa, Sironko, Bududa, and Manafwa districts.
Dr Kitutu said Uganda National Meteorological Authority’s forecast shows that in June this year, the region will receive heavy rains which may put people’s lives especially those living in disaster-prone areas at risk.
In June 2012, a landslide hit  Bumwalukani Sub-county in Bududa and  killed about 450 people.