300 displaced by floods
Residents cross a flooded river at Doho Village in Butaleja Dsitrict recently. PHOTO BY Yahudu Kitunzi
What you need to know:
Disaster. River Manafwa has flooded folloeing heavy rains causing homes to be displaced.
Butaleja.
At least 300 residents in Himutu, Kachonga and Mazimasa sub-counties, Butaleja District have been displaced by floods from River Manafwa.
Reports from the ground indicated that about 37 houses (homes) have been submerged, household items such as bedding, clothes, domestic birds, and animals have been washed away by the floods leaving residents in tears.
The floods, triggered by heavy rains that have been pounding Mt Elgon sub-region for the last four days, also destroyed gardens of food crops like cassava, potatoes, beans, maize, rice, groundnuts, tomatoes, sorghum and animals.
When Daily Monitor visited the area, the victims had taken refuge at their relative’s homes with several of them wandering without shelter, food and clothing after most of their property was carried away by the floods.
The water has flooded a stretch of more than 20km in the sub-counties, including Kangaraba and Nabiganda Trading Centre.
The disaster
The floods took people unaware barely a month after officials from the Office of the Prime Minister and Uganda Communications Commission installed an early warning system siren at the banks of River Manafwa in Himutu Sub-county to alert residents of possible floods so they can escape before any damage.
