By MONITOR TEAM
Flash floods have again hit Kasese district cutting off Kasese-Fort Portal main road at Nyamwamba Bridge.
Several residents in Kasese had a sleepless night after major rivers in the district burst their banks spilling into the communities. By 2am, residents had flocked Kasese town for safety as they heard sounds of rolling stones on the slopes of Mountain Rwenzori being carried down by the bursting rivers.
The rivers that have wreaked havoc in Kasese include; Nyamwamba in Kasese town, Mubuku in Ibanda-Kyanya town council and Nyamughasana in Kyalhumba Sub County.
According to the mayor Kasese municipality, Mr Godfrey Baluku Kabbyanga, “River Nyamwamba overflew at Bunyandiko in Kilembe sub county flooding in the low land areas of the town.”
Tentatively, the entire Nyamwamba valley hosting the areas of Road Barrier, Nganji, Basecamp, Kibenge, Kisagazi and Nyakasanga are experiencing the flooding profusely. Kyanzuki Bridge on River Nyamwamba has also been swept away.
Movement to and from Kasese town has been cut off at Nganji by the flooding river. This therefore implies that people in Kilembe including patients in Kilembe main hospital are now stuck there.
In Ibanda-Kyanya town council, River Mubuku has spilled into people’s houses.
According to Mr William Kambere, a resident of Ibanda II cell, several people have now fled their homes and are now encamped at Ibanda Primary School.
The bridge that connects Ibanda to Kachindo and subsequently to Maliba market has also been swept away.
River Kithakena in Maliba Sub County has also overflown causing flooding in the neighbouring areas of Kachindo and Maliba Trading Center.
Mr Ronald Ndyakurungi, a resident of Kyalhumba town council said people have camped at Kyalhumba trading center following the flooding of river Nyamughasana. The most affected areas are Kabingo and Kabughabugha.
According to many locals, the state of affairs in Kasese now is a repeat of the 2013 flash floods where the bursting rivers claimed seven lives and destroyed properties worth hundreds of millions of money.
Locals in Ibanda-Kyanya town council said that Bikone Primary School has been swept away by River Mubuku.
“I’m right now opposite Bikone Primary school, out of four school buildings only one is remaining” said Enid Ninsiima, our staff in Kasese.
Floods wreak havoc in western #Uganda: River Nyamwanba and R.Lamia in #kasese & Bundibugyo districts burst their banks last night due to #heavyrainfall displacing thousands of people, who are now sheltering in schools, churches. #NECJOGHA pic.twitter.com/7IKq94Gg8Y
— NECJOGHA Climate News Africa (@ClimateNewsAfr1) May 7, 2020
In Kasese, heavy rain that started in the morning around 6am to 9am caused destruction in Muramba Sub-County, Sooko parish. Our team on ground to carry out assessment, establish magnitude of disaster, families affected and their immediate needs to inform our response. @opmdpm pic.twitter.com/m5xf3mzdGO
— Uganda Red Cross Soc (@UgandaRedCross) May 7, 2020
