The State Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Lilian Aber, has ordered the immediate relocation of communities affected by the recent deadly landslides in the Sebei Sub-region. Aber issued the directive on Sunday, November 2, while chairing an emergency disaster management meeting at the Kapchorwa District Headquarters. The meeting was attended by local leaders, security officials, and humanitarian partners.
The Minister said the government, through the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), is working with the Uganda Red Cross Society to provide emergency relief and temporary shelter to displaced families. She revealed that arrangements are underway to set up tents in Kabelyo Parish, Moyok Sub-county in Kween District, identified by local leaders as a safe and flat area suitable for temporary resettlement.
“We have ordered immediate relocation from high-risk zones to ensure no more lives are lost. Government, with support from the Uganda Red Cross, is already mobilizing tarpaulins, food, and other essential relief items,” Aber said, adding that they do not want to hear again that people in risk-prone areas are dying of landslides. Aber also delivered UGX 5 million from President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to support burial expenses for bereaved families and UGX 1.5 million to assist the injured in accessing medical treatment.
She further directed the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and the Uganda Police Force to deploy additional personnel to support evacuation efforts and provide security at the temporary camp. Local leaders were also tasked to use radio programs to sensitize residents about relocation and disaster preparedness. Local leaders appealed to government to expedite a permanent resettlement plan, saying temporary relocations have become a recurring challenge due to persistent landslides in Kapchorwa, Kween, and Bukwo districts. William Chemonges, the Kween County MP, confirmed that a temporary camp will be established in Kabelyo to host all affected families from Bukwo and Kween districts. He said continued displacement has disrupted livelihoods and education in the region.
Kapchorwa Woman MP Phillis Chemutai and Emma Rose Cherukut of Kween urged government to urgently improve road infrastructure, noting that several bridges have been washed away, complicating rescue and relief operations. The Sebei Sub-region was hit by multiple landslides on October 30 and November 1, 2025, following days of heavy rainfall.
The disaster struck Kapsomu Cell in Kapchorwa Municipality, Kabelyo Parish in Bukwo District, and Chepkus Village in Tuikat Sub-county, Kween District. At least 16 people have been confirmed dead and more than 20 others remain missing. Rescue and recovery operations are ongoing as authorities warn of further landslides due to continued rainfall and saturated soils in the mountainous terrain.
***URN***