The Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party has advised the government to recruit people with specialized skills in meteorology, geology, physical geography, and rapid response in order to handle and prevent disasters.

The UPC party spokesperson, Sharon Arach Oyat, recommended that the staff should be equipped with “good facilities for rescue operations and response units.”

“The experience of Kiteezi landfill, Bulambuli, and Sironko, where ordinary citizens get hold of hoes, axes, and pangas to help out, just gives a summary of our level of preparedness in terms of disaster as a country that is hugely lacking,” she said.

Oyat said this on December 4, 2024, during the party’s weekly media briefing held at Uganda House in Kampala.

Last week, the country experienced sad and disturbing news of another landslide in Bulambuli and Sironko districts in the Bugisu sub-region, which left scores of people dead, others severely injured, while quite a high number of people were still missing.

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It is reported that people’s homesteads, gardens, and social/physical infrastructure were damaged beyond recognition. Some roads, bridges, health centers, and schools were also affected and all need urgent attention to restore them to working conditions.

Oyat applauded the efforts by the rapid response team that is trying to rescue the situation in the affected areas.

“UPC commends the deployed rapid response units of Red Cross and Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF) for their efforts in a bid to arrest the situation, which the public is calling dire and frightening,” she noted.

According to reports, the geographical area affected so far covers close to 75 acres of land with homesteads and farmlands (downhill) in Bulambuli to Sironko districts.

UPC called for “an urgent need to pay utmost attention to these continuous landslides in Uganda and the rest of the world,” adding that heavy rains have been sighted as one of the key triggers for landslides and floods, which is also part of a bigger challenge linked to effects of climate change.

She appealed to the government, especially the line ministries, to be more vigilant with reforestation programs, protect wetlands, and encourage usage of eco-friendly systems to protect the environment.