Two years after the infamous floods in Buliisa district, the government is yet to acquire land to resettle the victims that were left displaced.
More than 3,500 families in Buliisa were displaced in 2020, following floods caused by the rising water levels of lake Albert.
Homes were submerged and properties worth millions of shillings at various landing sites were destroyed.
The most affected people are from Wanseko, Katanga, Masaka landing sites in Kigwera Sub- County and Kawaibanda, Butiaba, Boma, Kigangaizi, Tugombili and Walukuba. Others are from Bugoigo, Kamagongoro, Kigungu, Serule, Piida, Waisoki, Triangle and Magali in Butiaba sub-county, Kabolwa and Kigoya landing sites in Buliisa sub-county.
Since the incident, the victims have been accommodated in churches, schools, and under trees while others have erected makeshift structures where they are squatting in adverse living conditions.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, visited the area in 2021 to assess the extent of destruction caused by the floods and promised to relocate the victims but to date, nothing has happened.
According to Hillary Onek the Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, the government is yet to acquire land to resettle the victims.
He argues that the government has instructed the ministries for lands, water and Environment to first carry out a comprehensive survey of the affected areas to ascertain the degree of the destruction and come up with appropriate measures on how the victims could be amicably resettled.
Onek adds that after carrying out the survey and compiling data of the affected persons, the government will come up with the initiative of acquiring land to kick start the process of resettling the flood victims.
He, however, does not mention when all these processes will start, adding that the three ministries will first convene and come up with appropriate measures to kick start the entire resettlement plan.
The minister has called on the affected victims to be patient as the government is doing all it can to have them resettled.
Leaders in Buliisa and the affected residents have since 2020 been accusing the government of not speeding up the resettlement process of the flood-affected victims.
