Following a landslide in December 2019 that killed dozens in the Bududa district of eastern Uganda, survivors took legal action in 2020 with the support of Ugandan NGO Greenwatch and Kakuru & Co Advocates.

They argued that by failing to establish effective disaster management in Bududa, the government was in breach of the Constitution and other existing laws. [1]

The survivors have demanded emergency systems be put into place in high-risk areas, and that families who lost loved ones receive financial compensation.

The case – stalled for five years due to a procedural technicality – is now back in court, just a year after a similar landslide killed dozens in the neighboring Bulambuli District. [2]

If the judge allows the case to proceed, then the Mbale High Court will begin to examine the case in detail and deal with its core arguments.

Greenwatch Director Samantha Atukunda Kakuru Mwesigwa said:

“Almost five years after the launch of this case, these claimants have not wavered in their fight for justice – and we are proud to stand by them today in court.

“And during this painstaking wait, similar disasters have hit nearby areas – such as the devastating landslide last year in Bulambuli.

“Without the right finance and adaptation measures in place, every town and village in the eastern part of Uganda lives with the fear that tragedy could strike at any moment.

“That’s why these claimants’ case has never been more important. Heavier rainfall wreaks and will continue to wreak havoc in the region – and we are hoping the court gives this case its long-awaited green light to proceed to the next stage.”

Background to the case

Recurrent landslides are an ever-present threat in eastern Uganda, particularly during the rainier months between November and January.

They’ve been happening for decades and have been worsening over time – which is partially due to increased rainfall caused by climate change. [3]

In order to address the growing danger communities in landslide-prone areas face, the Ugandan Government adopted a resettlement plan in 2010. They intended to relocate all those who might be impacted by landslides within 10 years.

However, little progress has been made to date, and only a limited number of people who want to relocate have had the process seen through.

Residents in Bududa, who are primarily subsistence farmers, are also strongly concerned about the suitability of the relocation scheme – particularly when it comes to finding a place to grow and produce food.

All the while, landslides have continued to hit the region. Most recently in Bulambuli, 15 people were killed by a heavy-rainfall-induced landslide – with a further 113 people reported missing by local authorities.

40 houses were swept away by the disaster and the military was deployed to help assist with search and recovery efforts in the aftermath. [4]

Beyond Uganda, climate change-fueled landslides are becoming an increasing risk across the African continent. Heavy rainfall and flash flooding in Sudan reportedly killed hundreds last month, compounding an ongoing humanitarian crisis in the country. [5]

And according to UNICEF, almost one million people across Kenya, Burundi, Tanzania and Somalia were affected in May 2024 by ongoing flooding and landslides. [6] 

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of GreenWatch