THE dark hand of nature that devastated Bududa last week has taken its turn on Butaleja district.
According to Richard Waya, the LC5 chairperson, the district has experienced the worst floods ever.
“Up to 140,000 people have been displaced, creating a big humanitarian crisis,” he says.
Waya says the floods have hit all the sub-counties of Butaleja, affecting 10 schools and leading to the closure of four.
Agriculture and food security Butaleja has been a food basket for a big part of eastern Uganda, especially in rice production. However, the floods have pushed the farmers into despair.
The area also produces maize, potatoes and beans.
“The floods came at a wrong time when people were harvesting their crops and preparing for the coming season,” Waya said.
Water and sanitation Waya says the water sources have been contaminated and the population is at risk of catching waterborne diseases like cholera. Houses and toilets have also been destroyed.
Although relocating people would be the best option, there is need for tarpaulins, mobile toilets and water purifiers to provide safe water to the suffering people.
Butaleja is a flat area near Mt. Elgon. “River Manafa burst its banks and swept away the culverts,” he said.
Alex Muhwezi, the director of Future Dialogues, a consultancy firm, says Mt. Elgon is a ‘water tower’ where many rivers originate and flow across the plains into lakes Victoria, Kyoga and Turkana
Weather forecast According to the weather forecast most parts of Uganda are likely to receive normal to above normal rains.
Deus Bamanya, the principal meteorologist, said the rain is being influenced by El Nino conditions.
Since mid last year, Uganda’s weather patterns have been disrupted by mild El Nino conditions.
On the impact of El Nino on eastern, central and western Uganda, Bamanya referred to the Directorate of Water Department (DWD) saying they were supposed to use the weather forecast and assess whether and where the floods would occur.
“The water in the wetlands of Soroti has started rising, an indication that the area may experience yet another floods,” said a source who preferred anonymity. Last year, Teso region experienced floods which displsced many people and destroyed property.
Despite this gloomy picture, Jennifer Namuyangu, the state minister for water, said El-Nino rains would bring some benefits such as increased agricultural output. “Farmers are advised to make use of this season and plant enough food to cater for drought-stricken areas,” she said.
Waya said Butaleja had formed a committee to address the disaster. “We are thinking of relocating people, but providing many toilets is still a challenge and the district is cut off from the rest of the country,” he said.
