Hundreds of residents have been left destitute in Kisoro District after their houses were washed away and gardens flooded due to the ongoing heavy rains that have fallen for three days now.

Over 200 households in Bunyora and Kimbuba villages, in Chahafi Town Council, have been washed away by the floods.

Murora Sub-county, where six people died in the floods, has also been severely affected by the heavy rains. The Gatete-Chibumba road, Chibumba trading centre, schools and churches, have been cut off by floods.

Residents told COU Family TV that many parts of Chahafi Town Council routinely flood whenever it rains heavily, thereby cutting off schools, health centres, roads, gardens and the entire trading centre. Trade has been significantly affected as crops and roads have been destroyed. Now residents fear that famine will hit the area and also an outbreak of water-borne diseases. They appealed to the government for relief and relocation to safer areas.

The Kisoro Resident District Commissioner, Shafique Ssekandi noted that the people of Murora and Chibumba Sub-counties who have highly been affected should vacate the flooded areas and move to the churches and schools to take shelter. RDC Ssekandi also appealed to the people to plant trees in the ridges to reduce the speed of running water.

The Kisoro District Environment Officer, Mujja Judith, noted that the people have contributed to the disaster by continuing to cultivate in wetlands and indiscriminately cutting down trees which have left the area exposed to floods. She added that in 2021, the government came up with a new policy to monitor climate change from district to sub-county level but the challenge is that the environment office does not have adequate staff to do the work.

The District Environment Officer also appealed to residents to move away from the flooded areas and go to safer places since the heavy rains will continue.

Kate Atuzarirwe