Kayunga leaders seek help to rescue residents in flooded areas

Kayunga, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  Kayunga district authorities are seeking government intervention to relocate over 4,000 people from Kawongo landing site in Ggaliraya Sub County. The area has been cut off by flooding water from River Ssezibwa. 

The landing site is currently congested with people who have been displaced from the shoreline of Lake Kyoga. Fred Ssembajwe, one of the affected residents says he is dismayed by the government’s failure to relocate them despite persistent pleas for help. Ssembajwe says they are stuck with nowhere to go, and no one to help.

Yusufu Kisigula, another resident says that although they had expected the district to come to their rescue, by relocating them to a secure place, nothing is forthcoming.

Kayunga District Chairperson Tom Sserwanga says that the district cannot independently deal with the situation. He says that the water first flooded the road before it strayed into gardens and submerged the entire island. Sserwanga says that although the district provided a boat to help some residents to move from the flooded area, a number of them have nowhere to go.

“The district is trying to identify space where some of the residents can be relocated to but still we lack materials to set up shelters for them. They will need feeding because all their gardens were destroyed by floods. We are still appealing to the Office of the Prime Minister to come to our rescue,” Sserwanga said.

The Uganda National Roads Authority manager in charge of Buganda region, Eng. Jimmy Adweke visited the area to assess the situation on the ground. He, however, said it would be hard to rehabilitate the flooded section before the water dries up, yet, it cannot be diverted.

Ggaliraya Sub County Chairperson Jamada Musana says the area is now a no go zone for motorists. He explains that whenever there are any deliveries they are offloaded and loaded on the boats.

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