BY INNOCENT KIIZA
In the heart of Uganda’s Kasese District, a peaceful and beautiful place has turned into a scene of disaster. This May, the area has been hit hard by terrible floods and landslides, causing destruction and heartbreak across eleven sub-counties and town councils.
Musoki Janet a resident of Mapata ,Bugoye sub country will never forget the night of May 7th. It was like a horror movie come to life. She struggled desperately to save her child from the mudslide that crashed through their beloved home. As the walls shook and crumbled, Musoki tried to protect her children. But when the wall collapsed on the children’s room, her heart sank.
“I initially thought I could save my children,” Musoki recalled with tears in her eyes. “I was struggling to remove the collapsed wall, calling for help. We tried to retrieve them, but by the time we got to Mbambu Dorika, 13, and Kabugho Bridget, 10, they were already gone.”
That dreadful night, heavy rains started around May 7th, and her husband was away. Despite neighbors’ efforts to rescue them, it was too late. The same night claimed the lives of Muhindo Faibi, 37, Kasebere Moses, 55, Ndungu, just a week old, Mbambu Joy, 20, Bihande John, 50, and Bwambale Cyprus.
The trouble began during the March-April rainy season. Rivers like the Nyamugasani, Rwembyo, Kabiri, Isule, Hima Kuruhe, and Muhokya, which were usually calm, became dangerous torrents, flooding nearby communities. This year’s floods are worse than ever, affecting even rivers that had never flooded before.
Moses Kule remembers the night of May 7th vividly. The downpour, accompanied by lightning and thunder, lasted throughout the night. Water levels kept rising as the River Nyamugasani overflowed, snaking through their house near the river’s catchment area.
That night, Mr. Kule was at home with his children Kule Antonio, 9, Thembo Edwin, 5, and Biira Bridget, 11and his father, Thembo Aboneli, 60, who had come to check on his grandchildren. None of them survived. The River Nyamugasani, a river in the Nile Valley Basin, had never before seemed a threat. But on that fateful night, it became a force of destruction.
“The rain started after supper, and we went to bed as usual,” Mr. Kule said, his voice breaking. “Around midnight, I saw water coming into the house. We couldn’t sleep; the water was rising. I suggested we take the children to a neighbor’s house on higher ground.”
As they attempted to cross the water, a huge stone swept through their house, taking Mr. Kule’s father and children with it. “Everything fell apart,” Kule said. “I watched as my house and family were destroyed. The iron sheets were swept away. I couldn’t do anything.”Kasese district remains vulunarable as floods and mudslides claims a lot of people every rain season.
In 2022 September devastating floods claimed 16 people including children lost their lives at Kasika trading centre in mudslides
THE DISTRICT DISASTER COMMITTEE REPORT
The sub-counties of Bugoye, Rukoki, Maliba, Ibanda-Kyanya Town Council, Bwesumbu, Buhuhira, Kilembe, Kyondo, Kyarumba, Nyakabingo, Kitholhu, and Muhokya have all suffered greatly. Landslides, which are large amounts of earth and rock falling from hillsides, have been very destructive, sweeping away homes and farms.
Kasese District is known for its beautiful but rugged landscape. However, this same landscape has made it very vulnerable to landslides. Heavy rains have soaked the soil, making it unstable and causing massive landslides that have wiped out everything in their path.
The chairperson Kasese District disaster committee Elias Byamungu said several factors have caused these landslides: heavy rains, cutting down trees, quarrying, poor farming practices, and building homes on steep slopes. Communities have built on land that is not safe, often without proper construction methods.
He said disaster has had a terrible impact on the people. Thirteen lives have been lost, eight people are in the hospital, and one person is still missing. Families are mourning, and whole communities are in shock. Nearly 5,400 people have been forced to leave their homes and are now living in temporary shelters or with relatives.
Bugoye Sub County is one of the worst-hit areas. Villages like Mapata, Mulehe, and Nyangonge have been destroyed. Over 220 families are affected, and 60 of them are now living in a camp at Mapata Trading Centre. Their farms, covering more than 150 acres, are buried under mud, ruining crops and livestock.
The District Disaster focal person Joseph Singoma said in Maliba Sub County, the situation is just as bad. Villages such as Isule, Muwero, and Kihindi are flooded. Over 6,000 people have been affected, with nearly 1,800 now living in camps at Kyabikuha and Buhunga Primary Schools. Schools, health centers, and homes have been destroyed, leaving people struggling to cope.
The social and economic impact is huge. Important infrastructure like roads, bridges, schools, and health facilities are in ruins. The agriculture sector, which is the main source of income for many, is destroyed, with crops and livestock lost to the floods and landslides.
Yet, even in the face of this disaster, there are stories of strength and unity. Communities are coming together to support each other, setting up camps and providing shelter. Aid organizations and government agencies are working hard to deliver much-needed help. The spirit of the people of Kasese remains strong, even as they face the huge task of rebuilding their lives.
The disaster in Kasese District shows the power of nature and how vulnerable people can be. It calls for urgent attention to better land use practices, stronger infrastructure, and disaster preparedness to lessen the impact of such events in the future. As the people of Kasese work through this difficult time, their strength and solidarity will be their greatest assets.
THE UNMA WARN
The Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA) has warn and projected may to December as rain season, According to the Acting Authority director Dr Bob Alex Ogwang in a statement , he mentioned that “country is to experience near normal (near the average) to above normal (enhanced)rain fall over the forecast period of March, April, and May(MMM)2024”.
Uganda generally experience two major rain seasons; MMM and September –October-November-December(SOND)as the first and second rainy season respectively, However, regions in the northern sector of the country experience a third rainfall season during June- July-August (JJA) period.
Ogwang said country disaster is a stark reminder of the power of nature and the vulnerability of human settlements in its path. It calls for urgent attention to sustainable land use practices, robust infrastructure, and disaster preparedness to mitigate the impact of such calamities in the future.
