By Julius Odeke

6^th June 2011:

Museveni with a gun after the Bududa madslides

The Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) has issued a warning to the government to get ready to handle deadly landslides, mudslides, and flash floods in the Elgon region, saying they might occur at any time.  Speaking to this reporter last Friday, Uganda Red Cross Society’s Regional Programme Manager Mr. Stephen Wamukota said, “…a deadly catastrophe is likely to strike in the Elgon zone anytime”.

Mr. Wamukota added that the districts that lie within the Elgon zone include Mbale, Manafwa, Bududa, Kapchorwa, Sironko and Butaleja; all of which usually get heavy rainfall that sweeps loose soil and thus causing mudslides and splash floods in the low lying areas of Sironko and Butaleja.

“…Environment experts have warned both the government and the communities living in the hotspots [especially in Manafwa] of cracks but nobody has taken it seriously and I fear that at any time a mudslide can strike killing people and this might find government and the humanitarian agencies unaware and unable to help the affected victims. That will be a huge problem”, Wamukota said.

He also said that as URCS, they had carried out hazard mapping so as to determine whether the disaster was likely to occur and their findings bear out their advice that people living in the disaster prone areas should be evacuated in order to avert the looming danger.

URCS did its hazard mapping exercise purposely to inform the government and the surrounding communities about the early warnings of natural catastrophes.  “…People living in the areas that have developed cracks should be relocated to safer areas before the looming problem strikes”, Wamukota said.

URCS has already asked the American Red Cross Society to help it support the victims who will be relocated.  American Red Cross Society has already sent non food items to URCS.  “…The task now lies with the government to sensitise people and help them relocate to areas where they can get help”, Wamukota told this reporter.

Mr. Wamukota also pointed out that a population of over 30,000 people is likely to be affected as a result of the cracks that are evidently seen in the mountainous areas of Manafwa and Bududa.

“…URCS is right now sensitizing people in those areas that if it rains for six consecutive hours, then they should quickly abandon their homes for safer areas to in order to avoid what happened in March last year when over one hundred people were killed and thousands displaced in Bududa”, Wamukota said.

Pamela Anying, Uganda Wildlife Authority’s [UWA’s] Senior Warden however added a different twist to the plight of the people in the hotspots.  “…Most of the people who live in the earmarked hotspots are land encroachers who should be evicted as soon as possible”, M/s Anying said.

She added that they are not only endangering themselves but they also pose a big threat to wildlife which includes wild animals like duikers,
buffaloes, and lions which, she says, are potential tourists attractions.  UWA reports indicate that nearly 3,200 hectares of land have been encroached upon since early this year.

The most affected areas are Tsekululu, Sono, Buwabwala, and Bupoto Sub-Counties.  END.  Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.