Floods Submerge Homes in Kalungu District

At least 80 families at Kamuwunga landing site in Kalungu district have been displaced by floods.

The area is experiencing flooding caused by rain and overflows from Lake Victoria shorelines.

Joseph Kizza, the Kamuwunga LCI Chairperson says that part of the landing site that has been habitable is being swallowed by water, affecting human settlement.

He explains that during the rainy season, the water levels in the lake have been rising and only covers a few meters from the shoreline, but to their surprise, the waters have now crossed its usual boundaries into people’s homes and plantations. 

Kizza attributes the current heavy flooding to the massive destruction of Lwera wetland which was replaced with rice fields and sand mines.

Juliet Namakula, one of the affected residents, says she has settled in the area for over fifteen years and has never been displaced by flooding.

She blames the Chinese Investors of Zhong Rice Estates; currently operating in Lwera, for interfering with the Lake Victoria shorelines as they draw water for irrigating their plantations.

//Cue in “plot twazigula….   

  Cue out; …amazzi ago negakola.”//

Hussein Bimba and Ronald Ssemanda the sanitation Secretary and Vice-Chairperson of the landing site respectively want the government to consider their area for a contingency plan under which the affected persons can be resettled in the meantime. 

He notes that the flooded area has become a breeding place for mosquitoes, putting the residents at risk.

//Cue in: “nze Bimba Hussein….. 

  Cue out:….government etutaase.”// 

Sarah Nanyanzi, the Kalungu District Deputy Resident Commissioner has advised the affected residents to voluntarily vacate the flooded area.

She says that many of the affected residents settled within the water catchment area of Lake Victoria where they encroached against the advice of the district environment authorities. 

Kamuwunga becomes the latest landing site whose existence is threatened by flooding water in Kalungu district; the others are Bulingo and Kalagala fishing villages while in Masaka district, Kaziru, Kachanga and Mumpu villages were also flooded early this month after lake Victoria burst its banks due to increase in water levels.