Kasese floods pose danger to tourism
Motorists at the Katiri Bridge on River Nyambwaba that was destroyed by the week-long floods. PHOTO BY THEMBO KAHUNGU.
What you need to know:
Floods were caused by heavy rains that made Nyamwamba River to burst its banks
KASESE
The week-long floods in Kasese District might have destroyed property and taken life, but they also could have taken with them another income generating activity.
That the floods have destroyed roads, bridges, and vegetation, largely paints a grim picture in the tourism sector.
The bridge to Nyakalengijo in Bugoye Sub-county, which is the entry point to Rwenzori Mountains National Park and the Kyanjuki bridge in Kilembe, were washed away, rendering transport difficult. But the manager Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area, Mr Nelson Guma, said: “We are in a low season [rainy] whereby there are no mountaineering services; we only receive mountain trekkers during the dry season”.
Mr Guma said floods had a big impact on wildlife, especially where water collects itself, although he indicated they were yet to carry out an assessment of how the floods could have affected aquatic animals like fish.
But the district fisheries officer, Mr Julius Baluku, said: “Floods have no problem on the lakes unless the water is polluted.” He neither confirmed nor denied reports that water from Kilembe mines and Kilembe hospital could be contaminated.
