OVER 3,000 residents of Katanda sub-county in Rubirizi district, whose crops were destroyed in a Tuesday hailstorm, may be hit by famine.
The heavy rain characterised by hailstones, left plantations ravaged in Katerera, Mugyera, Ryamatumba, Kisharu B and Katanda villages. Over 620 households were seriously affected.
A group of residents carried basins of ice and to the district headquarters to show their leaders how they had been affected.
Mohamood Banyanga, lost nine turkeys and two hens while another family lost a pig and a goat. On Wednesday some banana, cassava and potatoes gardens were still flooded with ice. “Our children are going to suffer from malnutrition because tomato, greens, cassava and potato gardens have been totally destroyed at the time when they are going back to school,” said James Boona, who lost several plantations.
“We had kept this cassava plantation for food security but now we have to uproot all of it,” said Milton Kampikaho, during LC5 chairman David Kisembo’s visit to the destroyed areas. “Our income is from cash crops, especially coffee and matooke,” Kampikaho said.
