Famine looms in Kasese as crops dry due to floodwater silt deposits

Kasese, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Hundreds of farmers in the sub-counties of Karusandara, Maliba, Kanyangeya and Mubuku in Kasese district are facing a famine threat after their plantations began drying up as a result of silt deposits left by recent floodwaters.

The floods followed a heavy downpour that pounded the district last month when River Nyamwamba overflew at Bunyandiko in Kilembe sub county submerging the low-lying areas of the district. The heavy rains also submerged acres of gardens leaving behind silt composites as deep as 5 feet. Some farmers are worried that mineral components carried by waters from the mountains including copper and zinc will be harmful to their crops.

In Karusandara sub-county, banana plantations have started drying up while farmers in Maliba have abandoned cultivating in the meantime after failing to break through the silt. This they say has already exposed the disaster-stricken sub-county to a threat of famine.

Emmanuel Katuramu, a farmer and chairman of Kihondo, Scheme Ward in Nyamwamba division says over 100 families in the area are now at risk of famine as most crops especially banana plantations are dying. Katuramu adds that some perennial crops like groundnuts and beans had already been covered by the silt while others had been washed away by floods.

Katuramu called for immediate intervention from the government to save the area which depends entirely on agriculture for its survival.

Nelson Musabe, another farmer from Mubuku says his four acres banana plantation is turning yellow while efforts to open the silt have failed due to its hardness.

Gloria Mbabazi, another farmer who had initially lost her tomato and ground nuts gardens to the floods, now wants the government to come in and help farmers save their crops before they completely dry up.

The other group that is affected are the brick makers. Katuramu, a bricklayer from Kanyangeya says he has been depending on his casual work for his livelihood but with the silt across his homestead, his job is no more.

Santos Tumwine, the Karusandara area councillor says the threat posed on agriculture by siltation cannot be overstated. He confirmed that if let to go on unabated, the threat of siltation was likely to derail efforts by the district to engage in more agricultural activities.

Kasese Senior Agriculture Officer Johnson Sabuni Mwesige says the plantations are drying up due to water logging under the silt and limited air circulation. He acknowledges that crops such as banana and coffee will have to dry since they require free drainage soils but advises farmers to plant away from river banks and flood-prone areas.

With no immediate plan of intervention, Mwesige adds that it’s unfortunate that farmers will have to lose their crops. Questioned on reports of minerals from the mountains that can affect the crops, he says the toxic effects can only be ascertained after some time.

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