BY MICHAEL THEMBO & JOACKIM KULE
Scores of people in Nyamwamba Division of Kasese Municipality have been displaced following last night’s incident in which floods from River Nyamwamba strayed into their buildings.
The river which had initially remained in its channel in the morning hours yesterday, however, found its way to the community via the Kamulikwizi Water Channel in the afternoon hours.
By 1:00am, there were dramatic scenes when the floods overpowered the water channel and eventually spread into the community.
Mr. Zubairi Bagheni, a resident of Mumbuzi Cell in Nyakasanga II Ward whose two rooms of his house were not spared by the floods, told Messiah Radio that he started witnessing an increase in the water volumes at midnight. According to him, he was shocked moments later when he saw the wall of his house next to the water channel collapse.
Several other buildings in Mumbuzi cell were seen having been submerged by the running water leaving the occupants with no option apart from seeking refuge from their relatives’ homes.
Ms Jolly Biira, the Woman Councilor representing Nyakasanga II Ward to Kasese Municipal Council, who was found at the scene, narrated to our reporter that the running water also forced the electric pole that was erected along the Kamulikwizi Channel to fall on to the building adjacent to it. Ms Biira expounds: ……………..
She appealed to government to immediately come to the people’s rescue through de-silting some of the blocked channels so that the running water is redirected to its main channel.
Mr. Samson Mumbere Mutahunga, the Local Council I Chairperson for Mumbuzi Cell, stressed that during the incident, together with police they rescued one person who had fainted after looking at the nature of floods and was rushed to one of the health facilities in Kasese town.
In Saluti A and Kamulikwizi cells, Kanyangeya Ward, the culverts connecting the two areas had been swept away by the flooding waters while a good number of houses had been vacated after being filled with floods.
By press time in the morning hours, their occupants had already run for their dear lives and sought refuge in the neighborhood.
Mr. Patrick Syamutsangira, the Municipal Councilor representing Kyanjuki Ward, told Messiah Radio that the floods also washed a bridge that connects Masule A to Kyanjuki in Bulembia Division.
According to him, all the alternative routes that connect Kyanjuki to Katiri were too blocked by debris originating from the floods.
In Katonzi Cell, about four semi-permanent homes were still cut off with some residents inside and their accessibility was still limited by high flood waters.
Later in the evening, the Principal Assistant Secretary in the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, Mr. Mustafa Kikusa posted in Kasese Disaster Platform that an excavator had started de-silting works at some spot places in order to redirect the floods into the main channel of River Nyamwamba. ENDS