Africa-Press – Uganda. Cabinet ministers, including Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba and Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Minister Hilary Onek, have made a heartfelt plea to landowners in Bulambuli District, urging them to allow government to acquire land for families displaced by devastating landslides on the slopes of Mt. Elgon.
Under President Museveni’s directive, government has allocated funds for the purchase of land to resettle affected families.
However, persistent disputes among landowners have stalled the process, leaving many victims stranded in temporary camps in Bunambutye or clinging to precarious slopes at risk of collapse.
During a cabinet subcommittee inspection of potential resettlement sites, Nabakooba warned that the expanding cracks on the mountain posed a severe danger to thousands of lives.
“We are in urgent need of encumbrance-free land,” Nabakooba said. “I call upon the landowners to show compassion for their brothers and sisters whose lives are in danger. The rains are coming, the cracks are widening, and any time we could witness a disaster.”
The government delegation inspected several parcels in Bulambuli and Kween districts. But tensions flared when locals blocked ministers from accessing one contested site, claimed by both community members and Amore Investments Limited, a foreign investor.
Acknowledging the ownership wrangles, Nabakooba gave landowners one week to resolve disputes and return with positive outcomes, stressing that government could not afford further delays.
Minister Onek echoed the appeal, urging compassion over obstruction.
“We are looking forward to safeguarding our population from danger. Those obstructing government efforts should consider the risk faced by our fellow citizens. These are our brothers and sisters who may be buried by the mountain tomorrow,” Onek said.
He added that while land in Kween is free of encumbrances, it is less fertile compared to Bulambuli, and most victims preferred to remain close to their relatives.
This preference, he noted, had complicated efforts to relocate families to safer ground further away.
Davis Mwenyi, commissioner for disaster preparedness, said at least 28,000 acres are needed to resettle the 14,000 households currently at risk.
Despite Bulambuli’s vast land holdings, most parcels are mired in counterclaims, delaying humanitarian efforts.
“The greatest support one can offer landslide victims at this time is to assist the government in acquiring encumbrance-free land for their resettlement,” Mwenyi said, calling on civil society, religious and cultural leaders to mediate disputes and expedite the process.
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