By Caroline Nakire
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has challenged the inclusion of some households on Bugisu’s landslide resettlement list, saying the Shs18 million relocation package must prioritise families facing the greatest danger.
During a verification visit to Bwiibuka Cell in Namisindwa District on October 23, Nabbanja questioned why households in areas she considered less vulnerable had been listed alongside communities requiring urgent relocation.
She warned that including ineligible beneficiaries would divert resources from families whose lives were threatened by landslides.
Nabbanja also alleged that a Gombolola Internal Security Officer had irregularly added households to the list. The allegation remains unproven, and the material reviewed did not include a response from the officer.
The verification exercise involves visiting households to assess their eligibility before recommending payment. In Namisindwa, the team examined cracked homes and observed cracks in nearby ground, highlighting the accuracy of earlier risk assessments.
John Musila, the area Member of Parliament, stressed that the exercise aimed to protect lives.
“We are here not to supply money,” Musila said, emphasising that assistance should reach households threatened by landslides.
Minister of State for Bunyoro Affairs Mary Mugasa and local leaders accompanied Nabbanja. Residents were cautioned against seeking inclusion if they did not own homes in the mapped areas.
Under the programme, eligible households will receive a one-off Shs18 million payment to purchase land in safer locations within Bugisu or elsewhere in Uganda. The cash arrangement follows difficulties in securing large tracts of land for government-led resettlement.
The Office of the Prime Minister says it will implement the exercise in phases, prioritising the areas most at risk.
The exercise must also address omissions. Reports from the wider verification process indicate that some potentially vulnerable communities were not captured in earlier assessments. Checking both disputed entries and excluded households will help ensure assistance reaches those who need it most.