Stephen Serutoki, one of the residents has identified the deceased as Ivan Ngabire,2, Claudine Uwizeyimana, 30 a Rwandan national, Ntezandekura,5, Joshua Eradukunda,11, and John Nsenga.
According to information gathered by our reporter, the fire destroyed four sacks of Simsim, four sacks of sorghum, and Shillings 500,000 for a savings group in the village among others.
Alex Nambajimana, Kisoro District LCV Vice Chairman told our reporter that among the dead and missing are Rwandan nationals who have been renting in Koranya trading center, a woman, and two children who were inside their rooms.
The chairpersons include Kenneth Okot of Atiak Town Council, Samuel AKera of Atiak Sub County, and Peter Lukwiya of Opara Sub County. They were arrested by the police on Friday on allegations of arson and malicious damage, following an operation they conducted against illegal charcoal dealers in the area.
They are accused of torching seven makeshift huts, burning 240 bags of stacked charcoal and hundreds of heaps of piled charcoal logs, killing poultry, damaging two solar panels and clothes belonging to Michael Okema Opilo the former Chairperson for Elegu Town council.
The operation which was conducted at Ogom Raa and Tee-Got parishes in Okidi Village was led by the Environmental Police Protection Unit. Hundreds of temporary structures, piles of logs for burning, and kilns of already burning charcoal were destroyed.
Rukararwe is a Non-Governmental Organization that was established in 1986, and, among several other activities, promotes the use of traditional medicine and conserves the environment.
Although average global temperatures were temporarily cooled by the 2020-2022 La Niña events, 2021 was still one of the seven warmest years on record, according to six leading international datasets consolidated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
UNMA Executive Officer Dr David Elweru, says that the current rains are a result of the strengthening of Southern Pressure Systems whose orientation shifted the rainfall belt over the country consequently leading to the observed rainfall events.
In the poem; Wagwoko Kabedo Ma Orumuwa (Let’s Protect Our Environment), Ongom allows the shea nut tree to lament in an attempt to squeeze sympathy out of the shea tree destroyer.
Vincent Alpha Opio, the Kikuube LC 5 Vice Chairperson told Uganda Radio Network in an interview that they halted the exercise due to the failure by the NFA and ministry of lands to engage local leaders, area residents, and a private surveyor on behalf of the local community during the demarcation exercise.
The officials led by the Minister of State for Water and Environment, Aisha Ssekindi made the call on Monday while appearing before Parliament’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee to discuss the Budget Framework Paper for the financial year 2022/2023.
Alfred Lowanyang the landowner says that in 2008, the Ministry of Water with Nakapiripirit town council officials trespassed on his one-acre piece of land without compensation.
Geoffrey Owor, the headteacher of St Mbuga Primary school, says that the affected teachers lost property such as clothing and food items among others worth over Shillings 3.5 million.
Ismail Drabe, the Madi Okollo LC V Chairperson, says that they have already embarked on a home-to-home campaign to sensitize residents against bush burning.
Reports indicate that an estimated 100 residents surrounded the animals of Willis Morokole in an attempt to drive them out of the sub-county following the expiry of the January 10th, 2022 deadline issued to the Balalo to vacate the district.
“The masons managed to scare off a few of our community members who had arrived at the scene much earlier on and by the time the rest of us were mobilized through the village Whatsapp group, two trees had been cut down,” she said.
According to Mujuni, Kyampalakata and the neighboring villages are often hit by severe water crises as a result of the prolonged dry spell, which affects people, animals, and their crops.
