Broken bridges, despair as floods ravage villages

Broken bridges and flooded swamps have become a death trap as rivers burst their banks in Central Uganda.

Residents have to devise means of connecting to their destinations as rains continue to pound different parts of the region.

While diversions have been announced at various sections of major roads with heavy traffic after the collapse and weakening of the respective bridges, incidents of residents drowning have been registered in parts of Nakasongola and Nakaseke districts.

Mr Lawrence Kirunda, the chairperson Kakoola Village where the latest fatal water accident on River Mayanja in Nakaseke District was recorded on Tuesday, puts the number of deaths to four in two months.

“The bridge linking the districts of Nakaseke and Kiboga at River Mayanja was swept away by fast-flowing water at the onset of the heavy rains in September. We have registered several water accidents and about four deaths at River Mayanja,” he said.

The incident claimed the life of a cattle trader identified as Charles Ssenoga when their boat capsized.  While the other two occupants survived, a motorcycle that was part of the luggage on the boat was by Wednesday still missing.

Locals speak out

Ms Judith Nabawanuka, a relative of the deceased (Ssenoga) on Wednesday revealed that Ssenoga had survived a similar accident at the same spot a week ago as he crossed the water in a boat.

“They fell into the water together with a cow that he had bought from Kiboga but other people on the same boat did not drown,” she said.

In Nakasongola District, Kakooge Sub-county residents retrieved bodies of two people who drowned on Monday at two different flooded sections of River Lugogo.

In the districts of Mubende, Kassanda, Kakumiro, Kyankwanzi and Kiboga, flash floods have destroyed more than 10 bridges linking residents to the different areas.

 Last Friday, Namuwanguza Bridge that connects Mubende to  Kakumiro  through Butologo Sub-county in Mubende was washed away by flash floods. Many residents are trapped and now using alternative routes, which are longer.

Mr William Buligira, a resident of Bubengere Village in Butologo Sub-county, said the fast moving water that washed away the bridge at Namuwanguza also destroyed several gardens.

“The Namuwanguza Bridge acts as a major gateway for residents that transport goods and seek the different services between the two districts,” he said.

The Chairperson of Mubende,Mr Micheal Muhereza, said a section of Kasensero Road that connects Budibaga and Kiryamirizi and Kagavu-Nabakazi Bridge that connects Kassanda and Mubende districts have been damaged.

He said the damaged bridge at Namuwaguza needs box culverts and at least Shs110 million for repairs. 

Mr Sam Kigula, the Nakasongola District chairperson, said residents cannot cross the flooded Ssezibwa Bridge that connects Nakasongola and Kayunga districts.

“The bridge has been submerged and our people cannot cross from Nakasongola to Kayunga, ” he said.

The  leaders from the districts of Nakaseke, Mubende and Kakumiro are have urged the Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra)   to fix the broken bridge.

The Resident District Commissioner of Nakaseke, Ms Rosemary Byabashaija, yesterday said the district had  engaged   Unra on the matter.

“The water levels are still high but we ask our people not to risk crossing the water at that section of River Mayanja using the small boats. We have already talked to Unra and the repairs will be done when the water levels reduce,” she said.

Mr Michael Muhereza Ntambi, the Mubende District chairperson, said: “We have visited the collapsed bridge at Namuwanguza together with a technical team from Mubende and Kakumiro. The district teams cannot fix the bridge. We are waiting for a team from Unra to repair the bridge.”

Other broken bridges in Mubende include Kacwamango and Nabakazi, which connect Mubende to  Kassanda.

In Kyankwanzi District, flash floods destroyed several bridges while the flooded swamps have submerged houses and gardens in Gayaza, Ntwetwe, Byerima and Nkoko sub-counties.

Residents who have to travel to Kakumiro District from Kyankwanzi said they are incurring additional expenses for alternative routes that are far from their respective areas of origin.

Unra recently advised motorists connecting to Kampala City through the Kafu Bridge via the Hoima-Kyankwanzi –Kiboga route to use Kampala –Luweero-Kafu-Masindi –Hoima route or Kampala-Mubende-Kakumiro –Nalweyo-Buhimba –Hoima route.

Others are using the Kampala-Kiboga route.

However, Unra officials said the Hoima-Kyankwanzi –Kiboga route remains unsafe for motorists until the engineering teams fix the destroyed section of the highway. 

The Kyankwanzi Resident District Commissioner, Ms Sharon Ankunda, said while several residents had tried to use the road section even after the warning from the technical teams, ignoring the warning is a dangerous move.

“The police have now been deployed at the damaged section of the road,” she said.

Fortunately, the rain experienced in various parts of Masaka Sub-region is still moderate with no reported cases of submerged bridges and many roads in the area are still in a fair and motorable state.

Background

  The Uganda National Meteorological Authority (Unma) says Uganda generally has two major rainfall seasons, that is March-April-May that constitutes the first rainy season and September-October-November-December as the second season.

      Unma, however, says the regions in northern Uganda experience the third rainfall season during the June-July-August period.On November 8, Unma posted on X, formerly Twitter, saying the November seasonal update indicates the peak of the rains.

     The authority warned of ‘‘enhanced rains expected in North West stretching to West Nile, L. Victoria basin/central, Elgon region, SouthWest, L. Kyoga area.’’   Unma added: ‘‘Rivers have burst, floods in many places-caution required.’’

  The authority said the major systems likely to influence the November rainfall outlook include the current sustained El Nino and positive Indian Ocean Dipole, which is associated with enhanced rainfall  in most parts of Uganda.

Compiled by Dan Wandera , Barbra Nalweyiso & Edison Ndyasiima

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