Penninah Atweo, a resident of Agologolo Village in Bugondo Sub County says the condition of the road has affected their livelihoods as costs of transport have more than doubled. Atweo, who sells vegetables says that she spends 16,000 shillings on the transport alone instead of 4,000 she used to pay before the roads were submerged.
According to the residents, the toilet is dilapidated and filled to capacity since the sewage line is broken and produces a heavy stench in the area, which has being going on for two months.
Vincent Kataate, the senior environment officer said eight of the 50 wetlands across the district have been completely destroyed while the rest are slowly being encroached on.
The contest emerged after the creation of Kitagwenda district in 2019, a result of which, the new leadership demarcated the 450-hectare quarry as part of Kanara Sub County, rejecting an earlier report which placed the quarry in Nkongoro parish which is part of Kamwenge district.
More than 200 people in Luwalinga and Lamdogi cells in Central Division, parts of Pandwong and Pager Divisions were affected by the Wednesday night floods. They comprised of illegal settlers in the gazetted wetland along the river banks and those outside the wetland boundaries according to reports from local leaders.
Cecilia Asiimwe, 80, is one of those who lost all their house hold property to the floods. Asiimwe who returned to her empty house in Busunga town, which borders R. Lamiya, says the family doesn’t have any food.
The area leaders say that the government needs to resettle the victims and provide a permanent solution to the problem. Resettlement would involve the relocation to safer areas and providing support for them to establish infrastructure and sources of livelihood, away from the deplorable conditions they are currently living in.
Andrew Peter Asaya, the Tororo District Engineer says that in the previous financial year, the district budgeted for 1.14 billion shillings for the roads but the government only released 800 million which was inadequate to work on even one road.
Allan Obbo, the founder of the project says it has demonstrated that littered plastic bottles can be an alternative building material as well cleaning the environment.
Many of them attest that they have not attended any of the virtual programmes offered through Radio, TV and online, due to lack of interest and appeal. Instead, they accompany their parents and friends to the mine, where they are involved in digging, lifting and loading sand on trucks, as a money-making venture.
Pascal Ecumu the OC marine police on Lake Edward and George told URN on Wednesday that they have so far recovered some of the deceased’s suspected body parts.
With no access to necessities, the families can hardly afford a meal a day. They accuse both government and the local leadership for deliberately refusing to address their plight.
Nicholas Kazibwe, the Chairperson of Kajuna sand miners argues that they are already burdened by the local government tax levied on their work despite having no returns from it.
Rwot Solomon Milton Omila Omwole II, the Pagak clan Chief, says he got concerned after receiving news that Amuru Hot Springs that were being used for cultural rituals had been sold to Odonga Otto.
Patrick Louis Lamot, a health worker in Elegu Township, says the floods started on Sunday evening and had submerged the entire Eastern side of the Town Council and parts of the refugee reception center by Monday morning.
The ferry is going to replace the old one that has been operating the route from Kiyindi in Buikwe to Kirongo landing site in Buvuma. The old ferry is expected to be shifted to ply the route from Katosi to Kkoome island.
Eng. Dr Seith Mugume noted that the rising and falling water levels are as a result of an imbalance created by several human-induced factors that affect water inflows and outflows from Lake Victoria.
