The persons living in mountainous areas across the country have been advised to voluntarily withdraw in order to avoid facing forceful eviction.
The development comes at a time when several parts of the country have suffered heavy rains, flooding and the destruction of crops, homes, and infrastructure as rains started after a prolonged drought.
The Uganda National Meteorological Authority-UNMA last month, advised people living in mountainous areas to be vigilant or evacuate to safer areas in anticipation of unusually strong and destructive rains in the August-December season.
Now, the Minister of Information, Communication Technology and National Guidance Chris Baryomunsi has said that the persons staying and cultivating in mountainous and other disaster-prone areas irrespective of their social status must put into consideration the effects of their activities on nature and the risks to their own lives.
The minister who was in Kasese on Sunday and Monday meeting persons and families hit by last week's mudslides in Kasika, Rukoki sub-county, said the government had discussed and agreed that all persons who lived on the slopes of hills at a gradient of above 30 degrees should be relocated.
Baryomunsi added that soon government was going to send teams across the country to survey all disaster-prone areas to evaluate the magnitude of disaster risks before a forceful eviction is conducted on those who would still be adamant.
Baryomunsi emphasized that the degradation of the environment must stop if disasters emanating from human activities have to be stopped.
He said the current disasters like floods were majorly the result of environmental degradation.
At least 16 people were killed after heavy rain caused mudslides in Kisika on Wednesday last week.
The landslide buried dozens of homes and their occupants and left several residents, mostly women and children. One body of a child is still missing.
