Bulambuli: Government to phase out relief food distribution in Bunambutye

Government has started phasing out relief food distribution to landslide survivors who were relocated to Bunambutye resettlement scheme in Bulambuli district.

However, the beneficiaries have appealed to government to stay the programme citing low crop yields from their gardens which they say cannot sustain them.

The 232 households who were relocated to the resettlement project have been relying on food relief for the past one year.

The Bunambutye resettlement project was designated home for people living in landslide prone areas across Mt Elgon region.

Like any other new place, life was difficult at the start for many of the people resettled there.

The residents have been relying on food relief from government for the last one year while cultivating crops on the land they were allocated.

Government had hoped that with time, it will phase out the relief food after the people had cultivated their food and become self reliant.

Yet one year later, people are saying they are not yet self reliant yet government wants to wean them of the relief food.

Rose Nakabugo, the Ag Commissioner Disaster Preparedness and Management in the Office of the Prime Minister said government now want to focus on provision of social amenities and not food.

But the residents have appealed for extension of the food relief programme saying their first crop yield was affected by the late allocation of land.

Some said they will  further expressed their hope of being self sustaining come next season when they go into full blast production.

Meanwhile, the OPM needs Shs 4 billion to construct another 140 housing units before the next phase of relocation.

So far, 232 households, totalling to 1,580 people from Bududa, Namisindwa, Sironko and Bulambuli have since been relocated to Bunambutye, accounting for 26% of the intended 900 households.

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