Govt approves plan to relocate people in disaster-prone areas
By Benjamin Jumbe and Prossy Kisakye
Cabinet has approved a plan to have all people in risky mountain slopes evacuated to safer areas. This has been revealed by the Minister for ICT and National Guidance, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi following the recent disasters in Bugisu, Sebei and Rwenzori regions which have claimed several lives.
Addressing journalists in Kampala, Dr. Baryomunsi said government will use persuasion to have people in risky areas relocated to safer places within their respective regions.
He says government will facilitate the purchase of land for those who choose to voluntarily relocate.
“We took a decision that all the people who are living on those risky slopes of the mountain areas shall have to be relocated to safer places and then we shall gazette those areas where they have shifted from and then we shall plant trees and we shall not allow people to go back for any activity like cultivation or cutting trees,” Baryomunsi said.
He added that a team of government technocrats will be dispatched to engage masses living in risky areas.
Meanwhile, the Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) president, Ismael Kirya has asked the office of the prime minister and the ministry of disaster preparedness to intervene quickly and help the hopeless Ugandans in the affected regions.
Speaking to the media at the party’s head offices in Kampala, he further revealed that UYD has established a relief package from which they will be collecting materials like clothes, food, pads, soap among other essential needs to be given to the affected people as part of DP’s corporate social responsibility.
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