UGANDA - The MONUC earth equipment delivered at Nametsi, the scene of the devastating mudslide that killed over 50 people in March, has grounded and stalled work.

By David Mafabi

The equipment, including tractors, a water pump, caterpillars and flood lights, was being used to help excavate some 250 bodies still buried under the rubble.
 
A devastating mudslide hit Nametsi village, Bududa district, in eastern Uganda on March 1st burying the entire trading centre with over 300 people.
 

Resettling
But after just four weeks, in which only four bodies were found, the machines grounded. No work is currently taking place and the entire area has turned into a bush with many of the mudslide survivors resettling back at their cradle land.
 
Lt. Col. Wilson Kareba, the UPDF officer in charge of the Monuc retrieval efforts, confirmed the equipment stalled about three weeks ago due to heavy rains around the mountain. However, he assured that efforts are in place to repair the equipment and continue excavation works.
 

105 bodies retrieved
“The machines broke down due to the hardened ground and heavy downfall. We suspended the work to repair the machines and we are determined to retrieve all the bodies as directed by the commander in chief of the UPDF. So far we have recovered about eight bodies, in addition to the 97 bodies that were recovered earlier. In total, we now have retrieved 105 victims of the mudslide," Lt Col. Kareba told The Uganda Eye.
 
Up in the surrounding hills, ominous cracks of separating rock formations can be heard in the distance. Despite it posing a serious threat to people who are resettling in the area, families are determined to return to their premises.
 
The LCII chairman of Nametsi parish, Mr. Patrick Wakooba, says in the absence of fork lifters and graders or other heavy machinery that can blast or remove huge rocks, the retrieval work is very difficult for the soldiers.
 
“The exercise of retrieving the bodies could have been completed by now but the type of light machines given to the UPDF, makes it difficult for them to blast heavy rocks and dig up the hardened ground now,” he added.
 

'We have come to die here'
Mr. Hassan Shikanga and his wife Margret Nafuna have abandoned the Bulucheke resettlement camp and are back in Nametsi to start a new life. “We don’t see any hope at the camp, there is no food. We don’t see hope of recovering our dead at Nametsi so what is the reason of being there? We have come to die here, to be buried here with our people and we shall not move away. If the government really wants to help us, it should bring us aid in Nametsi,” said Shikanga.

Bududa district representative Mr. Patrck Mawululu confirmed that many of the mudslide victims had already moved back to Nametsi to start a new life. Many many more are expected to return this month.

This story is from The Uganda Eye, one of RNW's partners. (Coming shortly on the RNW Africa website, the latest stories on a daily basis from our top partners in Africa.)