Port Bell vendors, residents puzzled as Lake Victoria submerges area

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Market vendors and residents living around Port Bell, Luzira are living in uncertainty because Lake Victoria has submerged the landing site.

Speaking to Uganda Radio Network (URN), traders and residents expressed worry over their lives as their homes and stalls are all flooded by water.

During URN’s visit to the landing site, a good number of houses, retail shops and food stalls were found plunged into water.

One needs a boat to maneuver from one place to another. In some areas only those with boots can walk from one end to another. But this is more of risking life as it is difficult to determine which side is deep.

Richard Ssembatya, who has been a resident of Port Bell for the last 17 years says they need urgent help since their lives are at risk. Ssembatya says lives of children are at a greater risk as they can easily drown.

Agnes Nantongo, also a resident and vendor says the little food she is selling is rotting as people fear going to buy from them. Before the lake plunged the place, Nantongo said they would sell sweet potatoes worth 80,000 shillings and avocados valued at 50,000 shillings.

Margret Kabagambe, a Born Again pastor in the area also cries foul as her church, house and food stall have been flooded by water. Kabagambe asks government to compensate them so that she can go back to her home village in Kyenjojo district.

Nzerena Nakayizza, who travels by boat from Mukono to Port Bell to sell raw food stuffs says for the 20 years she has been doing business at the landing, she had never seen Lake Victoria immersing the entire place.

She wonders how she will feed her family of seven children as her business has been hampered by the flooding. Nakayizza says she would make between 130,000 shillings to 200,000 shillings on good days which is no longer the case.

The Executive Director of National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Tom Okurut said the affected residents including vendors must leave the place before they are forcefully evicted. Okurut said diseases such as cholera are likely to hit the place, a reason they have ordered people to leave.

National Association of Professional Environmentalist – NAPE’s, David Kureeba says the rising Lake Victoria water levels is because of degraded forests and swamps and valleys that have silted to enable construction.

Water and Environment minister, Sam Cheptoris during a media briefing on Friday said the rise in water level has gone up from 12.00 meters to the current level of 13.32 meters as of 30th April 2020.

Cheptoris said there are fears that the water could rise to 13.41, the highest ever recorded. The Lake is currently only 0.08 meters away from the highest level ever recorded in May, 1964 according to the minister.

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URN