The proposed transfer of ancestral land from households relocated from landslide-prone areas in the Mount Elgon sub-region to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has raised property-rights concerns. Emmanuel Wepukhulu Biara, the Bulambuli County MP, says the government's plan to demolish houses vacated by relocated families and incorporate the land into Mount Elgon National Park could violate constitutional protections. Wepukhulu presented the concerns in a matter of urgent public importance to Parliament.
Wepukhulu questioned whether the Shillings 18 million package intended to help families move to safer locations could also be treated as compensation for taking over their land, houses, perennial crops, and other property. He argued that relocation to save lives and compulsory acquisition of land are two separate legal processes that should not be treated as one. The MP cited Article 26 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to own property and prohibits compulsory deprivation of property except in accordance with the law.
The government's relocation initiative follows years of efforts to move communities away from the unstable slopes of Mount Elgon, where landslides have repeatedly destroyed homes, farms, and infrastructure and claimed lives. Cabinet approved a Shillings 62 billion resettlement programme in October 2026, with the initial phase targeting 1,423 households classified as being at very high risk. Each eligible household is expected to receive Shillings 18 million, comprising Shillings 8 million to purchase land and Shillings 10 million to construct a house.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has said the houses of beneficiaries will be demolished in collaboration with security agencies to prevent families from returning to dangerous areas. Residents have been allowed until December 31, 2026, to harvest crops remaining on the vacated land. The government has previously resettled more than 1,000 households in areas including Kiryandongo, Bulambuli, and Kween, but securing sufficient land for all affected families has remained a challenge.
Wepukhulu said the proposed arrangement could have far-reaching implications for communities in Bulambuli, Bududa, Namisindwa, and Sironko districts, where many families have occupied their land for generations. He emphasised that the affected communities were not opposed to evacuation but wanted assurances that accepting relocation assistance would not automatically result in the surrender of their ancestral land.
The MP asked Parliament to require the Prime Minister to present a comprehensive statement explaining the legal basis for demolishing the houses and transferring the vacated land to UWA. He also wants Government to consider suspending the demolitions and land transfers until ownership, boundaries, applicable laws, and compensation arrangements have been clarified. Wepukhulu further asked the Attorney General to advise Parliament on whether the Shillings 18 million package constitutes resettlement assistance or compensation for compulsory acquisition under Article 26 of the Constitution.
Wepukhulu called for an urgent parliamentary inquiry involving affected communities, the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Lands, and UWA. He said, "Let us evacuate our people from danger. Let us support the Government's UGX 18 million relocation programme. But let the questions of permanent land acquisition, compensation, and transfer to UWA be subjected to proper constitutional and parliamentary scrutiny."
Key points
- The concerns arise from a government programme to relocate more than 13,000 households living in landslide-prone areas of the Bugisu sub-region.
