Chance Kahindo the Mayor of Kasese Municipality says they fear that if the rains become intense as its being predicted, water might carry along properties including boulders that would eventually silt the river again.
The emergency de-silting
of River Nyamwamba in Kasese district is being threatened by the start of the
rainy season.
Local
leaders in Kasese are now calling on the contractor to halt the exercise to ensure government resources are not wasted.
The desilting processes started in June this year
covering a distance of 5.4 kilometres.
The exercise is being undertaken by Ambitious
Construction Company under a 17 billion Shillings Project.
River Nyamwamba has in
the recent past caused a lot of destruction and loss of lives as a result of
flooding with the latest resulting in the destruction of Kilembe Mines Hospital
and the displacement of hundreds of area residents.
Chance Kahindo the Mayor of Kasese Municipality says they fear that if the rains become intense as its being predicted, water might carry along properties including boulders that would eventually silt the river again.
He thinks it
would be wiser for government to order the suspension of the de-silting
exercise until the wet season comes to an end.
//Cue in: “Its unfortunate that…//
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Kahindo also believes that the desilting exercise should
have been considered in
the first months of the year where there are minimal rains expected.
Richard
Bomera the LC3 chairperson Bulembia division says there is need for the government to
give timely guidance to the contractor to ensure the work being undertaken does
not go to waste.
He
added that they have been relying on observing the "natural behavior" of the river, that it usually floods around the May rains compared to other rainy months.
However, he says they cannot ignore the fact that
seasons have gradually been changing over the last years.
//Cue in: “It’s true the desilting…//
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Thembo Isaiah Lc1 chairperson Kitooro cell, says
they are worried, given the intensity of rains and its effects in Eastern Uganda
so far.
//Cue in: “We have a lot…//
Cue out: …. into the communities.”//
Both
the contractor and the Kasese district environmental officer declined to
comment on the local leader’s request.
Basaija is a graduate of Uganda Christian University (UCU-Mukono) holding a Bachelors Degree in Mass Communication.
He is a currently pursuing a fellowship in Gender Communications at Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications Nairobi, Kenya and expected to graduate in 2025.
He also boosts of numerous training's in the journalism arena.
Before joining URN, he had served as documentation support personnel, radio presenter and a news editor.
