Communities affected by the recent deadly landslides in the Sebei Sub-region have been ordered to relocate immediately from high-risk areas. The directive was issued by the State Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Lilian Aber, during an emergency disaster management meeting held on Sunday, November 2, at the Kapchorwa District Headquarters. The session brought together local leaders, security officials, and humanitarian agencies.

According to Minister Aber, the government through the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) is partnering with the Uganda Red Cross Society to deliver emergency relief and provide temporary shelter for displaced families. She noted that local leaders have identified Kabelyo Parish in Moyok Sub-county, Kween District, as a safe and flat site for temporary resettlement, and preparations are already underway to establish tents there.

“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 stated. She emphasized that authorities do not want to hear again of deaths resulting from residents remaining in landslide-prone areas.

During the meeting, Aber also delivered UGX 5 million from President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to assist bereaved families with burial expenses, along with UGX 1.5 million to help the injured access medical care. She instructed the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and the Uganda Police Force to dispatch more personnel to facilitate evacuation and maintain security at the temporary settlement site. Additionally, local authorities were directed to use radio talk shows to raise public awareness on relocation and disaster preparedness.

Leaders from the affected districts urged the government to fast-track the implementation of a permanent resettlement plan, saying that repeated temporary relocations have become a persistent challenge due to frequent landslides in Kapchorwa, Kween, and Bukwo. William Chemonges, the Member of Parliament for Kween County, confirmed that the temporary camp in Kabelyo will host families displaced from both Kween and Bukwo Districts. He observed that continued displacement has severely disrupted education and livelihoods in the region.

Kapchorwa Woman MP Phillis Chemutai and her Kween counterpart, Emma Rose Cherukut, called on the government to prioritize road rehabilitation, pointing out that several bridges have been destroyed, making rescue and relief delivery more difficult.

The Sebei Sub-region experienced multiple landslides on October 30 and November 1, 2025, following prolonged heavy rainfall. Authorities have so far confirmed 16 deaths, while over 20 people remain missing. Rescue and recovery teams continue to operate as experts warn of further landslides due to ongoing rain and saturated soils in the mountainous terrain.