Weeks later, tears of Bududa landslide victims yet to dry

Bududa District, which lies on the border of Uganda and Kenya, is a high risk area for landslides.
In 2018 at least 41 people were killed after a river in the region burst its banks, and in 2010 at least 100 people were killed in a landslide. After the 2010 landslide, the government said that the region, where people live on extremely steep slopes, was too dangerous to be lived in and that a programme was under way to re-locate residents.
More than 90 families who survived the October 2018 landslides have so far been relocated to the area where 101 houses were built out of the planned 900 houses.

John Richard Wamara, I lost my daughter, sister

“The rain started around 9.30pm. We had already had our supper and my eldest daughter and my sister had already gone to sleep while my wife and I stayed in the sitting room chatting. She was carrying our eight-month-old daughter. Suddenly, water started entering the house from different directions and within a few seconds, I was waist deep in the water. I walked towards the bedroom to find my daughter and sister while I told my wife to get out of the house with the baby. I had not taken three steps when soil started filling the house. I felt my back snap from the pressure of the soil and I could not feel my legs. I felt the ground shift beneath me as the mud not only pushed us out of the house but started pushing the house downhill. We yelled for help and were fortunate that some people came to our rescue. However, my five-year-old daughter and 13-year-old sister did not survive. Our crops were destroyed and all our animals also died. I was carried out of the house but I could not walk or stand.”

Fobia Nasoswe. I could not save my little girl

“At around midnight, as my family and I slept, running water that flooded the house from the slopes woke us up. My wife and I carried some of our children to my brother’s house. We had seven children and I was to come back for the one who was sleeping. However, by the time I ran back to get her, the house was already covered by soil and there is nothing I could do for my little girl. My wife was also badly injured and she is still admitted at Bududa Hospital receiving treatment.”
Nasoswe, overwhelmed by emotions, lets his brother Sailus Wereba tell the rest of the story. “We had to dig for ten hours to recover my niece’s body. With every shovel, we died a little as we got her lifeless body out of the ground. We took her body to the district headquarters then to the police. I was, however, saddened that instead of helping us, we were instead asked for money to transport my niece to her final resting place. Thankfully, a Good Samaritan gave us the money and were able to bury her. We have lived on this land for generations. My grandparents and other ancestors are buried here. We have never experienced anything like this and had never been warned about any impending danger.”

Mary Natondo. Mud submerged my brother’s house

“Because I live alone, when water started filling my house, I walked to my son’s house for safety but found his house already covered by mud. Luckily, he is set to be relocated but I am not on that list.
All my property was destroyed and I am currently staying at a camp that was set up at a church. I am stranded with no food and to make matters worse, my family is moving away from me.”

Sowed Tutinye. My sister was too old to escape

“My Sister Melicina Kibone, 73, lived with her granddaughter who was away from home when the incident happened. She came back to find that her grandmother had been buried alive with no one to help her escape.”

Paul Wamandu. We were saved by calls for help

“We heard people shouting and calling for help and since my family and I live in the valley, we were able to see what was happening and run for our lives. The running water destroyed everything. Our house is flooded and the water is still running through our garden. It also destroyed our livestock. While we were running, my wife was hit by rocks rolling down the hill and is currently admitted at Bududa Hospital with serious injuries. Life has changed drastically for the people in my community. We had food and homes to go back to but currently live in a church waiting for help from the government.”