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Apac, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Flash floods from Lake Kwania and River Nile have cut-off most parts of Ibuje sub county from Apac District.
Ibuje sub county is located at the shores of Lake Kwania, approximately 30 Kms from Apac town.
The road from Apac town via Amocal to Ibuje sub county has been cut-off from Apac District by the flash water at corner Amii. Anyone accessing Ibuje sub county now is forced to use a longer route from corner Amii through Alado to the sub county headquarters, about 6kms instead of the 2 kms.
All the six parishes in the sub county are experiencing the floods and this has affected a number of households with people also displaced from their homesteads.
People are renting houses at nearby trading centers while others are hiring gardens in which they grow crops. Gardens of crops mostly, cassava, maize, soya beans among others have been completely flooded.
The six parishes include Aganga with over 120 households displaced and Alworoceng which are the most affected. The others are Tar-ogali where 70 households are flooded, Aketo has about 20 families displaced, Amii-amilo and Amii-aberidwogo where crops are affected the most.
The road leading to Aganga HCIII has been cut-off by floods as well. The other is from corner Amii to Alworoceng, approximately four kilometers.
Robson Bob Orech, the Community Development officer at Ibuje Sub county who said so many people are suffering as a result of the floods.
“You know our people here, with the increasing population, the gardens are already taken by water. That was where they were born and now they are being forced to find where to rent or even hire gardens to dig,” said Orech.
According to him, the sub county has done its best to collect data and forward to the District for help, but nothing has been done yet.
He said the government through the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness have failed in executing their duties. Orech is worried that there will be a famine come 2021.
He appealed to the district leaders to follow up on their request for assistance for families affected by the floods.
Moses Auna, a resident of Amia-mola village in Alworoceng parish said he is struggling to grow food for his family on a single garden which survived the floods.
Another primary school teacher is operating a small business to supplement his family’s income.
Similarly, Dorcus Amule, who had traveled over 10kms to purchase food from Amii trading center says she had no option other than to brace the waters despite her phobia.
“I have two children who need what to eat. Our gardens started flooding in March this year and soon the entire home was flooded and that is why we had to find a place to rent at Alworoceng trading center which is almost flooding again.”
However, a group of young boys between 14 to 20 years’ have turned the calamity into a money making venture. They have provided small canoes to transport people across the flooded roads.
The small canoes carry a total of 9 passengers including the owner over a stretch of 4kms. The boys charge 1000 shillings per head without luggage. 4000 and 5000 shillings are charged for passengers who have bicycles and motorcycles respectively.
Denis Opige, a 20-year-old boy has mastered the art of rowing the canoe from Amii to Alworoceng road. In a day, Opige makes about 3 to 4 trips due to the high numbers of canoes.
He says the money is enough to provide for and other smaller necessities for their family of four.
Meanwhile, Geoffrey Oyuru, the Ibuje LC3 chairperson says the natural calamity will only stop when God decides to end it, thus calling upon the affected communities to pray to God for intervention.
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