Gov’t urged to Expedite Enactment of Disaster Risk Management law

Stakeholders have emphasized the critical need for a Disaster Risk Management (DRM) law in Uganda to ensure effective disaster preparedness and response.

Despite the country facing numerous disasters, the Office of the Prime Minister has been engaged in formulating the DRM Bill for an extended period.

To bolster momentum and address immediate challenges in the bill’s formulation process, the Uganda Red Cross Society, in collaboration with the Parliamentary Forum on Disaster Risk Reduction, organized a meeting in Kampala to review the current status.

During the meeting, Alex Luganda, legal advisor to the Uganda Red Cross Society, highlighted the urgency of enacting this law to address the lack of coordinated response and clear commitment to funding during emergencies.

He emphasized the need for a streamlined response and legislation framework to guide disaster response efforts, citing the complexities and delays in current bureaucratic processes.

“If there’s an emergency like a Landslide in Bududa which has covered three villages with over 600 families closed up and then you are saying parliament has to sit, the finance ministry develop a paper, go to parliament and then the MPs debate supplementary, then come back to the ministry of finance, that process cant be done in two days but a month, then what is happening on the ground where hundreds of citizens are buried up, have no food,” wondered Luganda.

Additionally, Luganda emphasized the importance of harmonizing international and regional disaster management protocols into national legislation to enhance coordination and organization in Uganda’s disaster response efforts.

Tororo Woman MP, Sarah Opendi who is a member of the Parliamentary Forum on Disaster Risk Reduction, echoed the sentiments, emphasizing the need for legislation with enforceable sanctions to address man-made disasters and irresponsible behavior contributing to disasters like floods.

“In Uganda, people want to make money but don’t want to work for it. If you look at most of the disasters we have, many are man-made but we need sanctions for offenders causing some of these disasters. People are cutting down trees, and others invading swamps which leads to disasters like floods. The law will go a long way in stipulating the sanctions.” said Opendi

In response, officials from the Office of the Prime Minister assured that the formulation process of the bill is underway, currently at the cabinet stage, with regulatory assessments completed and engagement with the Ministry of Finance for financial implications clearance.

They highlighted that the journey began with a policy passed by the cabinet, now progressing towards cabinet approval of principles before determining the next steps.

Present at the meeting were members of the
Parliamentary Forum on Disaster Risk Reduction, officials from the Office of the Prime Minister, the Attorney General’s Office, and Uganda Red Cross Society among others.