Government will provide Shs18 million to each household living in landslide-prone areas of the Bugisu sub-region to support relocation to safer locations.
The one-off financial package is intended to help beneficiaries purchase land in safer areas within Bugisu or elsewhere in Uganda, reducing their exposure to landslides and other disaster-related risks.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja announced the initiative during an engagement with ministers, Members of Parliament, technical officials and local government leaders from the Bugisu sub-region. The programme was launched in Namisindwa District on Wednesday.
Nabbanja said the initiative forms part of the government’s broader resettlement programme, which has been running since 2010 to protect communities and their livelihoods from disasters.
“We launched the resettlement package initiative, under which households in landslide-prone areas in Bugisu sub-region will receive UGX 18 million each as a one-off financial support, to facilitate their relocation from high-risk to safer areas,” Nabbanja said.
She explained that the financial assistance was intended to enable residents to move away from areas vulnerable to landslides and establish homes in safer locations.
The Prime Minister also commended Ministers Sam Engola and Simon Mulongo, area MPs and local government leaders for their contributions to the initiative.
“I also thank the people of Bugisu sub-region for supporting this important programme,” she said.
The resettlement package is aimed at reducing the vulnerability of households living in high-risk areas by helping them acquire safer land.
However, further details on the number of households expected to benefit, the total budget for the programme, the eligibility criteria and the timeline for disbursement were not provided in the announcement.
The initiative comes as the government seeks to address the risks faced by communities living in landslide-prone areas of eastern Uganda through relocation and resettlement support.
