Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has issued a two-month ultimatum to residents living in disaster-prone areas of the Bugisu sub-region, directing them to vacate their homes after receiving government compensation or face forced eviction and possible arrest. The government has set December 30, 2026, as the deadline for affected families to relocate to safer areas, warning that those who refuse to comply will face enforcement measures.
The announcement was made on Saturday, October 24, 2026, during a press conference at Mbale Resort Hotel, where Nabbanja was overseeing the government’s relocation and compensation exercise. The initiative, implemented through the Office of the Prime Minister, follows a directive from President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni aimed at moving communities exposed to disasters, particularly those living in high-risk areas around Mount Elgon. Government has allocated Shs43 billion to facilitate the exercise.
According to Nabbanja, families that have cooperated with the relocation programme have been given November and December to identify safer places and establish new homes. She warned that the government would not extend the deadline indefinitely, insisting that the exercise is intended to protect lives rather than simply move people away from their ancestral land. Authorities say the relocation is necessary to reduce the risk of future disasters in areas vulnerable to dangerous weather conditions and related hazards.
Under the programme, each eligible household is receiving Shs18 million to support relocation. However, Nabbanja clarified that the money should not be interpreted as the actual market value of the land or property being left behind. Instead, the payment is intended to help affected families secure alternative places to live and begin rebuilding their lives away from danger zones. The compensation arrangement marks a shift from previous government efforts that relied heavily on organised resettlement.
The Prime Minister also raised concerns about weather forecasts predicting El Niño rainfall in the coming two weeks, warning that heavy rains could expose residents in vulnerable areas to renewed danger. She said the government was determined to prevent further loss of life, recalling the devastating consequences that disasters have had on communities in the region. The authorities are therefore urging residents to take the warnings seriously and relocate before the situation deteriorates.
The compensation exercise was launched in Namisindwa District earlier in the week before being extended to other districts in the Mount Elgon region. State Minister for Disaster Preparedness Davina Esther Anyakun urged residents to embrace the programme, explaining that the government plans to extend similar interventions to other disaster-prone areas, including Teso and the Rwenzori region. She said the previous strategy of relocating affected communities to Bulambuli had progressed slowly, with only about 1,000 people resettled while many others remained in hazardous locations.
State Minister for Gender and Social Development Simon Mulongo said previous relocation initiatives had encountered resistance, with some beneficiaries continuing to occupy dangerous areas despite receiving compensation from government and non-governmental organisations. He indicated that authorities intended to enforce the latest programme more firmly to ensure that the intended safety measures are implemented. The government maintains that continued occupation of high-risk areas could undermine efforts to prevent avoidable deaths and protect vulnerable communities.
Meanwhile, Bulambuli County MP Emmanuel Biara said local leaders in Bugisu had engaged residents about the relocation exercise and that the affected communities had agreed to seek alternative land after receiving compensation. Once the residents leave, the vacated land will be handed over to the Uganda Wildlife Authority for tree planting and incorporation into Mount Elgon National Park. With the December 30 deadline approaching, attention is now turning to whether all affected households will relocate voluntarily or whether authorities will resort to forced evictions to enforce the directive.
