Kitgum | Aber Lillian, State Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees in the Prime Minister’s Office, has warned Kitgum district leaders against engaging in negative politics that stifle development.
Minister Aber made the remarks on Thursday, April 10, 2025, during a community mobilization drive to encourage residents to move from grass-thatched huts to permanent iron-roofed homes.
Aber, who is also the woman Member of Parliament for Kitgum district, has spent the past week distributing shs1 million in startup capital to women’s groups in each parish in the district.
So far, over shs250 million has been disbursed under this initiative to support the construction of permanent housing in Kitgum, improving the living conditions of every individual.
The initiative was inspired by Minister Aber’s visit to a district in Central Uganda, where he attended a community event promoting iron sheet donations.
There, the local MP mobilized parish-based groups and gave them shs1 million each, encouraging members to contribute shs5,000 to shs20,000 monthly, depending on their ability.
This enabled them to work with a roofing company that provided discounted materials and transportation to the sub-county level.
Minister Aber emphasized in her speech that development efforts must be free of political interference.
She welcomed support from anyone with good intentions, but advised communities to avoid involving untrustworthy individuals.
Aber also stated that the initiative aims to uplift the Acholi people and dispel the myth that, despite having land, they still live in grass-thatched homes.
“If local leaders join hands, the face of Kitgum will change,” Aber said, calling for unity and harmonization in implementing the program.
Pamela Atto, the Kitgum district secretary for production, marketing, and natural resources, highlighted the urgency of the initiative.
She revealed that wildfires have already destroyed over 100 houses this year, the majority of which were grass-thatched structures.
She cited the 1974 Prohibition of the Burning of Grass Act and the Local Governments Act, which make bush burning illegal unless authorized by public officials.
“Despite the law, people continue to burn bushes, which destroys property and sometimes leads to loss of life,” Atto warned.
Denis Okello, a Kitgum Matidi sub-county resident, added that bush burning is still common during Acholi’s dry season.
It is used to clear land for agriculture, open up new pastures for livestock, and even hunt edible animals such as rats.
According to Global Forest Watch, Kitgum’s fire season begins in early December and lasts approximately 14 weeks.
Between December 7, 2020 and November 29, 2021, the district received 771 fire alerts via the Visible Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), a tool for detecting active fires and thermal anomalies.
According to VIIRS data, 280 kilohectares (approximately 691,880 acres) of land have been burned in Kitgum this year, highlighting the urgent need for safer and more permanent housing.
By Vincent Kaguta.[irp posts=”42439″ ]
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