By Ben Musanje
The government has unveiled a fresh Shs199 billion plan to relocate thousands of households living in landslide-prone areas of the Mount Elgon sub-region, reviving a long-running resettlement programme that has struggled to gain momentum.
Minister for ICT and National Guidance Justine Kasule Lumumba said Cabinet has approved Shs8.87 billion for the first phase of the programme, targeting 1,423 households considered to be at the highest risk of landslides and mudslides.
The announcement was made on Tuesday during a press briefing at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala, as the government renewed its push to move communities living in some of the most vulnerable areas of Mount Elgon to safer locations.
The first phase will finance the purchase of 2,217.66 acres of land, which will be used to resettle the 1,423 households.
Lumumba said the beneficiaries will have options under the new arrangement. Each household can receive two acres of land valued at Shs4 million per acre, together with Shs10 million to construct a house.
Alternatively, a household can opt for Shs8 million in cash in place of the land, plus Shs10 million for house construction.
However, the initial Shs8.87 billion allocations will cover only a small portion of the families facing danger.
Lumumba said another 10,558 households remain in high-risk areas, with their relocation expected to require about Shs190 billion.
Cabinet has directed that the additional funds be sought through a supplementary budget, bringing the proposed cost of the latest relocation drive to nearly Shs199 billion.
Thousands still trapped in danger zones
The renewed relocation plan comes more than a decade after some of Uganda’s deadliest landslides devastated communities on the slopes of Mount Elgon.
The 2010 Nametsi landslide in Bududa remains one of the region’s worst disasters, killing hundreds of people and displacing thousands.
In the aftermath, government began plans to relocate communities considered vulnerable to landslides and established a resettlement site at Bunambutye in Bulambuli District.
But the relocation programme has moved slowly, with challenges ranging from land acquisition and inadequate funding to disputes over land ownership and resistance from residents reluctant to abandon ancestral land.
The government has since announced several interventions following landslides and warnings about the continued danger facing communities on the mountain.
In 2025, the Office of the Prime Minister said government planned to resettle 12,031 households across seven districts in the Elgon sub-region, with about 28,000 acres of land required for the exercise.
Cash transfers have also been used to encourage some families to voluntarily leave high-risk areas.
In 2024, selected households in Bududa received financial assistance to facilitate relocation, while government continued efforts to secure land for a broader resettlement programme.
New conditions for beneficiaries
Under the latest Cabinet-approved arrangement, households that receive relocation support will be required to surrender their existing land to government.
Lumumba said the surrendered land will subsequently become part of land managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
The government is also putting in place mechanisms to prevent relocated families from returning to the same areas after receiving support.
The Office of the Prime Minister will work with local governments, the Internal Security Organization and Parish Development Model structures to monitor the implementation of the programme and the use of funds.
The renewed plan comes amid continuing concerns over the number of families still living in areas authorities have identified as vulnerable attempt to turn years of relocation promises into a large-scale resettlement programme—while leaving thousands more households to landslides.
It also comes as government communicates weather-related alerts, including warnings associated with the El Niño phenomenon, raising fresh concerns about communities living on unstable slopes.
For families in the Mount Elgon region, the Shs199 billion plan represents the latest attempt to turn years of relocation promises into a large-scale resettlement programme—while leaving thousands more households waiting for a safer place to live. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
